Kennedy family folklore?
The Kennedy political dynasty has certainly been blessed with blue-collar friends awaiting them at the start of their political careers. There never seems to be a shortage of horny-handed sons of toil to assure fledgling Kennedys that being rich is no impediment to being a friend of the working man.
In the course of Times reporter Robin Toner's web-only column absolving rich Democrats from feeling guilty for preaching about poverty while making millions, Toner delivered the better-documented version of the Kennedy family folk tale.
As the story goes, Ted Kennedy was campaigning for his first Senate seat in 1962 when he was confronted by a blue-collar worker who provided the future senator his absolution.
Toner:
"In fact, when Mr. Kennedy ran for the Senate in 1962, he was attacked by his opponent as being privileged, unaccomplished, and for having 'never worked for a living.' A burly worker approached him one day and said, 'Ted, me boy, I understand you’ve never worked a day in your life.' He paused, then added, 'You haven’t missed a thing.'"
Times reporter David Halbfinger repeated a similar story in February 2004 (Times Select $ possibly required), during that year's Democratic primaries pitting Sen. John Kerry against Sen. John Edwards.
Except this tale, which Halbfinger forwarded from Kerry without comment, involved John F. Kennedy, and allegedly occurred while JFK was campaigning for the 1960 Democratic presidential nomination in West Virginia coal country.
Halbfinger:
'"'Jack Kennedy was in front of a mine in West Virginia -- it's a famous story -- and Hubert Humphrey was trying to bang away at him,' Mr. Kerry said, 'and a guy came up to him and said, "I understand, according to your opponent, you never worked a day in your life." And he said, "Well, don't worry -- you haven't missed a thing." '"
For New York Times bias, visit Times Watch.
—Clay Waters is the director of Times Watch, an MRC project tracking the New York Times.
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Aye me lucky.....
July 19, 2007 - 08:42 ET by OldSailor88Aye me lucky friend. And in my cereal you'll find Pink Hearts, Yellow Moons, and Green Clovers!!
Thieves
July 19, 2007 - 08:55 ET by Prester JohnAye, they're always after me Lucky Charms.
♥ ♦ ♣ ♠
July 19, 2007 - 09:11 ET by BondPlainBond*BOL*
Another folklore
July 19, 2007 - 09:13 ET by Mica the MagnificentI remember Tereza and I stopped at a Wal Mart one day and the greeter at the entrance, after he thanked me for my service in Vietnam, said, 'I understand you and Tereza never worked a day in your lives?
Well, I'm 87 years old and am stuck working as a f***ing greeter to pay for my Kibble N Bits. Thanks for nothing! Get out of this store you two pompous asses!'
Oh wait, I forgot to 'spin it.' May I try again?
If you go to college, study hard you can make it in life. If you don't, you become a Senator from Massachusetts.-- Something Kerry almost said.
Good one!
July 20, 2007 - 10:21 ET by SFCMACROFLMO!!
"When I
July 19, 2007 - 09:19 ET by BeanMan"When I returned...er...ah...Mary Jo and the cah were gahn."
Oh, I forgot to add "hic".
Since government is coercion, politics is largely the exercise of deception regarding the intended use of coercion - George Orwell
Never worked?
July 19, 2007 - 10:08 ET by Tom1969caIn the process of misattributing the story to Ted Kennedy, the author also overlooks the fact that Jack Kennedy (unlike his more liberal brothers) actually put on The Uniform during a time of war and was wounded defending America, earning the Purple Heart, the Navy and Marine Corps Medal, the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal and the World War II Victory Medal.
Where I come from, that counts as "working"...
~~~
"We can stand here like the French, or we can do something about it."-- Marge Simpson
Very clever deflection
July 19, 2007 - 09:35 ET by mattmVery clever deflection technique...but it only works for silver-spoon Democrats.
and then Mr. Kerry said, "I
July 19, 2007 - 10:01 ET by motherbeltand then, I suppose the miner gave Mr. Kennedy his miner's hat, and Kennedy kept it, saying throughout the campaign, "I still have the hat. To this day I have the hat!"
Yet another...
July 19, 2007 - 10:56 ET by c5thenFactually wrong or made-up story that they try and pander as being "true".
This one is my top contender for the Dan Rather award.
The day that "politician" became a career choice is the day we started losing the Republic
I mentioned this yesterday
July 19, 2007 - 10:45 ET by Clear thinkerI mentioned this yesterday in another thread, but decided to repeat because the subject is Kennedys.
A friend of my wife says that Bill Clinton is the son of JFK. And yes, she's a Democrat.
The liberal MSM has become an enemy of the USA.