My father was asked by JFK to "warm" his Senate seat until Ted could

run. My Dad and Jack Kennedy were longtime friends and he was Jack's personal attorney (probated the will, formed the Kennedy Library, represented Ted in connection with Chappy). In those days the Gov. appointed the seat warmer and JFK did not like Foster Furcolo and didn't trust that the person who he might appoint would move over for Teddy. My Dad turned him down. Told him that he was afraid he might get to like the job. The Gov. appointed Benjamin Smith who warmed the seat and was never heard of again.

How sad and ironic that things seem to have come full circle.

Just a little bit of history that came rushing back to my memory today. BTW, I took the call from JFK when he called my Dad at home to ask him. It was the thrill of my life! He identified himself to me as "President elect Kennedy." I gasped and he chuckled.

that episode in years. Teddy request today brought it all back.

Did your father ever regret his decision?

Rec.

very tempted but my younger brother burst into tears at being uprooted to DC. My folks had been in a very serious plane crash and the thought of communing between DC and Massachusetts just was too much for everybody. My Dad had a lot of contact with Kennedy while he was in the White House so I think that satisfied his appetite for politics.

great story btw

teddy's daughter.

I know Vikki(ted's wife) said she doesn't want the seat.

wold vote for health care reform. I think the issue right now is the vote, not the person.

Can senators vote from home?
even if they wheeled him in on a gurney he'd make the vote rather than lose.
I think its more about the next fight coming down the pike.

side I suppose they could have a pact to both stay away...I would be doubtful that any Repub would do that, but you never know. If he made that trip, I wonder if it is too dangerous for him. Maybe his family pushed him to make the request.

you need 3/5 of elected Senators to break a filibuster.

Thanks for sharing and that is so amazing that you talked to Pres. Kennedy!

"talk". I was completely tongue tied. I told him that my Dad would call him back. I did get the number. JFK was on the Cape. My Dad was taking a walk. I told my mother about the call and we jumped in the car and went to find my Dad. When we got home, my Dad went upstairs to their bedroom (I can still see this) to use the phone in privacy and...you won't believe this...my mother and I got on the extension downstairs and listened. I can remember much about the conversation other than the POTUS swore like a sailor (which, of course, he was)!

-- the Cook Cty Bd of Elections -- for your Dad's buddy!!!

...the world will be strange without an elder Kennedy in Washington.

I hope Ted is with us to attending the signing of the bill.

....so, so, so fantastic. Thank you for sharing :toast:

it was my boyfriend and you NEVER picked up the phone on the first or second ring...Good God!How mundane!

I always waited for the fourth ring....even though I wanted to pounce on the phone and eat it :blush: No, no, it wasn't JFK on the other end, just some poor unfortunate guy who had the misfortune to pursue me. :-) (There weren't all that many of them, I should confess).

Any way, what stupendous memories you have Raven - again, thank you for sharing them. :hi:

Awesome post! Thanks for sharing:) :patriot:

:D

and wanted him to go to work for him. My Dad declined but did get to know Jack after Jack got back from the war. Jack was a tall skinny young man recovering from jaundice when my Dad first met him. He was getting ready to run for Congress. Family legend has it that when my Dad got home from a meeting with Jack on this, he said to my mother "This kid has about as much chance of getting elected as the baby upstairs (my little brother)". Was he ever wrong!

for you:)

Where were you and your dad (family) when you heard he had been
assassinated ? I was only 3 at the time (JFKjr's age) so I don't remember it. I know my parents have spoken of how devastated they and the whole country were after that...

I often wonder about JFKjr too. I had a crush on him for years--what a hottie! I will never forget his death and where I was at the time. I had just had my daughter and with that and post-partum blues, it took a toll for a while. So very, very sad. :cry:

for the German Chancellor which was to be held on the Monday after JFK died. I was at school and my mother had gone into Boston to pick up her dress. When I got home the dress was in a lump on the kitchen floor and she was crying at the kitchen table. My Father was on a Presidential fact finding tour of the US missile bases in the midwest (I think it was the midwest.) They were about to take an elevator down into one of the missile silos when they were suddenly evacuated out and escourted back to their airplane. They sat on the plane for quite a while and he said he watched jet after jet take off, presumably to intercept foreign missiles. He said he stood in the cockpit on the way back listening to the redio transmissions about the assassination.

All very surreal now as I think back on it.