Ted Kennedy
Ted Kennedy rented a brothel in 1961
The FBI claims that a year before his Senate election, Kennedy rented a Chilean brothel while on fact-finding trip
Topics: Latin America, Ted Kennedy
Edward "Ted" Kennedy, former U.S. senator from Massachusetts (D). An FBI file contends that a young Edward M. Kennedy arranged to rent a brothel for a night while visiting Chile in 1961, a year before he was elected to the Senate.
The previously redacted State Department memo, dated Dec. 28, 1961, was released by Judicial Watch, a Washington-based organization that said it obtained it through a Freedom of Information lawsuit.
According to the memo, the Massachusetts Democrat made arrangements to rent the brothel “for an entire night” in Santiago earlier in 1961. “Kennedy allegedly invited one of the Embassy chauffeurs to participate in the night’s activities,” according to the memo.
Continue Reading CloseCarter: Kennedy was drinking before 1980 snub
The former president's newly released presidential diary includes an interesting observation about a famous moment
Topics: Jimmy Carter, Ted Kennedy, War Room
Jimmy Carter, left, shakes hands with Sen. Edward Kennedy on the podium at the Democratic National Convention in 1980. This week marks the publication of Jimmy Carter’s private journal of his presidency, “White House Diary.” The entries are often brief, but Carter does offer an interesting account of one of the most widely discussed moments of his doomed 1980 reelection effort: Ted Kennedy’s apparent snub of him on the final night of the Democratic convention in New York, just after Carter had delivered his acceptance speech.
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Steve Kornacki writes about politics for Salon. Reach him by email at SKornacki@salon.com and follow him on Twitter @SteveKornacki More Steve Kornacki.
New FBI docs show Kennedy death threats
The FBI releases previously secret files concerning death threats against the late Sen. Edward Kennedy
Topics: Ted Kennedy
Most of the secret FBI files on the late Sen. Edward Kennedy being released Monday concern death threats against the longtime senator.
Alex Brown of the FBI’s records management division said the FBI would post some 2,000 pages of previously secret pages about the Massachusetts Democrat on the agency’s website.
The release of the documents has been highly anticipated by historians, scholars and others interested in the life and long public career of one of America’s most prominent and powerful politicians.
Continue Reading CloseCoakley wins primary to replace Kennedy
The Massachusetts state attorney general won the Democratic nomination easily; she's likely to win the general too
Topics: Martha Coakley, Ted Kennedy, War Room
Tuesday night, Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley won the Democratic primary in a special election to replace the late Sen. Ted Kennedy. If all goes as expected, she’ll win the general election, held early next year, and be sworn in to the Senate.
Coakley was the front-runner going into the night, but her margin of victory was still impressive. In a four-way race, Coakley still managed to pick up a plurality of 47 percent, beating Rep. Michael Capuano’s 28 percent and the 13 percent and 12 percent that Alan Khazei and Stephen Pagliuca were able to pull in, respectively.
Beyond just giving Coakley the opportunity to take Kenedy’s place in the Senate, Tuesday’s vote represented a milestone for Massachusetts: This is the first time either party has nominated a woman for one of the state’s Senate seats.
Alex Koppelman is a staff writer for Salon. More Alex Koppelman.
Voters picking a successor for Kennedy
A primary's held in the race to replace Ted Kennedy in the Senate
Topics: Martha Coakley, Ted Kennedy, War Room
Voters are heading to the polls in Massachusetts Tuesday, in the first step towards picking a longer-term replacement for the late Sen. Ted Kennedy. This vote is just the primary — the general won’t be held until early next year — but given the Democratic advantage, it will all but decide the final outcome.
The race has flown under the radar thus far, largely because state attorney General Martha Coakley has consistently been favored in polls. She’s running against Rep. Michael Capuano, Boston Celtics co-owner Stephen Pagliuca and Alan Khazei, who started the community service organization City Year.
There is one interesting dynamic to the race. Former President Bill Clinton endorsed Coakley recently. That pits him against former Gov. Michael Dukakis, the Democratic presidential nominee in 1988; Dukakis is backing Capuano.
Currently, Kennedy’s seat is held by Paul Kirk.
Alex Koppelman is a staff writer for Salon. More Alex Koppelman.
Massachusetts Gov. Patrick names Kennedy successor
Paul Kirk, a former aide to the late senator and one-time DNC chair, will serve in the Senate for a few months
Topics: Ted Kennedy, U.S. Senate, War Room
In this May 12, 2008, photo, Paul Kirk, Jr., left, chairman of the John Kennedy Library Foundation Board of Directors, is seen alongside the late Sen. Edward Kennedy at the annual Profile in Courage Award ceremonies at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum in Boston. As expected, Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick announced during a press conference Thursday morning that he’s chosen Paul Kirk to fill the late Sen. Ted Kennedy’s seat on an interim basis. Kirk will serve until after a special election is held early next year; both he and the governor said at the press conference that he will not be a candidate.
Kirk is a former chair of the Democratic National Committee and a one-time aide to Kennedy; he remains close enough to the family that he’s the current head of the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation. The late senator’s widow and sons had put their weight behind Kirk for the appointment.
Continue Reading CloseAlex Koppelman is a staff writer for Salon. More Alex Koppelman.
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