zulchzulu
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Tue May-20-08 03:15 PM
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The day I drove Ted Kennedy around Madison in 2004 |
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I had the wonderful opportunity to be a driver for Teresa Heinz Kerry, John Kerry and Ted Kennedy when they visited Madison, WI in 2003 and 2004. I know the campaign director and he asked me if I'd like to drive them to events and back again to the local airport. It was just too easy a decision to make.
Getting to be a driver is something that now would be inconceivable with the way security is these days. In order to drive, I had to pass the "Secret Service test" and was cleared to drive.
Driving Teresa and John around was certainly interesting, but that's another set of stories. Both were fantastic people who obviously were very busy getting ready for the various events that occurred.
What was amazing about driving Ted Kennedy around goes back to when I was a kid and wrote to him about how to run for office and how to do what he does. I must have been 8 years old when I wrote to him and I got back a letter signed by him that I framed and still have to this day.
So when I saw Ted get off the Kerry campaign plane and hit the tarmac and wave to well-wishers, it was pretty exciting to see. It was a cold, blustery day and his trademark grey hair was flopping in the arctic wind, but he never stopped his cheery laugh and smile.
Finally, he and his entourage made it to the van and he got in the back behind me. He tapped me on the shoulder and asked me how I was doing in his classic Kennedy accent. I told him it was an honor to drive him around, having been a big fan for many years. What was great about his manner was that we were told never to talk to the people we were driving unless they wanted to, and he certainly did. To hear the man laugh and talk nicely with his staff and be nice to me showed he had a lot of character.
He talked about how he had campaigned for his brother John in 1960 in Wisconsin and wanted to know about where the Black Hawk Ski Club was in relation to the airport. It's an old classic dinner club nearby Madison that he would go to since his sister, Rosemary, had been in Jefferson, Wisconsin after her tragic operation as a child. I had been there once and told him it's at least 45 minutes away. The schedule was too busy to pay a visit, but he reminisced about all the good times he had there.
His entourage were on cell phones talking away, yet he continued to talk about the campaign and how it was going. I told him about doing volunteer work and having had seen him several times in Iowa before Kerry won that race. He was amazed at how that had worked out.
We went to the University of Wisconsin-Madison where Ted was going to get the Kerry fans and anyone else ready to get out the vote. He was fiery, humorous and a big hit with the crowd. There is something about seeing a Kennedy speak at a political event. You walk away excited and ready to get to work for the campaign. Ted did that and more with the crowd.
Once he signed autographs and talked with those many people who wanted to just shake his hand, it was off again back to the airport.
You just have to love the guy when you see him. He has one hell of a handshake. After driving he and the entourage back to the airport, we posed for a photo and he was off again on to the plane.
We all watched the plane fade away in the winter winds and I felt blessed to have such a close encounter with such a legend.
I wish him all the best in his next battle and know he's going to give it his all.
Godspeed, Uncle Teddy.
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babylonsister
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Tue May-20-08 03:19 PM
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1. I'm weeping again. Thanks for sharing and yes, Godspeed, Uncle Teddy. |
zulchzulu
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Tue May-20-08 03:40 PM
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...cried today thinking about it and had to share. Now I'm crying too.
Actually, if you know Ted's handshake, you know he'll be alright.
:grouphug:
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K Gardner
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Tue May-20-08 03:59 PM
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Texas Hill Country
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Tue May-20-08 03:19 PM
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2. wonderful story... thanks for sharing! |
BuyingThyme
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Tue May-20-08 03:23 PM
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3. Thank youyou, Zulchzulu. |
SeaLyons
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Tue May-20-08 03:24 PM
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NatBurner
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Tue May-20-08 03:27 PM
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beachmom
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Tue May-20-08 03:28 PM
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6. Great story, Zulchzulu. From every account, Teddy seems a guy with a big heart |
book_worm
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Tue May-20-08 03:30 PM
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angie_love
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Tue May-20-08 03:31 PM
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8. crying again too. thanks for sharing. i really pray he comes through |
Cheney Killed Bambi
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Tue May-20-08 03:39 PM
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midnight
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Tue May-20-08 03:52 PM
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11. Nice story. Thanks for sharing. Do you have any medical |
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updates. Last I heard it was a possible stroke, then a seizure. But reading this and another post. I feel something else may have been discovered.
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bicentennial_baby
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Tue May-20-08 03:56 PM
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13. Senator Kennedy has a malignant brain tumor |
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It's a malignant glioma in his left parietal lobe. Not good. :(
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zulchzulu
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Tue May-20-08 03:57 PM
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14. Last I heard, it's a malignant brain tumor |
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It's going to be tough, but he can make it. I'm not sure of the nature of operability, etc.
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lojasmo
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Tue May-20-08 04:57 PM
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Likely a grade 3 or 4 astrocytoma. Prognosis for a grade 4 astrocytoma is 12 months to 3 years.
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dhill926
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Tue May-20-08 03:54 PM
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12. great story on a tough day.... |
Justitia
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Tue May-20-08 04:02 PM
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16. Thank you so much for your great story! You had a brush w/greatness that day. |
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Ted is the fighter that we could always count on to speak up for us, especially those among us with no real voice.
He never gives up fighting for the working person, the student, those with less than "equal rights".
Please, please, get better Teddy. I don't know what we'll do without you :cry:
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flpoljunkie
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Tue May-20-08 04:02 PM
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17. Thanks so much for sharing with us your day campaigning with the Ted Kennedy. |
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There is no one like him in the Senate. What a zest for life and how deeply he seems to care for people.
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dailykoff
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Tue May-20-08 04:15 PM
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politicasista
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Tue May-20-08 04:17 PM
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19. Thanks for sharing this |
zulchzulu
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Tue May-20-08 04:29 PM
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20. Here's some video I shot of Ted in Iowa in 2004 |
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Edited on Tue May-20-08 04:32 PM by zulchzulu
http://youtube.com/watch?v=k2LECEpB37oIt gives a flavor of the magic of this wonderful man. I videotaped him on numerous occasions in Iowa with John Kerry. A barnstormer! DU post back in Feb 2007: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=385x15377
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JMDEM
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Tue May-20-08 04:36 PM
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21. Not to sound snarky, but how can this be true? |
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Would it not be the Secret Service themselves that would be driving these people around? I would assume a major part of SS training would be how to drive a VIP vehicle in emergency situations, such as attacks (recognizing, avoiding, and getting the hell out of one), need to get to a hospital in a hurry, etc. Were you trained in all of this stuff?
Well, I guess I believe you, but as you say, things would probably be different today.
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zulchzulu
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Tue May-20-08 04:40 PM
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22. The Secret Service didn't kick in until after Kerry got the nomination |
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I knew people who drove around all the candidates when they came to Madison... Dean, Kucinich, Kerry, Edwards...
As for emergency situations, we were surrounded by police cars, who would be two to three ahead and two to three behind and we'd fly through intersections. They had it covered. We had walkie-talkies and were told when to advance and so forth by some security and police.
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BigDaddy44
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Tue May-20-08 06:16 PM
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25. The Secret Service doesn't protect Senators |
truedelphi
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Tue May-20-08 04:51 PM
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23. Of all the Senators thatI have dealt with through mundane things like contacting their offices |
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Edited on Tue May-20-08 04:53 PM by truedelphi
Asking for information on legislation Et cetera, Kennedy's staff was always the most helpful and most aware of things.
I see that as a huge reflection of who Senator Kennedy is. He pulls few punches, and his staff doesn't either. His staff needed no heads up on the issue of the voting machinery being hackable.
Also they were as angry and radicalized as any one I knew in the aftermath of Katrina. I remember asking one of his staffers if they would find the word "genocide" too harsh a word to describe the inaction and delays that the Bush administration used in Katrina's aftermath. "It's not too harsh," said the staffer, "It's what it is."
I contrast that greatly with the reticience of the staffers working for Nancy Pelosi and for Di Feinstein. (Boxer's staff is a bit less willing to volunteer information but comes close to Kennedy's.)
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saltpoint
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Tue May-20-08 08:21 PM
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26. This post is just excellent. |
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Recommended with emphasis.
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zulchzulu
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Thu May-22-08 12:29 PM
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I hope your spring is going well! Good to see you, brother.
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peacetalksforall
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Tue May-20-08 08:37 PM
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27. Thank you, thank you. |
Democrafty
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Tue May-20-08 08:41 PM
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28. Thanks so much for sharing! n/t |
blm
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Tue May-20-08 08:43 PM
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29. z...I am so happy you had those great opportunities. |
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And I am proud to be reading your posts as a friend, here, at DU.
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mzmolly
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Tue May-20-08 08:57 PM
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30. What a wonderful story ZZ. |
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Thank you for sharing it with us.
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defendandprotect
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Tue May-20-08 09:20 PM
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31. Let's hope he makes the Obama campaign . . . |
dailykoff
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Tue May-20-08 10:10 PM
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32. It's so great that Ted helped Obama get to tonight's milestone. |
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I thought Kerry was gonna do it but it looks Obama will be the one who finally carries the torch all the way to the WH. He's going to make us all proud.
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Gman
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Tue May-20-08 10:11 PM
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calimary
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Tue May-20-08 10:20 PM
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One of those really outstanding moments! Thank you for sharing it here. So cool!!!
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windbreeze
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Tue May-20-08 10:21 PM
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35. Thank you for giving us that view into him....I could almost put |
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myself right there with you..I so hope he recovers...second time today I've gone to tears over this..wb
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Avalux
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Tue May-20-08 10:24 PM
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....I haven't been able to post in any of the threads on this subject because I haven't known what to say; so emotional for me. Your post is wonderful; I'm crying, but that's OK.
:hug:
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aaronbees
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Tue May-20-08 10:24 PM
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Sounds like you two had a great conversation together. And you bet he'll be giving it his all. :)
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zulchzulu
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Tue May-20-08 11:36 PM
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38. Thanks to all of you for reading this... |
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It feels good to cry and see how so many people are concerned for Ted Kennedy and were willing to read my story, however insignificant in what someone like Ted has seen over the years.
I think he's going to be fine if only because his humor and spirit, which poured out so effortlessly in my simple experience, will help him along in this battle, which he will face with a smile and a strong heart.
I wish I could hug you all.
:hi:
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Douglas Carpenter
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Wed May-21-08 12:22 AM
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39. recommended!! wonderful story! |
WillyT
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Wed May-21-08 07:28 AM
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40. Thank You For Sharing That !!! - K & R !!! |
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:bounce::applause::bounce:
:hi:
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KoKo
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Wed May-21-08 08:10 AM
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41. Thanks for sharing that....it was good to read... |
snappyturtle
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Wed May-21-08 04:23 PM
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42. What a wonderful memory for you....and now us Thanks for sharing! K&R |
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