Barbara Walters basically wanted to know why Alford waited so long to come out with her book about JFK, and if she didn't have any pause about the effect it would have on Kenendy family members like daughter Caroline, who is still alive.
Wait a minute! Is this the same Barbara Walters that revealed in a 2008 book that she had had an affair with former senator Edward Brooke in the 1970s while he was still married to his first wife? Brooke is still iving. What about his family? You talk about hypocrisy!
"Ya talk about chickensh--!"
We all know that Kennedy fooled around while president. It is nothing new. Alford's allegations simply paint JFK as an even bigger cad, passing her off to others.
However, my second point is this: Do you think Walters and the gals would have asked such harsh questions to Alford had the president in question been Richard M Nixon?
"I can answer that.".
We all know that Richard Nixon did the same thing. MOST presidents fooled around. I'm not sure if Eisenhower did in the White House, but he did have an affair with his driver during WW II (she was a woman). FDR had mistresses, because Eleanor stopped sleeping with him, long before he was elected president. Coolidge, who knows? Harding, probably. Wilson, maybe not... Grover Cleveland was elected AFTER his illegitimate child became the subject of rhymes chanted all over the country.
ReplyDeleteThere was also a time when the entire secretarial pool of the Illinois legislature were known as "the monkey girls, because they hang onto their jobs by their tails." Democrats and Republicans both partook. Richard J. Daley was one of the few who did not, so says Mike Royko.
My question for Alford is, did you feel exploited, at the time, or were you thrilled to have such powerful men paying this kind of attention to you? Did the guys consider you their property, or was their some preliminary flirting? Did you flirt?
And, depending on her answer, there would be an interesting follow-up to Walters question about why she's just coming out with this now.
That's not meant to brow-beat her. There is a lot about how things looked then, to her, to the president, to the news media, that needs to be viewed and weighed.
I wholeheartedly agree with you. It also burned me up when Babs questioned Mimi about being considerate of Caroline's feelings. She should have wondered why JFK didn't show any consideration of his children, wife or the country when he preyed on this vulnerable teenager.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous,
ReplyDeleteRight. JFK passed around a 19-year-old intern to his pals and brother Teddy and we are supposed to be considerate of his daughter who has known about similar acts by him for decades. Let's be honest. That whole male side of the family was a bunch of Tomcats who didn't care who they hurt.
Siarlys,
ReplyDeleteNixon was many things, but to say that we all know he did the same thing has no basis in proof whatsoever
I'm amused because I remember Barbara Walters indignantly asking Monica Lewinsky, "What about Mrs Clinton? What about Chelsea!?
ReplyDeleteIt's almost as if she felt the woman was always at fault.
and, Cialis/ Ike's driver said they didn't have a physical relationship.
Anonymous,
ReplyDeleteSame response. Clinton was a Democrat that she supported. Same question to Wa Wa.
What about Mrs Brooke, Barbara?
To all of you who are in denial, there are several books to the contrary. Some of Ike's love letters are even quoted in one of them. The driver's name wasn't Cialis, if I recall correctly it was Summersby. I believe the Washington Post has published vague accounts that the evidence is murky, and politically correct historians are casting asparagus on whether she did or didn't.
ReplyDeleteThe point is, it used to be commonplace, and was routinely ignored by the press until the 1970s, but everybody knew, and it crept into memoirs here and there. Nixon was smart enough not to do it on tape, but J. Edgar Hoover was rumored to have stayed in office so long because he taped something on every president he served under.
This interview burned me up, and I was only home sick that day to see it. Interestingly enough, their "shocking comments" Rick Santorum made about women was the lead in the next day. Barbara Walters did more to put back women with her rude treatment of Mimi Alford, than Rick Santorum did. Shame on all the View women who did not show more class.
ReplyDeletePearl,
ReplyDeleteI agree. Walters is selective about her outrage. It hurts for liberals to concede that JFK was not the great man they thought he was.
My only opinion about Mimi Alfords' book is: It should not get any recognition because JFK can not answer to the alleged alligations.
ReplyDelete