The day I drove Ted Kennedy around Madison in 2004

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

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.