Refuting The Right: Didn't Senator Kennedy Stop Drinking

[Vogon_Glory]

I would like to defuse one of the right wing's favorite chestnuts. I have read that Senator Kennedy quit drinking. Does SOMEONE have an accurate, reliable on-line source I can club right wingnuts over the head with, or is this yet another area where we progressives have our breeches down by our ankles and are waiting for the lying reactionaries to do us over?

[murielm99]

1. Ask them if they know about Cheney's two DUI's.

Ask them about Bush's DUI, too.

[Mind_your_head]

6. Don't forget Laura Bush and her car crash that resulted in the death

of young Michael Douglas.

<snip>
According to the two-page accident report, Laura Welch was driving her Chevrolet sedan on a clear night shortly after 8 p.m. on Nov. 6, 1963, when she drove into an intersection and struck a Corvair sedan driven by 17-year-old Michael Douglas.

Although previous news accounts have reported Douglas was thrown from the car and broke his neck, those details were not in the report.

The speed of Laura Bush's car was illegible on the report. The speed limit for the road was 55.

Laura Bush and her passenger, Judy Dykes, also 17, were taken to a hospital and treated for minor injuries, according to an accident account printed at the time in the Midland Reporter-Telegram.

The police report indicates no charges were filed. That section of the report was left blank.
<end snip>

http://www.usatoday.com/news/opinion/e1698.htm

[bobbieinok]

12. more than 2 I think

[graywarrior]

2. They wouldn't believe it if Christ told them.

[hexola]

3. I dont think he did - ever...

But who cares...?

Dont take the bait...

Just admit Kennedy was screwed up and was wrong...dont defend him!

What do they do then...agree with you?

And then...Just remind them that Teddy was not the vice president...

[alphafemale]

4. I think he's been sober longer than * has.

And Ted Kennedy actually seems sober and has for a long time.

While * still acts like an obnoxious, beligerent drunk.

[TomInTib]

5. So what would be wrong with Ted drinking?

Why would this be an issue?

I am completely aware of the history.

Shouldn't they be worried about him driving?

[Vogon_Glory]

9. It Strains My Xian Patience

The right wingnut/dingbat chorus about Senator Kennedy's alledged continued drinking annoys me. The wingnuts seem to demand a code of conduct that all but Jesus son of Joseph would have difficulty living up to.

I don't have the Gallilean's patience. For that matter, I suspect that JC's own forbearance would run out and He'd chase the polyester Pharisees out of town.

[TomInTib]

22. Very well put...

That's a keeper.

[graywarrior]

7. I remember his wife giving an interview and saying that he turned

his love for alcohol into love for food.

[PassingThrough]

8. I dont see the problem with drinking from time to time.

[Vogon_Glory]

14. Drinking From Time To Time in Moderation--Cool, BUT

I myself have no difficulty with people drinking from time to time in moderation, or even getting drunk once in a great while, if they aren't going to be driving anywhere while they're still lit. People who do heavy drinking on a daily basis or spree drinking to get smashed, I suspect have a drinking problem.

[sandnsea]

10. He's supposedly given it up

He may even have gone for treatment, can't quite remember for sure. But you can't prove he did or didn't quit drinking, I personally wouldn't swear to it and I love Ted. But I don't know what the deal is, Ted didn't shoot somebody in the face, Duck Cheney did.

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

11. Seems like a strawman--I'm not aware of him saying he quit drinking, so

what is there for RWers to refute?

If you have a cite where it shows he said that, then I will stand corrected.

[Serenades]

13. Seriously

I applaud your fortitude in arguing with these puke-bum degenerates. I can’t find the stomach to listen to their hypocritical drivel vomited from their mouths. I don't waste time debating any more.

[Coexist]

15. tell them that if you lost a brother who was President to an

assassin's bullet, then another, who was running for President- to an assassin's bullet, you might wander into the comforting arms of alcohol.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kennedy_curse


Word has it that he is sober now.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ted_Kennedy#Political_resurrection

According to a 2002 article in The Nation by Jack Newfield, that year also appears to represent a turning point. His good friend, Republican Senator Orrin Hatch confronted him about his drinking and then he "met Vicki Reggie and ended his partying."

What tragedies did Rush Limbaugh endure to make his Oxycontin addiction so understandable to them?

[zalinda]

16. He went to court and was acquitted according to Randi

I haven't looked it up, but she had a segment on her show about it.

zalinda

[dsc]

19. Coroner's inquest and grand jury no billed him

He testified at both.

[laheina]

21. That was really interesting.

Randi covered the whole Chappaquiddick incident today.

Lots of good info for debunking freepers. The show is usually available for streaming on the AAR site.

[dsc]

17. He quit drinking due to the joint influence of his current wife

and Orrin Hatch. He quit just prior to 94. On edit I am wrong as to the date, it was 92. Here is a link to a Nation article which lays it out.

http://www.thenation.com/doc/20020325/newfield

[Vogon_Glory]

23. Thanks For The Link And Bless You!

Thanks for the link and bless you.

Of course, this leads to an instant rejoinder to lay about the thick heads of wing-nuts like Gideon swinging with the jawbone of an ass. We progressives can retort that if connies have been lying about Senator Kennedy's sobriety since 1992 (Or 1994), what else has the extreme right been lying about for over fourteen years straight?

[Bluebear]

18. Does someone have a reliable source that GWB quit drinking?

Other than his word which has turned out to be worthless?

[DemBones DemBones]

20. Look, whenever they play the Chappaquiddick card, we play

the Armstrong Ranch card. "So why did Cheney wait 18 hours to meet with the sheriff? Sounds like he had the same problem that Ted Kennedy had -- inability to pass a blood alcohol test."

If they're stupid enough to natter on, say "Yes, a woman died in Kennedy's car and that was tragic but there's no evidence that he intended to cause her death or that he was "involved" with her. But speaking of involvements, why were Cheney and Whittington at Ms. Armstrong's ranch with Ms. Armstrong, a widow, and another woman who is married. Where were the spouses of the married parties? Doesn't it seem a little suspicious to you?"