The death of Mary Jo Kopechne and subsequent cover-up by Ted Kennedy will follow him to his grave. For the time being, it’s following him to the Democratic National Convention, scheduled to open this weekend, the continuation of the 35th “anniversary week” of Chappaquiddick that began last Monday.
Last month, New York Post columnist Eric Fettman wrote about it, as did several bloggers, including Michael Williams, Vodka Pundit and Tim Blair.
Check out this site, dedicated to illuminating the “Kennedy curse” in general and Ted Kennedy’s curse in particular. The most tragic fact to emerge from the investigation into the accident on Chappaquiddick: Kopechne survived for at least two hours in an air pocket.
Another “coincidence”: John Kennedy, Jr.’s plane went down during the weekend of the 30th anniversary of Chappaquiddick.
According to Kennedy, this is what happened on the night of July 18, 1969:
On the weekend of July 18, I was on Martha’s Vineyard Island participating with my nephew, Joe Kennedy — as for thirty years my family has participated — in the annual Edgartown Sailing Regatta. Only reasons of health prevented my wife from accompanying me.
On Chappaquiddick Island, off Martha’s Vineyard, I attended, on Friday evening, July 18, a cook-out, I had encouraged and helped sponsor for devoted group of Kennedy campaign secretaries. When I left the party, around 11:15 P.M., I was accompanied by one of these girls, Miss Mary Jo Kopechne. Mary J was one of the most devoted members of the staff of Senator Robert Kennedy. She worked for him for four years and was broken up over his death. For this reason, and because she was such a gentle, kind, and idealistic person, all of us tried to help her feel that she still had a home with the Kennedy family.
There is not truth, not truth whatever, to the widely circulated suspicions of immoral conduct that have been leveled at my behavior and hers regarding that evening. There has never been a private relationship between us of any kind. I know of nothing in Mary Jo’s conduct on that or nay other occasion — the same is true of the other girls at that party — that would lend any substance to such ugly speculation about their character. Nor was I driving under the influence of liquor.
Little over one mile away, the car that I was driving on the unlit road went of a narrow bridge which had no guard rails and was built on a left angle to the road. The car overturned in a deep pond and immediately filled with water. I remember thinking as the cold water rushed in around my head that I was for certain drowning. Then water entered my lungs and I actual felt the sensation of drowning. But somehow I struggled to the surface alive.
I made immediate and repeated efforts to save Mary Jo be diving into strong and murky current, but succeeded only in increasing my state of utter exhaustion and alarm. My conduct and conversations during the next several hours, to the extent that I can remember them, make no sense to me at all.
Do you believe him? Here’s my amateur opinion: On the night of July 18, 1969, Ted Kennedy had been drinking, as usual, and he and Kopechne set out to engage in illicit behavior in his car. In his tipsy state, he didn’t realize he was driving too fast, as usual (check out his driving record).
After the car went off the bridge and hit the water, a disoriented Kennedy got out, went to the surface and realized Kopechne was still in the submerged car. I truly believe Ted Kennedy went back under to try and save Mary Jo Kopechne, although not as diligently as he should have. The current was strong, and he probably thought she was dead by then anyway. Consequently, he left the scene and made up a cover story.
I have to believe Kennedy tried to save that woman. My mind won’t let me see him leaving her to drown because he didn’t want to get caught cheating on his wife.
