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My wife was away last weekend, leaving the dog and me to fend for ourselves. What wild and crazy stuff went on in her absence? Well, after watching a two-hour American Experience documentary on the life of Robert Kennedy, I rented Bobby and borrowed a few RFK biographies. Oh, and I ordered Baja Fresh. Take-out. Raucous, indeed.
I learned a lot – and not just about how un-fun I’ve become. Here are fourteen of the tidbits I stumbled across.
Joe Kennedy had asked Senator McCarthy to appoint his son as staff director of the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations. McCarthy opted instead for Roy Cohn, who had helped convict atomic bomb spies Julius and Ethel Rosenberg (and would be portrayed by Al Pacino in Angels in America a half-century later). Kennedy was appointed Assistant Counsel in December of 1952, but resigned the following summer. In January of 1954, he rejoined the committee when the Democrats appointed him Minority Counsel. [Source]
“Shortly after his twenty-first birthday, Kennedy celebrated by buying his first beer. Soon he was buying rounds for everyone in the bar. Some of the patrons began singing ‘Happy Birthday’ to someone else, and Kennedy, inebriated for the first time in his life, became enraged at their ingratitude. He smashed a beer bottle over one man’s head and refused entreaties by [Kenneth] O’Donnell to apologize.” [Source]
“In 1968, [Springer's] life changed during a dinner meeting with then New York Senator Robert Kennedy, who was running for president behind the force of social change. Springer signed on with the Kennedy campaign, but shortly thereafter felt the horror of Kennedy’s assassination along with the rest of the world. That moment in history compelled him to the political action he has never abandoned.” [Source]
On May 15, 1967, the giants of the left and right met on CBS News. The topic: “The Image of America and the Youth of the World.” This debate, which featured questions from students in London, is not mentioned in any of the great Kennedy biographies (well, at least not Robert Kennedy: His Life, Robert Kennedy and His Times or Up Close.)
Newsweek called Reagan the victor: “To those unfamiliar with Reagan’s big-league savvy, the ease with which he fielded questions about Vietnam may have come as a revelation.” They continued: “Political rookie Reagan…left old campaigner Kennedy blinking when the session ended.” According to the National Review, “Kennedy himself conceded defeat to Reagan, telling his aides after the debate to never again put him on the same stage with ‘that son-of-a-bitch.’ Kennedy was heard to ask immediately after the debate, ‘Who the f—- got me into this?’ Frank Mankiewitz was that aide, as Kennedy was quick to remind him a few weeks later: ‘You’re the guy who got me into that Reagan thing.’”
[You can read the complete transcript and score it yourself.]
In 1965, with a three-man team on an excursion sponsored by the National Geographic Society, RFK reached the summit of the 13,000 foot Canadian mountain. He had no previous climbing experience. Up to that point, Mount Kennedy was the highest unclimbed peak in North America. It had been named after President John F. Kennedy earlier that year.
RFK was zinged by his brother Ted in a quote given to The New York Times: “I wish to point out for the record he is not the first Kennedy to climb a mountain. I climbed the Matterhorn in 1957, which is higher, and I didn’t need the help of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.”
From the PBS.org companion to the aforementioned American Experience piece: “At around 11 a.m. on the day a nominee was to be presented, John Kennedy visited Johnson in his hotel suite and offered him the [VP] job. Robert Kennedy maintained afterward that his brother offered the job to Johnson only as a courtesy, and then felt trapped when he accepted. ‘Now what do we do?’ the candidate asked, then answered by sending Bobby back to talk Johnson out of it. Around 4 p.m., with tensions running high all around, John Kennedy called Johnson to assure him he was the one. Ignore Bobby, he said, because ‘he’s been out of touch and doesn’t know what’s happening.’” [Here's a YouTube montage of awkward moments between RFK and LBJ.]
In August of 1962, The New York Times wrote about Attorney General Kennedy’s dog Brumus (not sure if that’s him in the photo), who was a regular visitor to the Justice Department. “He usually stays at home with the children,” Kennedy explained. “But the children are away on vacation and he gets very lonely. So I bring him down here and get pretty girls to take him for walks.” The article ended by listing the rest of Kennedy’s animal friends: “two other dogs, ponies, horses, geese, a burro, a sea lion (!?), Hungarian pigeons, twenty goldfish, rabbits, turtles and a salamander.”
“In Berlin, at the German-American community school, Ethel urged a group of third-graders not to be discouraged if they did not always do well at their lessons. ‘After all, Bobby had to repeat third grade,’ she said brightly, a fact that had never appeared in any of the history books. Ethel’s revelation embarrassed and annoyed the Attorney General.” [Source]
Time listed the honorees named by the Junior Chamber of Commerce: “Lawyer Robert F. Kennedy, 29, younger brother of Senator John Kennedy, and minority counsel of Joe McCarthy’s Senate Subcommittee on Investigations, for assembling the facts which persuaded owners of 242 vessels not to trade with Iron Curtain countries.”
“At his brother Jack’s wedding to Jacqueline Bouvier in September 1953, Bobby had behaved like a naughty teenager, stealing a policeman’s hat. Joe Kennedy was furious. He summoned Bobby and his co-conspirators, his brother Teddy and some younger cousins, and gave them a lecture about disgracing the family name.” [Source]

Sheen (The Missiles of October) and McCarthy (TV movie Jackie Bouvier Kennedy Onassis) are just two of many actors to play RFK. IMDb has the complete list, which includes Stephen Culp (Thirteen Days and Norma Jean & Marilyn; he’s pictured above), Zeljko Ivanek (TV movie The Rat Pack), John Shea (1983 miniseries Kennedy; Martin Sheen played JFK), and Robert Knepper (The Women of Camelot).
Like his brother, RFK was romantically linked to several prominent figures – from Marilyn Monroe to Candice Bergen, sister-in-law Jackie O. to male ballerina Rudolf Nureyev. Though these stories came from the trashier novels. We can’t confirm. I wasn’t there.
His 1968 campaign has a MySpace page. RFK Facebook groups include the Bobby Kennedy Fan Club, Bobby Kennedy’s Vision, and even a fantasy group called RFK Wins California, Midwest to Defeat Nixon, 283-209. (I’m pretty sure these links will only work for Facebook users.)
If you’ve got an RFK story not listed here, by all means leave a comment. And let me thank my favorite library scientist friend, who helped find sources for all these facts.
;> Sorry to hijack, but had to add:
14 1/2. Rosey Grier acted as RFK’s bodyguard in LA. After Sirhan Sirhan fired a few shots, Grier tackled him and jammed his finger in behind the trigger so no further shots could be squeezed off.
posted by Kara on 11-2-2007 at 10:40 am
No.5 Why is this not more widely known? I would have thought that the Reagan fans would have publicized this a bit more.
posted by jmchez on 11-2-2007 at 11:48 am
NO. 15 he & his family are a part of the illuminati.
posted by grace on 11-2-2007 at 11:49 am
There hasn’t been a prominent family in history that didn’t have some kind of connection with the Illuminati, cut him some slack
posted by Adam Weishaupt on 11-8-2007 at 4:39 am
Didn’t he also help plan the bay of pigs invasion along with the beach boys?
posted by tom on 11-9-2007 at 12:54 pm
Which of the Kennedys has a reputation as a sloppy drunk? I love the Kennedys (well, JFK in particular) but it is so sad that they have such a tragic history.
posted by GTT on 12-14-2007 at 10:17 am
The dog in the picture(question 8)is not Brumus, but Freckles. In the book, “Robert Kennedy: Brother Protector” By James W. Hilty, it says:
“Brumus, an enourmous black Newfoundland, and Freckles a black-and-white spaniel, had the run of the house.”
posted by Aaron on 12-31-2007 at 7:01 pm
aewdsa saf wefrasf adsf sdaf
posted by Jessica on 1-28-2008 at 5:07 am
Did anyone notice the half to 1 second frame of John Lewis in the video????
posted by John Brown on 2-23-2008 at 4:37 pm
That video was taken from a documentary, Lewis was talking about him.
posted by Susan on 3-1-2008 at 4:47 am
RFK’s little brother is a murderer and the great state of Massachusetts votes him into office again and again.
posted by Tommy on 3-4-2008 at 2:10 pm
“13. Some say he got around.”
You need someone well-versed in the complex nature of political history to guide you before publishing falsehoods.
The myth that Bob was anything like Jack needs to end. The truth is available should you care enough to learn it.
Start with Crisis, a little known film by Robert Drew, RFK by reporter Jack Newfield, and JFK: A Presidency Revealed. In the last one, you’ll find that Bob was pivotal in helping us avoid nuclear war.
As for the other comment, yes, a lot of people are guilty of drunk driving and manslaughter. If you had money and a good lawyer, you too would do everything to avoid prison. Ted’s congressional record speaks for itself. As for the victim, Mary Jo, it was tragic but she was partying late at night with a group of married, wealthy, and powerful men. Where is her responsibility in her own death.
posted by Hugh on 4-10-2008 at 8:58 pm
Another little known fact is that Sen.Joe McCarthy was dating one of the Kennedy daughters at the time the old man asked him to give Bobby a job.
How the liberal Democratic Kennedy family could associate with a Repulican Commie hunter wack job is beyond my comprehension,but it’s true.
posted by Tim on 5-22-2008 at 6:33 pm
As a resident of Massachusetts who doesn’t approve of the Kennedy administration, I couldn’t agree more with Tommy’s comment. And GTT, it’s good ol’ Ted Kennedy (MA state senator along with that moron Kerry) who’s the sloppy drunk.
posted by Cassie on 7-21-2008 at 10:11 pm
He would have made a great president.
posted by Dan on 9-26-2008 at 4:34 pm
Everybody knows about Rosey Grier, duh
posted by Duh on 10-20-2008 at 11:03 pm
Brumus was a Newfoundland, and I love the stories that Bobby would take him to inductions of Republicans so Brumus could drool on them.
posted by Steve Sayad on 11-26-2008 at 9:19 pm
Jack wanted Bobby in his administration because he needed someone he knew he could trust…he was proved right during October 1962. Also, JFK’s military service
(RFK was in Navy on ship named after Joe Jr)gave him the confidence to ignore the demands of his Joint Chiefs (they were the basis for “Seven Days in May” novel).
posted by Gary on 11-27-2008 at 5:15 pm
Typical Liberal response Hugh… blame everyone but the person who is responsible… and make whatever wrong they’ve done okay by saying everyone does it: “sure, everybody is guilty of manslaughter”. What a knob!!
posted by Kyle on 12-1-2008 at 3:39 am
In that debate, which wasn’t actually a faceoff between Reagan and Bobby, the Gipper repeatedly made statements — especially about Diem — that were so far from the truth that we must conclude that he was either profoundly ignorant or wholly dishonest. But he was smooth and plausible, and that wasn’t the last time he put those skills to work in a debate.
posted by Ed on 12-23-2008 at 5:35 pm
Oh My! From the tryannical whore of a father down to the disgrace of the last living son. I give you the Kennedy’s! The sooner Ted, that murdering, drunkard, liberal fool from MA passes on the sooner we can forget the whole disgusting mess of a family. Just because they had money, does not mean they had class. They were all a bunch of power hungry, whoring, classless disgraces. Go away please!
posted by JO on 2-23-2009 at 10:23 pm
Sheesh, the Mental Floss comment sections used to be filled with intelligent friendly comments. Who let all the hatemongers in? If you don’t like a post, people, just move it along…
posted by dawn on 5-24-2009 at 6:24 am
I am intrigued by number 7. Animosity between the president and the vice presidential candidate is legendary in US elections. People are usually forced to chose someone they have vigoriously campaigned against to be their new political best friend. The rift between RFK and Johnson is also well recorded.
But if it is said RFK wanted to avoid LBJ, who did he want as the Vice Presidential candidate? Anyone know the potential runners?
posted by Lilly on 5-28-2009 at 6:06 pm
# 13: I don’t know and don’t care whether he ever fooled around with Rudolph Nureyev, but there is no such thing as a “male ballerina.” The word ballerina means female ballet star. You can call him a dancer, a ballet dancer, or if you want the closest common male equivalent of ballerina, go for “primeur danseur.” The term ballerino exists as well (for men) but is rarely used.
“Principal dancer” is an English term for a male or female ballet star who holds the highest rank in the company.
posted by elsie on 9-28-2009 at 8:27 pm
The rumour that Bobby helped plan the Bay of Pigs is false, I’m afraid. The Bay of Pigs was planned and run by CIA and Jack Kennedy’s refusal to send the military into Cuba set the Joint Chiefs and CIA against the Kennedy administration. Bobby was also instrumental during the Missile Crisis and my generation can be thankful that he was given that he actually had a world to inherit. A great book ‘JFK and the Unspeakable’, is worth the read to dispell Kennedy myth.
posted by MP on 2-26-2010 at 5:28 pm