A memory of politics past (nothing really changes).

[Raven]

I think it was 1974...Teddy Kennedy agreed to travel to Alabama and stand on the same stage as Goerge Wallace for a 4th of July celebration in Decatur. My husband (Redding Pitt) was asked by the Kennedy folks to advance Teddy's trip and, of course, I went along for the ride. Decatur was my husband's home town and he knew absolutely everybody.

The main concern was taking care of the huge national press corps that was going to be following Teddy to this unlikely meeting with Wallace.

Someone discovered that I had gone to college with Ben Bradley's wife who was a reporter at the time, and so I was dispatched to stick to her like glue. We were also responsible for making hotel accomodations for the national press and for providing them with sufficient booze.

The problem was that there were only a few mediocre motels in Decatur and the County was dry, so booze was illegal.

We literally snuck booze into Decatur and put it in the bathtubs at the motel. Unfortunately, there was not near enough booze for this thirsty press corps.

The day of the speech was hot as hell as only Alabama can be in July. The national press was put on a school bus for the ride to the park where Kennedy and Wallace would be speaking. Halfway there the Alabama State Police stopped the bus and made it sit for about an hour in the blazing sun. No reasons given. The press corps was furious at Teddy...not the Alabama staties who wore the confererate flag on thier uniforms.

When we finally got to the park it was a sea of people...and mud. Teddy got out of a helicopter and waded into the hostile crowd to shake hands...he gave a wonderful, gracious speech. His people were sure that he would be shot and had a medical helicopter waiting behind the stage.

The national press corps went back to Washington and wrote scathing articles about Teddy...why? I am convinced because they didn't get enough to drink and they got hot and sweaty.

Nothing has really changed with our beloved press corps!