Ted Kennedy and the KGB letter?

A rumor, a fake, or treason?

Sticky Notes

Kengor focuses on a KGB letter written at the height of the Cold War that shows that Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) offered to assist Soviet leaders in formulating a public relations strategy to counter President Reagan's foreign policy and to complicate his re-election efforts."

Ace: KGB LETTER REVEALS TED KENNEDY'S OFFER TO SOVIETS TO UNDERMINE ELECTED PRESIDENT OF UNITED STATES

I agree with Hot Air: The Kennedy KGB letter

I should clear up a misconception that's making the rounds, and that's the authorship of the memo. Ted Kennedy didn't write the memo. The memo's author is V. Chebrikov, head of the Committee on State Security of the USSR - the KGB. It seems to have been written as an after-action in response to a meeting with former Sen. John V. Tunney. Tunney had been sent to the USSR to propose the strategy on Kennedy's behalf to Andropov. The timing of the meeting isn't immediately clear from the memo, but if the meeting took place it was most likely in late April or early May 1983.
I think the next step here is to nail down the authenticity of the memo. If it's real, then the story is obviously very significant. If it's not real, there's no story here at all.

Meanwhile, the disgraceful Jimmy was making overtures to the Russians; whether he was conspiring with our chief enemy to try to influence an American Presidential election, or orchestrating a foreign policy "victory" that would make Carter look good (which reminds me of Clinton and the Yasser fiasco), that's left for historians to decide.

(h/t: SC&A)

Update: Kennedy - PR man for Andropov

I'd love to hear Ted Kennedy's defense of his actions. I can't think of any excuse for going behind the President's back to try to counter his foreign policy.

Remember Jimmy Carter writing members of the Security Council advising them against supporting George H. W. Bush's efforts to oust Saddam from Kuwait in the Gulf War. What is it about these guys doing free lance diplomacy to oppose a Republican president's policies dealing with enemies? What is it about supporting a dictator against a democratically elected president?

Here's the book:

(technorati tags Ted Kennedy, KGB)