The key line: “Senator, I served with Jack Kennedy. I knew Jack Kennedy. Jack Kennedy was a friend of mine. Senator, you’re no Jack Kennedy.”
Bentsen, who died in 2006, never wrote his autobiography, and there’s been no biography of him, as far as I’ve been able to discover. Although some conservative commentators suggested that Bentsen knew JFK very little, if at all, I wonder what the straight dope was. They did serve together. Bentsen was in the U.S. House from 1948-55; Kennedy from 1947-53. Lots of people whose lives intersected with JFK’s for longer than a handshake and a smile could say they “knew” Jack Kennedy. But could Bentsen fairly describe himself as a friend?
And no, I’m not looking for a discussion of Dan Quayle.
Aw, I didn’t know he died! Anyway, I loved that line! Such a smack across that Howdie Doodie face of smart-ass Quayle’s (with that silver spoon sticking out of his mouth). So well deserved for being a child in a man’s world. What STUPID advisor gave Qualye the advice to compare himself to JFK! (No doubt the advisor who later picked Palin!) First, a Republican is praising a Democrat!?! And, who knew if Quayle could even spell JFK??? I’d trust Bentson knew what he was talking about. Do you really think Bentson was bluffing?
Jinx, you’ve been around long enough to know that political jabs are not permitted in GQ. Add to this the fact that your post in no way addresses the question asked by the OP, and in fact violates the request by the OP to not make this a discussion of Dan Quayle, I’m making this and official warning. Do not do this again.
Congressmen back then – especially those on the same side of the aisle – had plenty of opportunity to meet socially and in caucuses and subcommittees. While Bentsen was probably not the type of friend that hung out with JFK on weekends, or visited him at home on anything other than public occasions, it’s likely they knew each other socially. It does depend on how strickly you might define “friend,” but it’s common for politicians to call other politicians their friends when talking about them.
BTW, Quayle’s advisors specifically told him not to mention JFK in the debate (he had used the comparison in his stump speeches and they feared Bentsen would do exactly what he did). Quayle, however, ignored them.
