FREEPER EXCLUSIVE: TED KENNEDY'S LETTER TO PENDLETON 8 FAMILY: NO HELP FOR YOU!!

a little bird . . . | 09/21/2006 | RaceBannon

[RaceBannon]

Earlier, I posted an article proclaiming Ted Kennedy's response to one of the families of the 7 Marines and Corpsman known as the Pendleton 8.

This letter is printed with the full permission of the family.

I have finally received a copy of the letter and it is posted below.

[RaceBannon]

Notice the wording of Kennedy. Due to his membership on the Judiciary committee, he states he is unable to help the family of one of the accused Marines who lives in his home state of Massachusetts.

In simple layman's terms, he recused himself because it would be a conflict of interest to help that family while he serves in his government position other than Senator.

That is one of the worst insults. A powerful Senator who refuses to care for one of his own while claiming that Americans are tortuing terrorists, he refuses to help an Americna Marine who is being railroaded into jail possibly, and Senator Ted Kennedy refuses to help.

Oh, he tried, he forwarded the name of the famly to a legal assistance firm in Boston. This firm responded that they would love to help, but were not specialists in Military law.

THAT is an insult of all insults, Ted Kennedy is a U.S. Navy veteran himself, from a military family with 2 other brothers serving in WWII, and Kennedy sends the information to a firm that he HAD TO KNOW didn't handle military law???

Who does Ted kennedy think he is fooling??

Not me. Nor is he fooling the family of Sgt Hutchins of Plymouth Massachusetts.

[RaceBannon]

Here is the actual letter

[jdsteel]

I don't see a connection or a conflict with the judiciary committee and a military court. Does anyone else?

[HuntsvilleTxVeteran]

Will you pass this to Rush, FNC or a MSM that might take this up?

[Darkwolf377]

Dear Senator, I was caught cheating at Harvard, could you talk to your pals at the Globe about covering it up? Sincerely, You

[tsmith130]

I would blank out the recipient's last name...and repost. Too easy for nuts jobs to find the actual address.

[BeHoldAPaleHorse]

I don't see a connection or a conflict with the judiciary committee and a military court. Does anyone else?

I do. A military court is subject to judicial oversight, just like a civilian one.

[woofie]

Teddy is busy dont bother him....

[RaceBannon]

feel free, I tried, too, many will see it here!

[Non-Sequitur]

What would you have him do? It would be inappropriate for Kennedy, or any other member of Congress, to interfere in an ongoing military investigation and possible court matial.

[EDINVA]

guess all his hobnobbing with NARAL/ACLU/AFL-CIO/MoveOn, etc isn't a conflict with his posiiton on the Judiciary Committee ?

[JerseyDvl]

If it were someone named Muhammed, he would intervene.
This bloated scumbag always makes me ask.....What the hell is wrong with those Massholes and the reps. they select??
They will never learn and so many suffer their stupidity.

[I see my hands]

Shouldn't that be "As an United States Senator..."?

[AdvisorB]

[Shermy]

"What would you have him do?"

Ted should raise the Massachusetts Guard, rescue the boys from California, repatriate them to Massachusetts, and issue Senatorial pardons.

If not that, advise questioner to see a lawyer, which he did.

[eeevil conservative]

Since when did ANY of the Kennedy's NOT use their POLITICAL positions in legal matters?

This is RICH! JUST RICH!

Not to mention OUTRAGEOUS!

[humblegunner]

he states he is unable to help the family of one of the accused Marines who lives in his home state of Massachusetts.

I doubt he ever saw it.

[stm]

Kennedy speak for "4-Q"

[stm]

I just figured out your tagline, it took a minute. DOH!!!

[Non-Sequitur]

I do. A military court is subject to judicial oversight, just like a civilian one.

There is oversight. The men can have civilian counsel and they will be assigned a military counsel as well. Should these men be convicted in a general court martial then their case will be appealed automatically to the Navy Court of Criminal Appeal. If that court upholds the sentence then they can appeal further to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces. If that court upholds the lower court rulings then they still have a chance to take the case to the U.S. Supreme Court. Other than that what do you want done?

[technomage]

Since .20 Kennedy has been on the Judiciary Committee for around 700 years, does anyone know if he has indeed helped other families, maybe non-military families, in the past with a legal matter??

[stm]

[muir_redwoods]

The fat pantload is only interested in assisting members of the submarine service

(see tagline)

[CremeSaver]

If you offered him a drink I'll bet he wouldn't refuse that. Creep!

[AFreeBird]

I'm sorry for this family's troubles, I really am, but what were they thinking going to uncle Ted for help? Everyone knows he can't be bothered with the peasants concerns, unless of course it fits HIS agenda, and he can trot them out for a photo op and a 5 second sound bite that he can then blather on incoherently about for 6 months.

And defending Marines, Marines that were in Iraq, is NOT on his agenda.

[taxesareforever]

he refuses to help an Americna Marine who is being railroaded into jail possibly

I really don't think that Kennedy would give a hoot if all military personnel were in prison. He wants space taken up where he should be.

[Virginia Ridgerunner]

Chickens**t answer! But did this family actually expect anything better out of this loser?

[RaceBannon]

They were going to ask help because of the treatment that their son got while being interrogated by NIS and NCIS.

They were deprived of sleep, water, and head calls.

Prisoners in GITMO are treated better.

3 of them were coerced to sign confessions that they later recanted and tried to waive their hearings and go straight to trial, but the Marine Corps refused to allow it.

Their congresscritter, Delahunt, also refused to help them. They were abandoned by their own state people, while their state people make deals with the terrorist loving Chavez!

[RaceBannon]

Mentioning that about his agenda, for a sitting senator to call the treatment of prisoners at GITMO a war crime, to then refuse to even assist or personnaly answer their pleas to help their son who is only ACCUSED, not caught trying to kill Americans in combat, but ACCUSED of something before trial, the swimmer has sunk to a new low.

[greccogirl]

Too bad they didn't ignore his butt about 30 years ago...................

[PghBaldy]

Couldn't he have at LEAST said he supports the military, and hope justice prevails, prays for the family etc. That seemed awfully cold and pass-the-buckish.

[Little Bill]

What Race is trying to say is that these men have been prejudged in the press and that they have been treated as guilty by the service in which they served. In pretrial confinement they have been subjected to restrictions and disabilities that implies a presumption of guilt.

[Non-Sequitur]

What did the letter that the family wrote say?

[RaceBannon]

He could have found out why they were sequestered longer and under more harsh conditions than most prisoners at GITMO,

he could have insisted on them being innocent before proven guilty,

he could have called the family and asked what he could do,

he could have done a lot of things but all he did was pass it off and claim he had a conflict of interest

[IonImplantGuru]

Shouldn't that be "As an United States Senator..."?

Doesn't 'scan'. United is pronounced 'yew-nited', so it starts off with a non-vowel sound; therefore it gets the 'a' treatment.

Change to an opening vowel sound, and it would pick up the 'an'; "As an Unpopular Senator...."

- IIG, nitpicker extraordinaire

[Non-Sequitur]

In pretrial confinement they have been subjected to restrictions and disabilities that implies a presumption of guilt.

There is no bail in the military justice system so pretrial detention for serious crimes is not out of the ordinary, and since when the investigation started there was every possibility that the defendants would be charged with a capital crime the detention was certainly warranted. Even in the civilian justice system bail can be denied in serious cases.

[BeHoldAPaleHorse]

3 of them were coerced to sign confessions that they later recanted and tried to waive their hearings and go straight to trial, but the Marine Corps refused to allow it.

Mostly because there is absolutely no good reason for not having an Article 32 hearing, unless the defense strategy is to appeal with a basis of ineffective assistance of counsel.

[ladyinred]

His brother is turning over in his grave.

[BeHoldAPaleHorse]

he could have insisted on them being innocent before proven guilty

They are. What's the problem?

[river rat]

Ironic that the mental runt of the Kennedy litter was the one to survive..
Too bad really...
He behaves as if he's trying to extract the family's revenge on America...

Worthless bastard....and Damn Massoftwoshits for sending both Kennedy and Kerry to the Senate...

Semper Fi

[Non-Sequitur]

He could have found out why they were sequestered longer and under more harsh conditions than most prisoners at GITMO

Most prisoners at Gitmo have been there for years. These guys have been held in detention for a few months.

he could have insisted on them being innocent before proven guilty,

The presumption of innocence is automatic.

he could have called the family and asked what he could do,

Maybe they were Republicans.

he could have done a lot of things but all he did was pass it off and claim he had a conflict of interest.

So he's a lousy senator, don't vote for him. The family expected him to intervene with the military authorities, and I'll say again it would be inappropriate.

God, I'm defending Teddy Freakin' Kennedy. Who would have thought?

[RaceBannon]

You are unaware of the details.

They were held in solitary confinement in conex boxes in the Iraqi heat for 3 weeks until 3 of them signed a confession.

Once released, those 3 recanted.

They were flown back to the US and it was only then that they were able to phone their families and tell them they were in jail.

I guarded the brig once on ship, the red Cross informed the families of those guys, but not the Pendleton 8.

Also, to a man, NOW, the 8 all hold to their story. NOW that they arent being held in hot boxes with little food, water, and head calls, being sleep deprived and interrogated round the clock until 3 of them cracked.

[PghBaldy]

Ted Kennedy honoring John Murtha with Profile in Courage Award: "As he stated, “There was no firefight. There was no explosion that killed civilians in a bus. There was no bus. There was no shrapnel. There were only bullet holes inside the homes where the Marines had gone in….Our troops over-reacted because of the pressure on them, and they killed innocent civilians in cold blood,” he said. That’s John Murtha, telling the war like it is." http://www.jfklibrary.org/Education+and+Public+Programs/Profile+in+Courage+Award/Award+Recipients/Alberto+Mora/Remarks+by+Senator+Edward+M.+Kennedy.htm
I can't remember which case is which, but I'm troubled by all of them. They have few friends. Couldn't Kennedy have said he will watch the proceedings to make sure it is FAIR? THere is nothing wrong with that, and it is a diplomatic way to deal with it... Instead, he brushes them off. I'm not too thrilled with my side on this either. I fear these men, as with the others, may be used as scapegoats to assure Muslims/Iraqis.

[Nothometoday]

I am no fan of Teddy.
However, in all fairness ( my downfall in life)
Have any other politicos stepped forward to help?

It seems to me, Someone in power has more of a chance to see justice served.

I wish the families all the best.

[RaceBannon]

The one where Murtha opened his yap up about a firefight that wasn't released to the public, that he got from a leak in the Pentagon, is from HADITHA

The Pendleton 8 are HAMANDIYA (sp?)

[RaceBannon]

There are NO republicans in Massachusetts in power, so, none have come forward.

[Smedley]

What would you have him do? It would be inappropriate for Kennedy, or any other member of Congress, to interfere in an ongoing military investigation and possible court matial.

Kick Murtha in the ass for doing just that

[RaceBannon]

His nephew, Joe Jr, is the guy who made the deal with CHAVEZ for the oil that Mass politicos like Delahunt cozy up with, and I found out also, New Haven, Ct Mayor DESTEFANO did, too!!

[norton]

"..In simple layman's terms, he recused himself because it would be a conflict of interest to help that family while he serves in his government position..."

Not really,
its worse;
in more basic terms it means that no one above the grade of office clerk (or computer) read the letter,
it didn't get past the first review or culling of mail,
the fact that it involved US Marines being pre-convicted for alleged crimes was not worthy of senatorial note.

[Non-Sequitur]

And since then their case has been investigated by the military authorities. It's their findings that will determine if a court martial is warranted. Not the confessions, recanted or not.