"Kennedy liked to get drunk in his basement and look at pictures of his brothers..."

[Atman]

"...like a real Irishman."

Thanks, Chris Matthews, for that stunning revelation.

BTW, what do "real black men" do? Or "real Jews?" Or "real Englishmen"?

Look, I know it's not exactly the proverbial "N" word, but as a DUer with an Mc in his family name, is this really appropria...

SHIT...I just spilled my morning vodka all over my keyboard!

.

[katsy]

1. lol.

:spray:

[stray cat]

2. The sentiment was touching. Teddy drinking and pondering pictures of his brothers

in the basement. He lost 3 brothers tragically and he never forgot them.

[Atman]

5. Yeah...very touching. Kennedy was a drunk, like "a real Irishman."

I'm practically weeping into my Guinness Stout.

:eyes:

.

[stray cat]

8. Kennedy was drunk at times - and even DU loves their own stereotypes

even when misguided similar to Tweetys.

[foo_bar]

23. did Tweety call him "a drunk" or accuse him of drinking in sorrow?

I know CM gets carried away, like when Russert died, but the common thread is Matthews pining for a lost generation of Irish firebrands, Bobby and JFK in this case (Moynihan by proxy in Russert's); I know it's unhelpful to corroborate outsiders' stereotypes, but "a real Irishman" couldn't be higher praise coming from Matthews (who rose through on behalf of Tip O'Neill).

[whathehell]

29. I'm of Irish descent myself and I couldn't agree more..Matthews meant no harm.

[1955doubledie]

43. What it comes down to is whether the statement is true

Did Ted Kennedy really get drunk? If so, when and how often? Did he really drink in his basement?

To me, the basement is a funny place to keep family photos--ya'd think he'd keep them framed on walls or on furniture or something. Or, in albums in the family library. :shrug:

[BolivarianHero]

85. I understand your point...

But since we don't all know such mundane details as the configuration of Ted Kennedy's basement, I think it's more reasonable to assume that the basement may have included some sort of family room or library or that he liked having a sanctuary where he could occasionally drink and mourn alone.

[roguevalley]

89. he lost joe and kathleen 65 years ago. I would cry too.

[boston bean]

Chris needs a therapist. and you just made me LMAO!!!!!! nt

[seabeyond]

3. having a line of the real irish in my family......

ya know

:shrug:

i cant speak for them all of course

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

4. Vodka and not whiskey?

Shame on you!

[Atman]

6. I've got an Irish name, not an Irish palette!

And I don't like warm pints of thick, dark beer, either!

.

[Vickers]

24. Blasphemer!!!

*pulls out clumps of red hair*

[Ikonoklast]

34. ....must be an Orangeman.

:hide: :beer: :toast:

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

42. lol! Guiness is next to last in my book. Last is Campari. I drink

very infrequently but do enjoy an occasional McSorley's light ale.

[Swede]

50. Potatoes-vodka how could the Irish have missed this?

:shrug:

[lildreamer316]

61. I'm Irish/Native American/English and it's all I can drink, except wine.

Everything else makes me feel absolutely horrible. LOL.

[JVS]

70. They used it for their moonshine, but the respectable stuff was made from malted barley

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poit%C3%ADn

BTW potato vodka is historically regarded as being of low quality. The good stuff was made from various grains.

[1]

7. i like to get drunk in my basement and look at pictures of my brothers. so what?

[Name removed]

16. Deleted sub-thread

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[orleans]

90. when said about teddy it sounds bittersweet

when said about anyone else it just sounds creepy

why is that?

[endarkenment]

9. Vodka? you are not a real Irishman.

[graywarrior]

10. So unlike the freeper nationalities who get drunk in their mom's basements and look at pictures in

Spiegal Catalogs.

[1955doubledie]

38. Or pictures in National Geographic

:spray:

[graywarrior]

47. LOL!

[janet118]

11. Chris Matthews gets drunk in his basement . . .

and looks at photos of Timmy Russert like a real suck-up media whore.

[whathehell]

26. Good grief....Take a swig of coffee or a happy pill or something

Because if your bitterness isn't running over too much, you might consider that:

A. It's difficult to "suck up" to a dead man :eyes:

B. Keith Olbermann praised Timmy to the hilt after he died -- Are you inclined to call him a "suck up media whore" too?

C. Strange as it may seem, sometimes people just LIKE other people, warts and all.

[1955doubledie]

44. That's not funny.

:thumbsdown:

[Captain Hilts]

56. Just so long as it doesn't generate "a funny feeling down his leg" ... nt

[customerserviceguy]

12. Morning vodka?

Yeah, Irish on my father's side, Polish on my mother's, just like you! :)

[Atman]

20. Dad's parents were German and Irish immigrants. Mom's were New England Prodisants.

Gosh, I wonder why the families never got along?

.

[Atman]

73. I think I was drunk when I spelled "Prodisant!"

LOL! I did a quick Google for the spelling...I guess it just goes to show, garbage in - garbage out. Google actually showed me a whole page of listings with that spelling, so I just said "okay" and copied it.

:rofl:

.

[1955doubledie]

35. Really! You'd think it'd be Irish whiskey or Guinness

Or, at least Bailey's or something. :beer:

Pah! Irish indeed.

[Barack_America]

41. Guinness is a Protestant company...

But alas, I prefer the taste to Murphy's.

[1955doubledie]

45. Ouch! I did not know that.

I guess I'll be looking for a different beer next St. Patty's Day. I want to be as green as I can, not orange.

[omega minimo]

36. In his Bloody Hail Mary

:toast:

[omega minimo]

74. What! You've HEARD that one before?

Oh whuddoo I know..........

[whathehell]

13. Tweety is Irish-American as am I...I understand the problem with the "drinking stereotypes" but

I don't think he meant it in a bad way. He appeared to have tears in his eyes yesterday morning.

[1955doubledie]

40. An old holdover from the era when "ethnic jokes" were cool

I don't get too worked up about ethnic jokes about my heritage (Polish), provided they're tasteful and not too disparaging. At the same time, I won't shed a tear when such jokes become extinct.

[whathehell]

57. Well, I feel the same way, and I don't think CM, being Irish himself

meant anything derogatory.

[liberal N proud]

14. Chris Matthews drools on himself on the air, what do I care?

To think this is the kind of crap they are "remembering" Ted Kennedy for is astounding.

[1955doubledie]

46. They only mention the negative stuff. I agree.

Skim over more than 40 years' worth of public service, and just focus attention on a few bad moments.

It's the American Way, I guess.

[lunatica]

15. There you go, ruining another keyboard

Don't you just hate it when you waste good vodka doing that?

[reflection]

17. Makes you wanna fight, doesn't it?

I mean, don't you guys have uncontrollable anger issues? :D

[pyoom]

19. LOL nt

[JVS]

67. LOL!

[polly7]

75. LOL Yes, sometimes .... and it ain't pretty. n/t

[myrna minx]

79. LOL.

This thread is awesome. :rofl:

[Arugula Latte]

86. Hey, don't get their Irish up!

They're bound to break into an angry jig while singing "Danny Boy" and waiting for their potatoes to boil!

:D

[reflection]

91. Uh oh. You said 'jig'.

Now you done done it.

(still recovering from the 'dancing a jig' thread weeks ago)

:scared:

[Rebubula]

18. Sometimes a man...

...needs to get (Named this by epic Southern humorist, Lewis Grizzard) 'Crying 'bout his daddy drunk'.

If I went through what Senator Kennedy went through, I would occasionally make time to get a good drunk on and talk to my fallen heroes.

No shame in drinking alone on occasion...in fact, I may do that tonight and hoist a couple to my daddy.

[Atman]

22. I hear ya! My dad died young, nearly 30 years ago. I still hoist one for him when possible.

And I admit to still getting sobbing-drunk sentimental 'bout it on occasion.

But the larger point was; imagine a future Hardball episode...if Matthews had said "Obama likes to fire up a blunt and play basketball, like a real black man..." would it not have raised an eyebrow?

.

[teamster633]

27. Maybe it's just because I'm a reformed stoner...

...but that was hilarious.

[whathehell]

28. You're right...all this crap about a simple comment...Matthews was obviously quite fond of Ted

and is of Irish descent himself.

I've criticized Tweety myself on occasion, but this, IMO, is silly..Get the hell over it.

[CBGLuthier]

21. So a scot irish (you) is telling real irish how to behave?

Isn't that how the whole trouble began?

[Atman]

25. Hmm...I was telling someone how to behave?

I rarely behave. I don't pretend to be any authority on "behaving." I was merely pointing out a rather crude stereotype that would be entirely unacceptable if something similar had been said about any number of other peoples.

.

[Dyedinthewoolliberal]

51. Research shows

The Scots and the Irish are really from the same 'tribe' or whatever word anthropologists use for it.

[kentuck]

30. And Chris likes to take a shot before he comes on TV...

and stick his big foot in his mouth?

[moriah]

31. I didn't expect better from him, but I wish he would have behaved better.

Isn't this the same dude who said that Hillary got where she was because of Bill's adultery (not like there was anything else in Bill's legacy that people might have decided another Clinton could help out with)?

I don't think people need to forget that not too long ago being Irish was along the same lines as being Hispanic or Black is now. Let's not forget that A Modest Proposal was incredibly good satire at the time because many people truly felt that way about the Irish. It took a long time to change that, no need to slip back.

Thanks for posting, K&R

[imdjh]

32. I've gotten drunk in a basement with someone's brother and it was stunning.

[sarge43]

33. Obviously Matthews never lost a brother.

Anyone who has would understand.

Whenever I see my brother's picture, I want to get drunk.

(One quarter Irish here)

[1955doubledie]

53. And the way Ted Kennedy lost them, too. Rather traumatic.

Not just one brother, but two...in similar fashion: shot to death in the head. That would send many people over the edge. Not Ted Kennedy, though; he showed awesome resiliency.

That doesn't even consider all the other family tragedies...his brother Joe Jr., sister Kathleen, nephew Michael, nephew John Jr. All died suddenly and unexpectedly, most amid some violent act.

[sarge43]

59. Joe Jr's death must have hit him very hard. Early teens are a vulnerable age.

Joe was the crown prince of the family.

You're right. Many would have become basket cases. He turned tragedy into triumph.

[Sebastian Doyle]

83. What would be more traumatic though?

Losing your oldest brother to a war, or losing your two remaining brothers to a murderous crime family and then watching two members of that crime family become President. (One of them, without even being elected)

[KittyWampus]

37. this thread ended up hilarious. LOL!

[rucky]

39. I'm sure he meant it as a compliment.

:crazy:

[Jackeens]

48. Basements aren't common in Ireland - so a real Irishman would drink in his converted attic.

Just sayin'.

[JenniferJuniper]

66. Thought the same thing

Irishmen in basements. Doesn't work.

And a Boston Irishmen wouldn't drink in his basement either. Although he might drink "down cellar".

[WI_DEM]

49. How does Chris Matthews know this?

[janet118]

81. He doesn't . . . he likes to pretend he rubs elbows with the pols

Mike Barnicle really knew Teddy. His stories ring true. Matthew's little vignette smells like bull hockey.

[endless october]

52. you had me at morning vodka.

[Barack_America]

54. God I really hate the association with the Irish and drunkenness.

There's truth to it, of course, that I do not deny. But I see no cause to celebrate it.

My family has lost too much to alcoholism that I cannot even bear to celebrate St. Patrick's Day anymore. I celebrate my Irish heritage, for sure, but I cannot celebrate addiction to drink.

[Captain Hilts]

60. Here here! My kin were so much trouble, they were kicked out of Liverpool.I don't do St. Pat's

any more either.

[TayTay]

63. I completely agree

The association of the St. Pat's Day and drunken excess is painful for those who have lost relatives to alcohol and disease or alcohol-related death in car accidents et al.

This reduces a proud culture to something you find at the bottom of a dirty cup. It's shameful and discriminatory. BTW, you can be full Irish and a teatotaller. Honest to God, you can.

[polly7]

76. Definitely

My maternal Irish ancestors were teetotallers ....... my great grandfather wasn't allowed to be buried in the same cemetery as his wife and children because he was an alcoholic... though a good, hardworking man. They despised liquor.

[Captain Hilts]

55. Matthews is a complete idiot. A racist and sexist one. nt

[berni_mccoy]

58. Damn, I was enjoying me Irish Coffee until now. Now I need something stronger!

[Berry Cool]

62. Did he really say that?

I knew he was gonna get all Irish Catholic and sloppy yesterday, but man.

[debbierlus]

64. Italian here...my hair is all greasy & I smell like Garlic just like all the other wops

I split my wine all over the keyboard when I read that.....

[reflection]

68. Really?

I just took a small bottle of Grey Poupon from my pocket, held it aloft, and danced very badly. During which I inadvertently knocked my Tab cola onto my copy of the WSJ and began to mutter near-curses under my breath.

[Jackeens]

69. Bet you ride a Vespa too.

:-)

[janet118]

82. Wow . . . are you, like, in the Mafia?

:sarcasm:

My husband is Italian and likes to wear his shirts open to his navel to show off all his gaudy gold jewelry. I don't care because I'm Irish and half in the bag all the time.

[debbierlus]

92. Of course!

[Withywindle]

84. I spilled my caipirinha.

I'm dancing in my living room in a sequined g-string and bouncing a soccer ball off my head. Really I am. I'm multitalented that way.

But I'm also partly Irish, so I'll give you this advice as a friend. Do not try to make a caipirinha with Jameson's. It just doesn't work. You can play fiddle with a samba beat, though.

[tigereye]

65. well, there is the Irish maudlin, drinking stereotype - still subscribed to by

a lot of Irish folk. Plus I am sure with so many violent deaths in the family, the man was sad and likely drowning his sorrows at least some of the time. Disclaimer - I am Irish.

[begin_within]

71. I'm of Irish descent, but I don't get drunk, I don't have a basement, and I don't have any brothers.

So I guess I'm not a real Irishman.

[hedgehog]

72. I was talking with my mother on the phone last night, and she asked about Joan Kennedy,

and I mentioned seeing a photo of her at Eunice's funeral, and we discussed how sad it was that two good people had been so bad for each other, and then I laughed and pointed out that we were discussing the Kennedys as if they were members of the parish living next door, and my mother said

"I guess when it comes down to it they were really Irish after all."

[SoCalDem]

77. There is a longstanding link between the Irish/Welsh & melancholy

and if ever a family had a reason to be melancholy, it would be the Kennedys

[Swede]

78. I'd probably do the same if my two older brother were murdered.

[AuntPatsy]

80. Welll since half of my family tree on mom's side are Irish I take acception that one need drink to

be viewed as a true irishman...sometimes he just does not know when to quit when he runs out of things to see, perhaps he should take the time to make footnotes before appearing live.

[FourScore]

87. LOL

[mmonk]

88. Chris says the darnedest things. But relax, Chris is one too.

[eowyn_of_rohan]

93. He "liked" to do this? Or he just DID it?

what an idiot to say such a thing. and where did he get this factoid?