Final_Judgment

685
House, it would have meant that the supper I intended to make of your soul indigestible. He
simply had to go
And that hurt, didn’t it, Joe, when your namesake’s plane went down in World War II?
You said so little about your daughters in contract that I felt free to toy with them a little. I
made poor Rosemary a little slow ― but for Pete’s sake, you didn’t have to lobotomize her
Joe! That was all your doing! And you seemed to be getting over young Joe’s death so
well that I felt I needed to remind you of it by sending your daughter Kathleen down in
another plane crash a few years later.
Oh, this trouble hurt. But it infuriated you too, because you thought I had reneged on the
deal! Remember that conversation, right there on the beach in Hyannis Port? I reminded
you there was Jack, beautiful Jack, the one you rode so hard. He was so like you, so hungry
for Hollywood beauty, so driven ― wouldn’t it be even sweeter if it were Jack?
You were so triumphant with Jack’s victory and all that I tried to let you know that things
weren’t going to work out like you planned again. You had a grandson born in the White
House in August 1963, remember? Little Patrick? I took him after two days, just to get you
prepared for November 22.
I said I‘d make Jack president. I didn’t say he would finish out his term. And I didn’t say
you’d get another. That was your mistake, trying again with Bobby.
That was a violation ofthe contract. You only got one.
And you didn’t listen, you just wouldn’t listen, you were still intent on the idea that
Teddy might do it ― Teddy, the least of your boys. But I have news for you. That
Chappaquiddick business? He called on me to save him from a manslaughter charge. He’ll
be keeping you company when his time is up.
Your time was up, wasn’t it, after Chappaquiddick. You died a few months later, came
down here. But you know what? Your soul just wasn’t done yet. You were still a little too
tough.
So every time you think the deal is done, every time you think your family is on it s way
back to glory, I just have to do something. Like I did this weekend, with your grandson
John.
You understand, don’t you, Joe? It’s because I’m hungry. And when I’m hungry, Joe, the
ends justify the means. See why we’re so alike?
Yes. Oh, yes. I think you’re readynow.
――――――
You can e-mail comments to John Podhoretz at podhoretz@nypost.com.