I guess I had an unusual childhood. I remember one time that I had a play-date at Morven, which was then the governor’s mansion in New Jersey, with one of the governor’s sons. I didn’t think there was anything particularly weird about that at the time. Nor did I ever question why that boy was such a close friend of another boy named Steve. Steve’s mother later became the mayor of Princeton, New Jersey, but I only learned of her political pedigree when I had grown up and moved away. She was the daughter of Hale Boggs, who is famous for serving on the Warren Commission, as House Majority Leader, and for disappearing in a 1972 plane crash in Alaska with Rep. Nick Begich, whose son now serves as a Democrat in the U.S. Senate. After Hale Boggs was declared dead, his wife Lindy ran for and won his seat in Congress. Hale and Lindy’s other daughter is Cokie Roberts. Quite often, I have been frustrated and annoyed by something Cokie Roberts has said or written, but I find it hard to criticize her because I don’t want to offend the people in her family who I really respect.
While Cokie Roberts is badly infected with a Villager attitude, her family is wonderful, and her mother was a national treasure. Her tribute to her mother is touching and well-done.
However, I think my friend Steve’s tribute was even better.
What a moving remembrance from Steve. It touches me because, while neither of my grandmas shared the fame of a Lindy Boggs, the feelings that Steve relates are the same kinds of feelings I have about them. While so many people are not especially close to their grandparents, I had the same good fortune that Steve had; to have grandmothers who were incredibly strong and giving women, who valued love, integrity and doing what they could to make sure their grandchildren grew up with a real appreciation of what is truly important in our short lives. Like Steve’s maw-maw, mine were incredibly powerful forces in my life. Sometimes you don’t realize it until you have the perspective of an adult’s life experience. But I certainly know how fortunate I was to have them in my life for such a long and wonderful period of time.
I thought Steve’s piece was one of the best tributes I’ve ever read.
Cokie Roberts and her husband worked in Gloria Steinem’s propaganda mill at those international youth festivals at the end of the fifties, beginning of the sixties. If I’m not mistaken a pre-JFK assassination/Watergate Felix Rodriguez was in the same group. Look it up.
I haven’t found any evidence of that. They did live in Greece for 11 years, so a CIA connection is certainly quite possible, but a quick check of the internet didn’t reveal any evidence for it.
Quite often, I have been frustrated and annoyed by something Cokie Roberts has said or written, but I find it hard to criticize her because I don’t want to offend the people in her family who I really respect.
It’s, more or less, the same problem another Princetonian has. I think he goes by the name of Krgthulu.