BS: Kerry's First Wife

Subject: BS: Kerry's First Wife
From: Rapparee
Date: 29 Feb 04 - 10:20 AM

I don't like to start political threads or discussions. I'm pretty much as apolitical as it's possible to be.

But last night my brother told me that John Kerry had divorce papers served on his first wife when she was hospitalized for depression, much the same way that Newt Gingerich served divorce papers on HIS first wife.

I've just looked through a whole lot of webpages trying to confirm or deny this, and I couldn't even find the name of Kerry's first wife (I did find stuff on his daughters, though).

Since he's a practicing Catholic, I wonder about the truth of the story.

Anyone know anything about it?

Subject: RE: BS: Kerry's First Wife
From: katlaughing
Date: 29 Feb 04 - 11:03 AM

Perhaps she (Julia Thorne) tells all in her book about depression.

From personal experience, I do know sometimes all a person can do is walk away from a depressed loved one, esp. after years and years spent trying to help them when they have little desire for change or help, themselves.

I hate when politics starts slinging past personal stuff into the mix. If they'd done so with JFK he never would have been elected and that would've been a damn shame for our country. (Maybe safer for him, though.)

kat

Subject: RE: BS: Kerry's First Wife
From: artbrooks
Date: 29 Feb 04 - 11:06 AM

Rapaire, there is a lot out there about John Kerry and Julia Thorne (Yahoo search here), but since that particular bit doesn't show up even among the Kerry-haters I'd be inclined to doubt it. She is a neighbor of yours, by the way...lives in Bozeman.

Subject: RE: BS: Kerry's First Wife
From: GUEST
Date: 29 Feb 04 - 11:40 AM

The thing that is truly despicable about the right wing hate mongers like Limbaugh, Hannity, et al, is that Kerry's ex-wife is currently undergoing cancer treatment. You can't get much lower on the low blow meter than that, eh?

If anyone wants to know about their divorce, they can read Thorne's books she has written. One is about recovering from depression, one about recovering from divorce. They were published years ago, so I doubt you will find any new dirt there.

BTW, how likely could it be that Kerry pulled a Newt on his 1st wife? Not very. They were separated for years before they divorced.

Subject: RE: BS: Kerry's First Wife
From: Alice
Date: 29 Feb 04 - 11:56 AM

I live in Bozeman, and until reading your message, artbrooks, I didn't know John Kerry's first wife lives here, too. They were divorced six years after they separated. She is remarried to an architect. She is a private person, and currently is undergoing cancer treatment. Here is a recent article from the local Bozeman paper. "Although she has said she believes Kerry would be a great president, Thorne wants to stay out of politics".
Click here

Subject: RE: BS: Kerry's First Wife
From: GUEST
Date: 29 Feb 04 - 12:12 PM

I think knowledge of Kerry's 1st is much greater in Mass. & DC, where he has spent his political life. The Boston Globe ran a series of muckraking articles last year about Kerry, after he announced his candidacy. No smoking guns/dirt have ever come up.

Again, he is often accused of the sins of being ambitious, born into privlege, etc. but not much of that stuff sticks to him. Once his media handlers got him broken of the habit of being senatorial in tone and demeanor, the guy's campaign took off like a rocket. He reverted to the oratorical style he used when campaigning against the Vietnam war, and really started to connect with people.

His wife's touchy-feely style is a good contrast to his, so they make a good campaign couple, I think, as they come off more like regular folk than Boston brahmins.

The Republicans have been looking for dirt on Kerry ever since Vietnam. Since they've never found anything, I think the Dems are pleased to have a candidate they know is scandal proof, especially because they can run him against a candidate who has constantly been at the center of scandals and questionable alliances his entire political career.

Clinton may have won two elections handily enough, but he certainly wasn't good for the party.

Subject: RE: BS: Kerry's First Wife
From: Bobert
Date: 29 Feb 04 - 12:56 PM

Well danged. Depression ain't like a common cold. Folks that got it, got it. They get help and most of them learn to live and funtion *with* it.

I don't know much about the former Mrs. Kerry but if she was suffering from depression, you can bet that John Kerry left her, maybe not as a reult of the depression, but while she was suffering from it... Like I said, it's purdy much a lifetime stuggle...

Unfortunately, I know a little about the subject from my many years in social work, *plus* my own stuggles over the years (including hospitalization in a psych ward for 2 weeks...) (okay, whomever wants to jump on that last bit of information, knock yerself out. I may suffer from depression but I *do* have a sense of humor...)

Bobert

Subject: RE: BS: Kerry's First Wife
From: Rapparee
Date: 29 Feb 04 - 01:14 PM

So far it's kinda what I thought. And yes, I've been treated for depression and keep taking the ol' pills (SSRI).

Subject: RE: BS: Kerry's First Wife
From: GUEST
Date: 29 Feb 04 - 01:15 PM

Bobert: you confirmed my suspicions. :>)

DougR

Subject: RE: BS: Kerry's First Wife
From: Walking Eagle
Date: 29 Feb 04 - 03:02 PM

Alice, I'm sure you would agree that her wishes to remain out of politics MUST be respected!

Subject: RE: BS: Kerry's First Wife
From: Nerd
Date: 29 Feb 04 - 03:41 PM

I think he tried to get an annulment rather than a divorce, but I don't know if he succeeded. I also think it's true that they were separated for some years and he dated some famous models/actresses (Morgan Fairchild, I think?) while they were still married.

I do worry that some of this dirt will stick to him eventually. It was never in the right wing's interest to stir up the dirt on candidates too early. They may be waiting until he is the nominee to really let the mud fly. So I hope this stuff doesn't stick to him, but I wouldn't bet the farm.

Subject: RE: BS: Kerry's First Wife
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 29 Feb 04 - 04:21 PM

When people say "only in America" is it this kind of political dirty tricks that they have in mind?

Subject: RE: BS: Kerry's First Wife
From: katlaughing
Date: 29 Feb 04 - 05:42 PM

Maybe this will explain things:

He has two daughters with his first wife, Julia Thorne, whom he married in 1970. They separated in 1982 and were divorced in 1988. Kerry married Teresa Heinz, widow of ketchup heir Sen. John Heinz (R-Pa.), in 1995.

In 1997, Kerry, a Catholic, obtained a church annulment of his first marriage. His ex-wife, who supports him politically, said the proceeding was "disrespectful" but she didn't fight it.

The Boston Globe quoted sources as saying that Teresa Heinz wanted the annulment because she is a devout Catholic and couldn't participate fully in church ceremonies if she was married to a divorced Catholic.

Also, there is an interesting Kerry Timeline at the Boston Globe.

kat

Subject: RE: BS: Kerry's First Wife
From: Greg F.
Date: 29 Feb 04 - 05:53 PM

Almost, Kevin, but its REPUBLICAN dirty tricks they have in mind.

Kinda like being back in Junior High School.

Subject: RE: BS: Kerry's First Wife
From: GUEST
Date: 29 Feb 04 - 06:01 PM

Yeah, Kerry pulled the same sleezebag tactic getting his marriage annuled as Joe Kennedy did. I guess the Boston archdiocese doesn't considers marriage as sacred as the church's mission of maintaining cover for their pedophile priests.

Another reason why I hate Kerry, the Kennedys, and the Boston archdiocese of the Catholic church. As Catholics and as human beings, I find all of them to be more than a few beads short of a rosary.

Subject: RE: BS: Kerry's First Wife
From: Don Firth
Date: 29 Feb 04 - 06:04 PM

With anything that the political opposition might be able to use as ammunition, the best thing to do is for the person involved (the target) to get it out there first with a full explanation for those who feel they need one. That pulls it's teeth and makes the opposition look like asses for trying to bring it up and make something out of it.

There's not a politician in the world who can walk on water--and that includes everyone in the Bush administration.

Don Firth

Subject: RE: BS: Kerry's First Wife
From: Rapparee
Date: 29 Feb 04 - 06:35 PM

Oh, Don, say you're kidding! Please say that's not so! Why, you're totally destroying my image of the Bush administration! I was going to propose George for the Nobel Peace Prize (and I'm too late, 'cause it's been done) and Dick Cheney for sainthood!

And St. Donald of Rumsfeld and the Blessed Condi Rice...say it ain't so, Don!

Subject: RE: BS: Kerry's First Wife
From: Strick
Date: 29 Feb 04 - 06:56 PM

I guess I'll wait to see if this gets played up and gets some traction. It's hard to imagine why anyone would care.

I don't see this as being much of a campaign issue any more than I do when some people suddenly discover that adults were drinking, doing drugs and having casual sex in the 70s. And to think, no one bother to tell me about it!

Subject: RE: BS: Kerry's First Wife
From: GUEST
Date: 29 Feb 04 - 07:41 PM

Well, we'll see how the annulment charge plays out in the general. Kennedy's wife was so pissed about the annulment, she wrote a book about it, and did an international speaking tour in the US, and in other Catholic countries too, like Ireland.

Her book is called "Shattered Faith: A Woman's Struggle to Stop the Catholic Church from Annulling Her Marriage". This isn't something that happens only occassionally, BTW. The Catholic American annulment machine grinds out 70,000 of these babies a year, including cases where the marriages were long term, and included children.

Subject: RE: BS: Kerry's First Wife
From: Joe Offer
Date: 29 Feb 04 - 08:30 PM

Our nameless friend believes that anybody who gets divorced must remain celibate for the rest of life.

How sad.

Most churches do their best to support the ideal of lifelong marriage, while allowing a second marriage if the first one fails. The Catholic church uses its annulment procedure to deal with this situation. It isn't a perfect solution, but it works.

-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: BS: Kerry's First Wife
From: Strick
Date: 29 Feb 04 - 08:34 PM

I'm a firm believer that if Ronald Reagan could get divorced and still be electable, this should be a non-issue. As I said, it'll be interesting to see if anyone tries to make it one and whether it turns back to bite them.

Subject: RE: BS: Kerry's First Wife
From: Bobert
Date: 29 Feb 04 - 08:38 PM

Oh geeze. Kerry goes to Nam, get shot up and years later has a failed marriage. Oh horrors!

The other guy, goes AWOL, womanizes, stays half drunk and stuffs a lot of coke up his nose and he's the hero?

Like what am I missing here?

Bobert

BTW, Dougie. I put that stuff in my ealier post just fir you or yer bud, T-bird....

Subject: RE: BS: Kerry's First Wife
From: Bill D
Date: 29 Feb 04 - 08:49 PM

it is possible to be born rich, have influential friends, get divorces...etc....and STILL be an honest man and a decent leader. It is becoming rare for a major politician to climb the ladder without money and connections...and a few of them still do their best to take their responsibilities seriously. Kerry just 'might' be one of these.

So far, the ONLY thing which disturbs me seriously is that he was a member of "Skull & Bones" at Yale, as Bush was. That in itself proves nothing, but I don't like much of the membership roster of that strange little club. We shall see. (At least the Republicans aren't likely to use that against him!)

Subject: RE: BS: Kerry's First Wife
From: Rapparee
Date: 29 Feb 04 - 09:30 PM

Friends of mine have had their marriages annulled by the RC church, and it wasn't easy for any of them. Whether or not Kerry had some of the bumps smoothed out I can't say.

The only way I would feel that this was a strike against him is if he had been so callous as to "pull a Newt". That would go beyond bad taste (at least in my book) and into something far worse.

Subject: RE: BS: Kerry's First Wife
From: Sorcha
Date: 29 Feb 04 - 10:10 PM

And,I don't care very much...he is at least NOT the Dubya

Subject: RE: BS: Kerry's First Wife
From: Nerd
Date: 01 Mar 04 - 04:05 AM

Joe, I think you missed GUEST'S point. Kerry already had a divorce, and he wasn't celibate even when merely separated. But an annulment is essentially a statement that the marriage was never a true marriage. Why should the Catholic Church allow Kerry to unilaterally make this declaration, just so Theresa could have a church ceremony? Julia Thorne didn't think it was a false marriage, nor did their children. I do think there is somethink stinky about the whole thing--but will vote for Kerry in November anyway, if he gets the nomination.

Subject: RE: BS: Kerry's First Wife
From: GUEST
Date: 01 Mar 04 - 08:59 AM

What is stinky is the Catholic church's selective and arbitrary use of annulments. Kerry was merely opportunistic and a real jerk to take advantage of it at the expense of his former wife and children of the marriage.

It will not keep me from voting for Kerry this time if I have to (with nose held). I also believe Catholic annulments are a problem for Catholics to reconcile within their church, not in the presidential political arena. I'm guessing most Catholics would feel the same. I also don't think Republicans will be able to make an issue of this.