The year was 68 and Bobby Kennedy was campaigning in Oregon for President.....It was a very exciting time with Kennedy traveling all over the state. He made a little restaurant in Newport Or famous by saying their clam chowder beat his favorite in Cape Cod Mass.
That restaurant was Mo's and they received nation wide press on that visit.
I was 15 years old in 1968 and when Kennedy stumped in Portland. I found out where Kennedy was staying from my Mothers beautician who told me that she would be helping Ethel Kennedy with her hair at the Benson Hotel. I started calling the hotel trying my best to scam my way upstairs to meet Kennedy. It was one call after another, and I was amazed that someone would actually pick up the phone. Each time I called there was a buzz of activity in the background on the phone....I told a press rep of Kennedy's that I would like to record an interview with Mr Kennedy and that I worked for a radio station in town (I was doing weekends on a 1,000 watt flame thrower in Gresham Oregon!).....Well to my complete surprise a lady took the phone and told me to come up to the floor where Kennedy was staying and they would try to get me the interview. I took the bus downtown with my portable ampex tape recorder and made my way into the Benson feeling like a big shot news reporter. A security guard called up to the floor and after many minutes of waiting they took me up the elevator. The floor was just jammed with staff members, it was very hectic. They took me to a room and told me to wait. Who walks into the room? The famous Pierre Salinger who was JFK's Press Secretary and later RFK's. He walked in wearing a white shirt with his sleeves rolled up and a cigar in his hand. It is as vivid as the day this happened.
He was really nice & knew this teenage kid had no media juice to offer...But told me that Kennedy would not be available for an interview but he would take a few questions...and after we recorded he would have an aide take me downstairs and would place me to meet Kennedy first as he would come off the elevator in the grand lobby of the Benson. I asked him a few questions about Sen McCarthy who was neck to neck with Kennedy at the time in the Oregon primary. He shook my hand and came through with the placement in the lobby. It seemed like I stood forever in that space, as it was starting to fill with supporters. Finally the doors opened and the first to exit was Kennedy's dog "Freckles"......He came roaring out into the lobby followed by Salinger, Edith Green and a few other Oregon Democrats.......and then came Kennedy wearing a pale blue suit, white shirt & blue tie. He was tanned and looked really great from his days down on the Oregon coast. He walked straight towards me and stopped to shake my hand. He said something about 'Pierre tells me your a newsman her in Oregon....nice to meet you, I'm Robert Kennedy"......and then on to the string of others in the lobby. As he made his exit out the revolving Benson doors, Freckles took off up Broadway! Kennedy was ready to get into the car and stopped to see what happened to his dog! There was a flurry of chaos getting the dog back and then the caravan of cars took off. Kennedy shocked everyone losing the primary to McCarthy. Many felt that by not debating him in Oregon was a huge mistake. A few days later he took California and was on his way.....My Brother & I stayed up very late watching Sander Vanoucher bringing in the results on the network. We watched Kennedy accept his win at the podium in the Ambassador Hotel....and we watched in total shock seeing Kennedy get shot live on TV at around 1am in the morning.....Kennedy was rushed to Good Samaritan Hospital where he died the next day. I will never forget my day with the Kennedy campaign in Oregon. This story shows how lax security was in 1968. Nobody ever looked in my recorder case or checked me out!
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