Paul Kengor’s latest book is The Crusader: Ronald Reagan and the Fall of Communism.
(Don’t miss his other excellent book God and Ronald Reagan, a NYT best seller.) In this book he discusses Ted Kennedy’s fear of Reagan and his secret approach to the Soviet dictator Yuri Andropov.  See below a small sample from Kengor’s interview with Front Page Magazine.


FP: How are Kennedy?s actions relevant today in your view?

Kengor:
First of all, I do not answer that question in the book because, as I
said, I don’t cast judgment on it in the book. However, if you’re
asking for my personal viewpoint, I do find it striking that certain
American politicians were more worried about Reagan than about Yuri
Andropov. In the KGB letter, which was written by the head of the KGB,
Viktor Chebrikov, Chebrikov said that Kennedy was “very impressed” with
Andropov. So, Kennedy was, By Chebrikov’s account, impressed by
Andropov but fearful of Reagan. Kennedy literally seemed more trustful
of the Soviet dictator than the American president; that’s a fair
interpretation of Kennedy’s thinking, based upon what Chebrikov
reported to Andropov in the memo.


 

This
kind of thinking is still common among much of the left today, as many
liberals fear the conservative Republican president more than the
dictator-enemy the president is trying to defeat. Today, there are many
on the left who will tell you that George W. Bush is a greater threat
to peace than Saddam Hussein ever was. This is a continuing example of
poor judgment by the likes of Ted Kennedy.