White House Intern Who Had an Affair With President Kennedy 40 Years Ago Writing a Book

[steven johnson]

Well, Kennedy was Clinton's idol and he patterned himself after the former president -- in more ways than one, obviously.

By MOTOKO RICH
Published: May 22, 2009
Mimi Beardsley Alford, a retired New York church administrator who had an affair with John F. Kennedy while she was an intern in the White House, is breaking a silence of more than 40 years to tell her story in a memoir to be published by Random House.

John F. Kennedy, right, with Robert F. Kennedy at the White House in October 1962.
Ms. Alford’s secret was initially divulged six years ago when a biography of Kennedy was published with portions from a 1964 oral history that described the president’s 18-month sexual affair with a young intern named Mimi Beardsley. The Daily News tracked her down and discovered that she was Marion Fahnestock, who was divorced, working for the Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church and living in Manhattan. At the time, she gave a short statement confirming that she was “involved in a sexual relationship” with Kennedy from June 1962 to November 1963.

Ms. Alford, 66, who in the years since the disclosure had married Richard Alford, a former sports marketing executive, has not spoken about her affair since the statement. Before that, she had not even told her parents or her children. Now she is working on a memoir, to be titled “Once Upon a Secret,” about the consequences of hiding such an explosive past for so long.

Susan Mercandetti, executive editor at Random House, acquired the book after seeing about 20 pages and meeting with Ms. Alford. “I’ve seen enough to know what an extraordinary heart and soul exists in this book,” Ms. Mercandetti said.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/23/books/23jfk.html?_r=1&src=twr

[Xipe Totec]

1. YAWN! n/t

[Sen. Walter Sobchak]

2. given his health how likely is it JFK could even "get it up"

in his final years?

[Captain Hilts]

4. Well, for one, he was a cigar smoker. There you go. nt

[jaysunb]

17. I don't think you know much about "getting it up"

in your late forties.
They were among the best years of my life & I had a heart attack at 47...whilst getting it on. :evilfrown:

[Captain Hilts]

18. It's about the meds he was on. They often taking you out of the batting order. nt

[CatWoman]

20. I always knew you were a slut

:)

[jaysunb]

26. GUILTY !

:rofl:

[WinkyDink]

28. Umm, his "final years" were his mid-40's. You need to read more of him. ;-)

[Captain Hilts]

3. Well ain't that just grand?

Most presidents are shits to their wives.

[SharonRB]

6. Present president excluded

Barack and Michelle have a beautiful marriage.

[Captain Hilts]

9. Being in the White House creates its own stresses and strains.

I think they're starting out better off than most folks and I wish 'em well.

Depression is a VERY common experience for first ladies. More recently, they've sought to get away from the White House. Eleanor Roosevelt got an apt. in NYC while in the White House, Bess Truman bailed on Harry and went back to Independence for extended periods of time, Jackie K insisted they get a house out in VA. Evidently, Camp David was kinda grim until the '70s and most folks didn't really like to go there.

I think having Mrs. Robinson there is a great help. She's hit the town running.

Constantly being commented on is starting to wear on Mobama:

http://wtop.com/?nid=596&sid=1659025

By DARLENE SUPERVILLE
Associated Press Writer
WASHINGTON (AP) - First lady Michelle Obama misses life without the constant commentary, but says she does what works for her since there's always someone who thinks she could have done something better.

In the latest issue of Time magazine, Mrs. Obama says it's difficult to watch President Barack Obama burdened by the world's problems, and that White House life has been the "greatest single benefit" for her family.

She also revealed the most unexpected bit of advice from her predecessors: go to Camp David early and often.

"It's just one place you can go where you're completely ... where you feel some level of freedom and an ability to breathe," she said of the presidential retreat in Maryland, in an interview for the magazine's cover story. "I think every single first lady felt that that was an important resource, an important thing for the health of the family."

[Baby Snooks]

31. Most men are just shits...

Why restrict it to presidents? All men are shits period. Men for the most part simply cannot keep their pants zipped. Their egos as well as their brains are in their crotch. And that includes gay men as well.

[SharonRB]

5. Kennedy has been dead for over 45 years n/t

[Kaleva]

14. Men often die with an erection. JFK's lasted a long time

[Colobo]

7. Sounds interesting.

[cloudbase]

8. He wasn't called

Jack the Zipper for nothing.

[madeline_con]

10. .

:boring:

[Captain Hilts]

11. JFK was reckless and vulnerable to blackmail. nt

[blueclown]

12. So she was 19 when Kennedy was in an affair with her?

[Captain Hilts]

13. A college sophmore. nt

[ecstatic]

15. I finally saw a special on the Kennedys

and my conclusion is--they have nothing in common... except for maybe popularity. Their origins, state of health, method of winning office, devotion to wife/family--night and day.

[Captain Hilts]

16. State of health?

[CatWoman]

19. so

you think Kennedy and Clinton were the only two presidents who screwed around with interns?

[vaberella]

21. Well how sweet. n/t

[jesus_of_suburbia]

22. It's Hillary's fault that JFK cheated. n/t

[Captain Hilts]

25. She was on the grassy knoll. nt

[Thothmes]

23. Nothing new here

Slack Jack would do anything that walked, crawled, sneaked or flew close to his bed (except Jacki).

[Captain Hilts]

24. Wonder how idiots like C Matthews that worship JFK and hate Bubba for this kind of thing feel.nt

[Adelante]

27. JFK's sex life is pretty well known by now

I don't have a problem with this memoir. It's a little bit of history from what may prove to be an interesting perspective. I don't know if I'd buy it, but I don't see any reason it shouldn't be written and published.

[SoCalDem]

29. 3 things

Power is the greatest aphrodisiac

It was the "sixties".....'68 was the culmination, but "it" was goin' on" since the early '60's..(the free-love part)

Rich/powerful men have always had two "kinds" of women in their lives

.....a..the ones they marry & with whom they have children

.....b.. the ones they play around with on the side

[JI7]

30. i just can't get any interest in this, everyone knows Kennedy had many affairs

and this was so long ago. i don't have a problem with her writing a book or anything but i just find the whole thing kind of boring or repetitive .