Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. at UNC-Chapel Hill

Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., a self-described environmentalist and fierce critic of the Bush administration recently spoke at UNC-Chapel Hill. A April 21, 2005 news report in the Durham Herald-Sun prompted me to send the following letter to the editor, which the paper published.

(No links because the Herald Sun's archived articles are pay-per-view.)

Bush-bashing Kennedy should clean up his act

So in a UNC Chapel Hill speech, environmentalist Robert F. Kennedy Jr. accused President Bush of, among other things, accepting "money from power industries in exchange for relaxed environmental regulations" and appointing officials who are "polluters." ["RFK Jr. bashes Bush," April 21].

That all sounds familiar. Kennedy often attacks the motives and integrity of others, including the president.

Now if Kennedy had thanked all the people who produce the power he uses to heat and cool his three large homes and the fuel for the private jets in which he travels, that would be news. If he said he no longer criticizes people who drive SUVs because he supports Sen. John Kerry, who owns three of them -- wow, more news.

From your report, it seems Kennedy said nothing about the proposed Cape Wind Project (www.capewind.org/) which will produce more wind-generated energy than any such project built in America. Supported by environmentalists and administration officials, Cape Wind relies on technology used for decades in Europe.

But the project has opposition; Kennedy leads it. Many environmentalists say his opposition is based on the project's location near his Cape Cod waterfront home. They note he also opposes a similar project near property he owns on the coast of Long Island. Those charges have angered Kennedy, who insists his opposition is based solely on environmental considerations.

I've no wish to join in questioning Kennedy's motives. I just hope he'll now treat others, including the president, with the same civility and benefit of the doubt he's asking for himself.

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Something I didn't mention in the letter: Whenever I hear RFK Jr. savage President Bush, I'm reminded of the savaging President Kennedy received in the months leading up to Dallas.