WILL FEMINISTS PROTEST CRIMES AT THE KENNEDY COMPOUND?

With the news of the Good Friday and Holy Saturday goings-on at the $3 million Kennedy compound at Palm Beach, I have a question or two. A young woman alleges she was raped in the wee hours after a long night of drinking and bar-hopping more characteristic of garden variety adolescent debauchery than of a 59-year-old man. (Much less a senator). She also alleges that among her injuries arising out of the incident is a broken rib.

Consider the facts in the light favorable to Mr. Kennedy. A senior United States Senator was present with family members a few steps away from the horrifying incident, which occurred on premises his family has owned for generations. In what used to be called the World's Greatest Deliberative Body, that senator sits on the Judiciary Committee. This committee passes on presidential nominees for all the highest law enforcement officials in the executive branch, and for every federal judge at the district, appeals and Supreme Court levels.

Where are the always reliable protesters of the womens' rights groups? You know, the ones who routinely show up to protest the "appearance" of "insensitivity" displayed by some hapless but otherwise distinguished nominee because he's slow to quit some private club that excludes women from membership?

Has Molly Yard called off her Storm Troopers at the National Organization of Women? If so, upon what premise? If not, then where are they?

What would Senator Kennedy have to say about a judicial nominee who'd been found, more or less in flagrante, in the middle of such an incident? Would the Senate floor or committee room be the scene of a pious and solemn speech bemoaning "the appearance of impropriety"?

Mary Jo Kopechne is not around to tell her side of that awful night in July, 1969 when, trapped in a submerged car, alive for hours, she suffocated because of the criminal negligence of Teddy Kennedy, while he was on the telephone, making dozens of long distance calls to his counselors. It'll be interesting to see whether the awesome Kennedy legal, money and public relations machine can work its magic once again.

Unlike the Kopechne family, we're told this time the girl comes from a wealthy background, one perhaps less susceptible to a payoff. But it is nonetheless her fate that in addition to the indignities already visited upon her, she should now feel the pitiless force of that machine's resources, as attorneys, private investigators and PR wizards go to work for the family some call our American royalty.

The whole sordid episode brings to mind the priceless comment of former Democratic National Chairman Robert Strauss, now a Washington super-lawyer. Strauss is famous for his devastating and usually earthy one-liners. Strauss was chairman of President Carter's reelection campaign in 1980, when Senator Kennedy, stirring dreams of Camelot, challenged the sitting Democratic president for reelection.

Recall that incumbent Carter didn't need long to rather easily dispatch challenger Kennedy in 1980's spring primaries. Strauss recalled the magic of the two older Kennedy brothers, Jack and Bobby, before wickedly observing that what this latest campaign proved was that Rose Kennedy had not given birth to triplets.

Or did she?

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Our dialogue on Missouri education funding should enter a new phase this week. Professor Tom Harte has agreed to be my guest on this week's Behind the Headlines program, which will air Wednesday night at 8 p.m. on Channel 13.

Tune in and give us a call to join this important discussion.