The Chickenhawk

11/11/2025

Veterans’ Day, November 11, 2009-
I had the pleasure of speaking by telephone with Robert L. Oswald, older brother of alleged JFK assassin Lee Harvey Oswald.
I thanked Mr. Oswald for taking my call and for his service.
I told him that, almost 46 years later, I was sorry for his loss and his burden.
Robert Oswald thanked me for my kind words.
I mentioned I saw him on Dateline in 1996 and wondered, with information that has come out over the past 10 + years “proving a CIA, nefarious or not, cover-up,” did he still believe that one man acted alone?
Robert Oswald said that his beliefs were “on the record” and that he had nothing else to add.
I thanked him for his time and sent him a $10 Petco gift certificate (his dog was barking in the background when I called).
I forgot to ask Mr. Oswald for which belief is he “on the record?”

In 1963 Robert Oswald told members of the Warren Commission:
Mr. Dulles: – You have testified that you felt that your brother did have or would have required some outside help or assisstance to do what he did — roughly to that effect, I believe.
Mr. Oswald: That is right.
Mr. Dulles: Have you any idea at all or any thoughts as to what kind of help, where that could have come from, who was involved. I have in mind — was this in your opinion a rightist plot, a leftist plot, an anarchist plot?
Mr. Oswald: If I may take your question, sir; in the parts that you pointed out — I believe the first part was to where and how.
Mr. Dulles.:And who.
Mr. Jenner. May have assisted.
Mr. Oswald: The where and the how, sir, I am not of any opinion. And as to who might have assisted him, as related in my diary, or memorandum—
Mr. Jenner: Identify the page, please.
Mr. Oswald: On page 6 — and I quote — “I still do not know why or how, but Mr. and Mrs. Paine are somehow involved in this affair.” I am still of that opinion, sir.
A little later, Robert added: “Based on that and the shooting of Lee Harvey Oswald, I am of the opinion that Mr. Ruby did in fact know Lee Harvey Oswald prior to Sunday, November 23, 19— Sunday, November 24, 1963, and that he was in my opinion paid to silence Lee Harvey Oswald.”

Judyth Baker added:
“Lee loved Robert and wrote some 60 letters and postcards to hm, but Marina wll have nothing to do with him…I believe he got himself into a real bind. And deeper and deeper. Remember, he was a Marine, too. He cannot tell you what I believe he would if he hadn’t caved in long ago. And here Lee practically worshipped him. I say no more, it’s painful.”

08/10/2025

With the sad passing of Joan Kennedy, we'd like to re-post our 2010 telephone interview. She was gracious, kind and admitted there was a conspiracy. Rest in peace.

(Interview: Oct. 2010)
JFK nicknamed his sister-in-law, Joan Kennedy, ”The Dish” in 1960
“Most people don’t know it, but in 1960 that expression was quite a compliment … especially coming from Jack Kennedy.”
Who did he first say the nickname to, Ted?
“No, he said it to me! And then, later, to the Senator.”
I bet he was happy about that?
“Oh yes, quite proud.”
Joan Kennedy’s voice is strong. Her mind sharp & witty.
She tells us she is happy & healthy.
Did you have a favorite brother in law?
“If I did, I wouldn’t tell you. They were so different. There was something about Jack. Both were very nice to me. That’s the important thing, isn’t it?”
Yes.
For the 51st straight year Joan Kennedy will be at her former in-law’s Hyannisport home this Thanksgiving with her 3 children, 4 grand-children, and many Kennedy family members, including Ethel Kennedy.
She is scheduled to play Holiday music for charities around Boston.
She remembers JFK singing ”September Song” while accompanying him on piano, shortly after Thanksgiving in 1961, almost 49 years ago. Those were happy times for Joan Kennedy.
It seems there has been a tarnishing of Camelot, over the past couple of decades, with the stories that have come out about JFK.
“I don’t think it’s fair to do to the deceased. They can’t defend themselves.”
Times have changed, as well.
“I don’t know how people in public life do it now.”
Conspiracy?
“I believe the Warren Commission because Senator Kennedy believed the Warren Commission. He didn’t think it did anyone any good to believe otherwise. It wouldn’t be good for The Country. It wouldn’t be good for The Kennedys.”
Sometimes it’s easier to laugh than it is to cry.
Joan Kennedy agrees.
We suggest, investigating & solving JFK’s murder should not be the responsibility of brothers. There should be government agencies to do that sort of thing.
Joan Kennedy adds, “Although there may be something to some of the conspiracy stories, Senator Kennedy believed the Warren Commission.”
For the health of the Nation?
“Yes, that’s a good way to put it, for the health of the Nation.”
Joan Kennedy is a survivor. She’s an American icon and a National treasure.

19/03/2025

18/03/2025

The Chiefs had seen enough.

He was a dandy. A pervert. A drug addict. Soft on communism. Hell, he might even be a co**ie!

The Bay of Pigs. The Missile Crisis. No balls in Southeast Asia.

Now this: appeasement.

So close and he was going to give up the cold war.

The entire god damn shooting match!

Not on their watch.

14/03/2025

As Ted Kennedy found out, power is a fickle bed fellow.

In our interview with Joan Kennedy, when asked about the Warren Commission, she explained: “He (Ted) didn’t think it did anyone any good to believe otherwise. It wouldn’t be good for The Country. It wouldn’t be good for The Kennedys.”

Author Jefferson Morley suggests, “Teddy had a choice. Investigate his brother’s death and kiss off public service for the rest of his life. Or embrace public service and avoid looking into the terrible and painful realities of Dallas. He made his choice and he had to figure out how to live with it.”

12/03/2025

The Greek-

Born Dimetrios Georgios Synodinos in Steubenville, Ohio, Jimmy “The Greek” Snyder, was the self-made man with the million dollar smile.

He single handily moved betting and point spread conversation from back rooms and gin joints to America’s kitchens and living rooms.

He not only made it commonplace, he made it respectable.

The Greek moved to Las Vegas in 1956 and started his weekly pro-football betting line. He became a television icon on CBS’ NFL Today.

Unlucky for Jimmy, on January 16, 1988, he was fired by CBS for a controversial off-air, off-the-cusp interview at a dinner reception on MLK’s birthday.

Ala fellow Greek, Al Campanis, Jimmy made controversial remarks about black athletes and their roll in sports.

Jimmy, obviously in the bag, was asked: “What about blacks in coaching?

Jimmy: “Pretty soon they’ll have to equalize it for the blacks for the Greeks, the Jews and for everybody. And I mean let’s make it equal for everybody.”

Question: What about it was equal in sports?

Jimmy: “Well they’ve got everything and if they take over coaching like everybody wants them to, there’s not going to be anything left for the white people. All the players are black. The black talent is beautiful, it’s great, it’s out there. The only thing left for the whites is the coaching jobs. Pretty soon they’ll take over that too.”

Question: Don’t they need more black coaches?

Jimmy: “I’m alright with that too. Whites control coaching jobs, that’s all that’s left for them.”

He unfortunately continued: “The black is a better athlete to begin with because he’s been bred to be that way, because of his high thighs and big thighs that goes up into his back, and they can jump higher and run faster because of their bigger thighs and he’s bred to be the better athlete because this goes back all the way to the Civil War when during the slave trade … the slave owner would breed his big black to his big woman so that he could have a big black kid …”

Walter Payton and Ahmad Rashad spoke out in defense of Jimmy the Greek.

Jimmy the Greek Snyder died an ostracized and broken heart on April 21, 1996 at the age of 77.

10/03/2025

Washington DC – September 8, 1961

Frank Lawrence Rosenthal was subpoenaed to testify before the Senate Investigation Subcommittee on illegal sports betting, game fixing, and organized crime.

He held up his left hand 37 times pleading the Fifth Amendment and, although a righty, earned the nickname “Lefty.”

In 1971 Lefty joined forces with longtime associate Tony “The Ant” Spilotro in Las Vegas.

The Ant replaced Chicago mobster, Marshall Caifano, as the Outfit’s Las Vegas representative and Lefty became the official chief executive of the Stardust, the Fremont, the Hacienda and the Marina.

Lefty introduced sports books into the casinos, installed surveillance equipment, cracked down on dishonest employees, card cheats, and flabby showgirls.

He revolutionized the gaming tables with female dealers.

He doubled the casino’s income in a year and The Stardust became the sports gambling capital of the world.

Lefty survived numerous arrests, indictments, a car bomb, and entry into Las Vegas’ Black Book.

07/03/2025

Veterans’ Day, November 11, 2009

Max Steingrout had the pleasure of speaking by telephone with Robert L. Oswald, older brother of alleged JFK assassin Lee Harvey Oswald.

Max thanked Mr. Oswald for taking his call and for his service to our country, mentioning disappointment never having the opportunity to serve himself. ” – Too young for ‘Nam,” Max lamented.

Max told him that, almost 46 years later, he was sorry for his loss and his burden.

Robert Oswald thanked Max for his kind words.

Max mentioned he had seen him on Dateline in 1996 and wondered, with information that has come out over the past 10 + years “proving a CIA, nefarious or not, cover-up,” did he still believe that one man acted alone?

Robert Oswald said that his beliefs were “on the record” and that he had nothing else to add.

Max thanked him for his time and we sent him a $10 Petco gift certificate (*Scrappy was barking in the background).

Max forgot to ask Mr. Oswald for which belief is he “on the record?”

(*made up name, sounded like a “Scrappy”)

06/03/2025

Sympathy For the Devil – Beggars Banquet

The Rolling Stones began recording Sympathy for the Devil on June 4, 1968.

Lyrics included: I shouted out, who killed Kennedy?

On June 5, 1968 RFK was assassinated.

The Stones went back into the studio and changed the words to:

I shouted out, who killed the Kennedys?

05/03/2025

07/07/2010 (Email response from Priscilla Johnson McMillan)

Dear Max-

I strongly believe that Oswald did it alone. The Walker attempt, as you noted, not only shows his unstable mindset but his politics. Marina used to say that if Oswald had been put on trial, he would have used that forum to proclaim his hatred of capitalism and to claim that as his motive. From meeting him that one time in Moscow, I would not have predicted his later actions. He seemed angry but subdued to me. No conspiracy either. He couldn’t cross the street with someone else (I have some examples), let alone join with another person in a conspiracy. Everything he did, he did alone, as far as I am aware. I haven’t heard about the Hanks film and would like to know more. And yes, I met Vincent Bugliosi once. He was speaking in my town, Cambridge, Mass., and when I went up to him afterward he jumped to his feet and said “you’re an American icon!” Imagine. Later I read his book and saw that everything he said about me, my career as a reporter in Moscow, my lack of relationship to the US gov’t etc., was true and showed that he had read the State Dep’t, CIA and FBI files on me. His accuracy made me believe in his accuracy about other things in his book and was impressive.

Best, Priscilla

03/03/2025

Rolling Stone lists him as their 10th Best Stand-Up Comic of All Time ahead of luminaries Steve Martin ( #11) and Robin Williams ( #12).

Mort Sahl died on Oct 26, 2021 at the age of 94. He performed into his 90s.

Blackballed by the industry because of his continued investigation into JFK’s assassination, Johnny Carson vented: “tell Mort it’ll be a long time before he’s back on the show!” Mort, once a regular, was never on the show again.

Mort worked for Kennedy. “The old man,” Joseph Kennedy, paid him for his jokes.

For his assistance in his JFK investigation, New Orleans District Attorney, Jim Garrison, awarded him with a plaque that says:

To Mort Sahl

The Best Friend John Kennedy Ever Had.

From Jim Garrison, Jim Alcock, Andrew Sciambra and Louis Ivon

New Orleans – May 29, 1969

28/02/2025

Dealey Plaza, Dallas, TX. November 22, 1963.

Dallas Sheriff Roger Craig broke ranks at the sound of gunfire and ran to Dealey Plaza as the Leader of the Free World was assassinated.

Sheriff Craig reported to the Warren Commission: “I heard a shrill whistle coming from the north side of Elm Street. I turned and saw a white male in his twenties running down the grassy knoll from the direction of the Texas School Book Depository Building. A light green Rambler station wagon was coming slowly west on Elm Street. The driver of the station wagon was a husky looking Latin, with dark wavy hair, wearing a tan windbreaker type jacket. He was looking up at the man running toward him. He pulled over to the north curb and picked up the man coming down the hill. I tried to cross Elm Street to stop them and find out who they were. The traffic was too heavy and I was unable to reach them.

After the Oswald arrest, Sheriff Craig was brought to Captain Fritz’s office to identify Oswald.

Captain Fritz said: “What’s this about a station wagon?”

The suspect interrupted, “- That station wagon belongs to Mrs. Paine. Don’t try to tie her into this. She had nothing to do with it.” He continued, “I told you people I did” adding dejectedly, “everybody will know who I am now.”

Over 61 years later we still don’t know.

After multiple attempts on his life, Roger Craig was found dead in his father’s house on May 15, 1975. His death, from a shotgun, was ruled an "apparent" su***de.