Reading William F. Buckley Jr.’s “Notes & Asides” column was always a joy. At the suggestion of Ed Capano, NR publisher from 1991 until his retirement in 2006, WFB agreed to bring together in book form a collection of the best (and most curious) letters featured in “Notes & Asides” over the years. This urging, thankfully, led to the publication of Cancel Your Own Goddam Subscription in 2007. (You can buy a copy here.) Below is a letter from Sen. Ted Kennedy featured in the tome, originally published in NR nearly 40 years ago:

October 21, 1969
To the Editor
National Review Dear Bill:
When I read the first of your two recent columns which concerned me, I was struck by your calm reasoning and eminent good sense. When I read the second, I was struck by your offer to retire to the DMZ if you could find one vote by me on a measure to reduce government spending.
So I’m writing, first, to thank you for your kindness of the earlier column. And I want to tell you, secondly, that I have indeed voted to reduce government spending. On September 19, 1967, for instance, I voted in favor of an amendment to reduce by $21 million the Independent Offices Appropriations Bill for fiscal year 1968.
Included in this amendment was a sum of $1,177,00 for a new federal building for Springfield, Massachusetts. Shortly after this vote, when I returned to Western Massachusetts, I learned that there is a lesson to be drawn from economy in government: When you are the senior Senator from Massachusetts, and want to cut federal spending, don’t start by voting against a post office in Springfield.
So I did want to point out that you haven’t given me proper credit for keeping my eye on the federal budget. And I can assure you that the DMZ is not such a bad place since we reduced the bombing.
Best regards,
Ted
DMZ
Dear Ted: You may resume bombing when ready. Now you have a sufficient motivation. Best, B.