Former Congressman Joe Kennedy gave a funny, poignant, stirring speech that brought the Massachusetts delegation to their feet here yesterday and had more than a few in the room wondering if the one-time gubernatorial candidate might be contemplating a political comeback.
“It’s interesting that he’s here,” said one pundit. “What do you think it means?”
Former state party chairman Phil Johnston insisted that Kennedy addressed the DNC delegates only because Johnston asked him. But others raised the possibility that Joe, who was once seen as heir apparent to uncle Ted Kennedy’s Senate seat, might be thinking about that scenario again.
The senator, who is battling an aggressive form of brain cancer, has vowed to return to Washington and fight alongside Barack Obama when (in Ted’s words) Obama is elected president. But the great unspoken truth is that Kennedy may become too incapacitated to continue his Senate duties as the cancer progresses.
“No one wants to talk about it, but everyone’s talking about it,” said another Demmie insider.
The Dems were a little too cute for their own good back in 2004. Facing the possibility that Sen. John Kerry could be elected president, the party didn’t want GOP governor Mitt Romney to have the chance to appoint a successor. So the Dems engineered a quick change in the rules and now there has to be a special election to fill any open Senate seats.
But if Joe Kennedy is interested in the job, he has one huge obstacle in his way - Ted’s wife, Vicki, has sent strong signals that she would like to succeed her hubby should the sad occasion arise.
Not only that, but most members of the state’s congressional delegation, who have seen little upward mobility in decades, would certainly want to give the race a good close look. And Gov. Deval Patrick, if he is not tapped by Obama, is also considered a candidate for the post.
But the bottom line may simply come down to this: Ted Kennedy will likely anoint his successor, and right now, the smart money is on Vicki.
“It will be whatever Ted wants it to be,” said another plugged-in delegate.
Joe, who hasn’t done much politicking in recent years, arrived at the Massachusetts DNC delegation breakfast with wife, Beth, and twin sons Joe and Matt. He began his speech by thanking the delegates for the “beautiful tribute” to Ted on the opening night of the convention.
“He is fighting the toughest fight of his life,” RFK’s son told the gathering, “and the boost you gave him put a smile on his face that is something that nothing can touch and no one can take away.”
Kennedy, who runs Citizen’s Energy - a low-cost heating oil program for the poor - joked that the big turnout at yesterday’s event was the result of state party people promising that “anyone who wants a free tank of heating oil should just come down to the breakfast.”
He then gave an impassioned pitch for Obama and change that brought delegation members to their feet and left U.S. Rep. Nikki Tsongas (D-Lowell), who followed Kennedy to the podium, with a tough act to follow.
“I’d like to thank Joe for making my life very difficult up here,” she said.
Kennedy left the hotel with a huge grin on his face. Make of that what you will . . .
File Under: Not-So-Average Joe.
“It’s interesting that he’s here,” said one pundit. “What do you think it means?”
Former state party chairman Phil Johnston insisted that Kennedy addressed the DNC delegates only because Johnston asked him. But others raised the possibility that Joe, who was once seen as heir apparent to uncle Ted Kennedy’s Senate seat, might be thinking about that scenario again.
The senator, who is battling an aggressive form of brain cancer, has vowed to return to Washington and fight alongside Barack Obama when (in Ted’s words) Obama is elected president. But the great unspoken truth is that Kennedy may become too incapacitated to continue his Senate duties as the cancer progresses.
“No one wants to talk about it, but everyone’s talking about it,” said another Demmie insider.
The Dems were a little too cute for their own good back in 2004. Facing the possibility that Sen. John Kerry could be elected president, the party didn’t want GOP governor Mitt Romney to have the chance to appoint a successor. So the Dems engineered a quick change in the rules and now there has to be a special election to fill any open Senate seats.
But if Joe Kennedy is interested in the job, he has one huge obstacle in his way - Ted’s wife, Vicki, has sent strong signals that she would like to succeed her hubby should the sad occasion arise.
Not only that, but most members of the state’s congressional delegation, who have seen little upward mobility in decades, would certainly want to give the race a good close look. And Gov. Deval Patrick, if he is not tapped by Obama, is also considered a candidate for the post.
But the bottom line may simply come down to this: Ted Kennedy will likely anoint his successor, and right now, the smart money is on Vicki.
“It will be whatever Ted wants it to be,” said another plugged-in delegate.
Joe, who hasn’t done much politicking in recent years, arrived at the Massachusetts DNC delegation breakfast with wife, Beth, and twin sons Joe and Matt. He began his speech by thanking the delegates for the “beautiful tribute” to Ted on the opening night of the convention.
“He is fighting the toughest fight of his life,” RFK’s son told the gathering, “and the boost you gave him put a smile on his face that is something that nothing can touch and no one can take away.”
Kennedy, who runs Citizen’s Energy - a low-cost heating oil program for the poor - joked that the big turnout at yesterday’s event was the result of state party people promising that “anyone who wants a free tank of heating oil should just come down to the breakfast.”
He then gave an impassioned pitch for Obama and change that brought delegation members to their feet and left U.S. Rep. Nikki Tsongas (D-Lowell), who followed Kennedy to the podium, with a tough act to follow.
“I’d like to thank Joe for making my life very difficult up here,” she said.
Kennedy left the hotel with a huge grin on his face. Make of that what you will . . .
File Under: Not-So-Average Joe.
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