I was wondering if we were possibly going to see a Kennedy run for something this year, and from the press in the last few weeks, it is looking more and more probable that we could have yet another Kennedy in Congress. The Boston Globe reported today that "senior Democratic sources" said that Joseph Kennedy III, son of former Congressman Joe Kennedy II, he of the Citizens Oil and the commercials for it that say how swell Venezuela is, is considering a run for Massachusetts's 10th District House seat if the current incumbent, Bill Delahunt, doesn't run for re-election. My brief thoughts below the fold.
The sources say that Kennedy, a 29-year-old assistant district attorney on the Cape considered by many to be the most promising member of his generation to extend the family’s political legacy, is not close to making any decisions and will not speak publicly until Delahunt announces whether he will seek another term. The discussions are taking place very privately among Kennedy family confidants.
from the Boston Globe
I have to say that I am intrigued that a Kennedy that is about my age could be running for a House seat. He is currently a prosecutor, which likely means that the "soft on crime" tag won't stick to him, and as the article says, he was in the Peace Corps so it suggests that he has the mindset of someone who values public service and that is a very good quality for any Congressional candidate.
Bill Delahunt doesn't quite have the reputation here in Massachusetts that Jim McGovern or Barney Frank has, but then again we have two Congresscritters in Western Massachusetts that hardly anybody in the East has heard of. He will face a lot of scrutiny because of the continuing revelations in the Amy Bishop case where Delahunt was the D.A when Bishop shot her brother to death in 1986. He also has at least one potential Republican challenger who was elected to statewide office. Given that 2010 will be a year where anti-incumbent feelings will be voiced at the voting booths on top of a potentially damaging story that has gotten national attention, this cold be a rocky year for Delahunt and his re-election chances. A Kennedy entering the race might make some think of political nepotism, but I know that the Kennedys are still widely-loved in Massachusetts and we could use as many of a reminder of what the Kennedys stood for like public service, rooting out corruption and ensuring all Americans have access to quality health care. I know of at least one party leader that needs to be reminded that Ted Kennedy would have insisted on a public option in the bill that makes it to the President's desk.