I think that Kennedy has become so obnoxious that the staff he has relied on for so many years are fading away, or choosing to work on other politicians' staffs.
He is being "served" by third-raters or newbies in DC. He is waaay past his due date and the stink is becoming obvious to all, even Dem party staffers.
With the increased number of published comments about Kennedy's disgraceful performance on the Judicial Committee, I suspect/hope that this is the beginning of the end to his political career. When is he up for reelection?
I've posted this many times before, and it's pertinent here:
An acquaintance who interned for Kennedy many years ago told me that the female staff was under strict instructions to never get into the elevator alone with Kennedy, for their own safety.