I think he had a tip-off (which impresses me, because he obviously has a smoothly operating research team). Gergen’s question was foreshadowed by a New Republic item making the same argument earlier today. That column had all the earmarks of being a transcription of an overnight talking point e-mail.
What I found remarkable was the tone and confidence of that answer...Republicans don't often (never) speak this way to Democrats or their state run media. Like Pavlov dogs, most R's would have praised Teddy, and promised to respect that “seat” as Kennedy's forever.