"Don't bat your eyes at me, Paddy, I won your daddy's seat.
You're dead meat now. And so are your liberal comrades."
Posted on 02/11/2010 11:39:50 PM PST by ninonitti
Bringing down the curtain - at least for now - on Camelot and one of the most storied political dynasties in the nation’s history, U.S. Rep. Patrick Kennedy, son of the late Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, says he is not running for re-election.
In a taped message intended for broadcast Sunday night and obtained by the Herald, the R.I. Democrat, looking haggard and speaking directly into the camera, said it was time to leave Congress after 16 years.
“Now having spent two decades in politics, my life is taking a new direction, and I will not be a candidate for re-election this year,” Kennedy said in the ad.
Kennedy’s bombshell comes as polls show the eight-term Democrat in an uphill fight against Republican John J. Loughlin II, a veteran state lawmaker and well-financed foe.
A WPRI-12 poll out just last month showed Kennedy with a staggering 56 percent unfavorable rating in his own district, swelling to 62 percent statewide. Moreover, just 35 percent in his district would vote for him again.
“It was not going to be a cakewalk,” said Joe Fleming, who conducted the poll.
Kennedy’s stunning bow-out also closely follows Republican Scott Brown winning the Massachusetts seat long held by the congressman’s iconic father for 47 years.
A longtime aide and confidant, though, said Kennedy, 42, had pondered the departure from public life for some time.
“It’s something he’s been thinking about for a while,” said Sean Richardson, Kennedy’s former chief of staff, who added that the decision has nothing to do with Kennedy’s most recent struggles with substance abuse.
“ After serving in elected office for half of his life, it was time to take his talents to a different arena,” Richardson said.
Kennedy will finish out his term but hasn’t indicated what he’d like to do once he leaves office, Richardson said.
However, in his video remarks, Kennedy said he would battle on behalf of sufferers of depression, addiction, autism and post-traumatic stress disorder.
Kennedy also hasn’t thrown his support behind any other candidates, Richardson said.
The sudden departure of Kennedy caught his Republican rival off guard.
“I am somewhat surprised,” Loughlin said in a phone interview. “I thought for certain he’d run for another term.”
“I wish the congressman well in what ever the future holds,” Loughlin said. “It doesn’t change our mesage to the voters of the First Congressional district - we’re still expecting we’re going to have to run a race.”
I suspect he recently came into some money... no need to work any more.
Not seen the light, he's felt the heat.
Got that right... I’m assuming that the heat was intensive!...heh.
"Don't bat your eyes at me, Paddy, I won your daddy's seat.
You're dead meat now. And so are your liberal comrades."
Democrats are finding out “Health Care Reform” is the new third rail of politics.
It sunk Clinton and now it is sinking Obama.
When Bush tried SS reform it got him too. However, to his credit, he was smart enough to let go, as was Clinton. Whether or not these things need to be done is not the point. The point is they are political poison.
Obama seems to have no such smarts.
SS reform WILL happen and along the lines offered by Bush. It is not only the only way to save SS, it is the best way for every individual who works for a living.
Amen.
Ding...Dong the Dynasty is dead...wooohoo. I believe for the first time in 53 years there will not be an elected Kennedy anywhere on the fruited plain. RIP
No, the Obama Effect.
This is almost too good to be true-another ‘rat POS bites the dust.
Well, have all members of the present generation of Camelot Kennedys been steriled? If not, then the answer is rather clear. To the Kennedys, private sector jobs are more offensive than they were to Maynard G. Crebbs (you have to be really old to know this reference).
gettin’ outa Dodge ahead of the Lynch mob, eh patches?
WORK!
Kennedy clan, Bush clan, Clinton clan, Rockafeller clan, and that ass Juan McLame and his puke of a daughter.
Just go the hell away.
...a bit of good news !....Thank-you Scott Brown, Tea Parties, Glenn Beck, Rush, Sarah Palin and all patriots !!
A new direction, eh Pat? I guess now that Daddy isn’t around to disappoint anymore, he wants to drop the pretense and get on with snorting cocaine full time.
I cannot believe that come January 2011 for the first time in my life there will not be a Kennedy in office in Washington. Never thought I’d live to see the day.
That will leave Barack as the last Kennedy brother in office, right Chrisie?
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