Joseph P. Kennedy III, family scion, explores run for Barney Frank’s House seat
Joseph P. Kennedy III, family scion, explores run for Barney Franks House seat
01/05/2012 12:38 PM
By Frank Phillips, Globe Staff
Joseph P. Kennedy III is taking the final steps to launch a run for Congress this year, hoping to succeed US Rep. Barney Frank, who will retire rather than run in his reconfigured district.
Kennedy is forming an exploratory committee for the seat. The 31-year-old today also announced his resignation as a prosecutor in the office of Middlesex District Attorney Gerard T. Leone Jr., where he has worked since September. He will leave state employ Jan. 20.
I am announcing today my intention to explore a candidacy for the United States Congress in the Fourth District of Massachusetts, he said in a statement issued this morning. He said he will decide over the next several weeks whether to formally run for office, after speaking with voters.
Raised in Marshfield, Brighton, and Cambridge, Kennedy is a former Peace Corps volunteer and a graduate of Stanford University and Harvard Law School. Before joining the Middlesex prosecutors office, he worked for 2 1/2 years as prosecutor on Cape Cod.
more...
http://www.boston.com/Boston/metrodesk/2012/01/joseph-kennedy-iii-launch-exploratory-committee/tFAemLmqix0uZ61FajdjfM/index.html
Octafish
(55,745 posts)Going from his C.V., JPK III sounds like a good man.
He does seem like a good man who will do well for his consituents and the country.
freshwest
(53,661 posts)karynnj
(59,507 posts)I was lucky enough to attend this rally. He really was good.
Octafish
(55,745 posts)Thank you, karynnj! Wow!
calimary
(81,557 posts)It just feels wrong not having a Kennedy in office somewhere. Sorry - child of the '50s & '60s here, in a home of Irish-Catholic Kennedy lovers. It was fed to me with my soft-boiled eggs every morning.
dflprincess
(28,089 posts)I have the same background & and was fed the same attitude.
You may appreciate this: When John, Jr. died one of the local radio hosts (on a semi-progressive station) spent his whole Sunday morning show talking about. A young one called in to complain that the show, like the rest of the media, had gone "all Kennedy, all the time" that weekend. The host, an Irish Catholic, stopped the kid saying "You don't get it. You have to be an Irish Catholic of a certain age to understand how we're feeling today. When we were kids, we wanted to be Kennedys; if we couldn't be Kennedys we wanted to marry one and if we couldn't marry one we at least wanted to be their friends. And, no matter what scandals have happened, no matter how we may have been disappointed, when something like this happens, we want them to know that we're still their friends."
My niece was in the car with me when he said this - she didn't get it, but I sure did. - I'll bet you do too.
dotymed
(5,610 posts)Even though they are a very wealthy family, they have a history of supporting the 99%. That seems to be a BIG problem with R\W'ers, I believe that is why when they go into politics (at lest Presidential races) they seem to have a target on their back. Even though they are a part of the 1%, it seems that TPTB would prefer them dead, than Presidents.
Good luck Mr. Kennedy, you have large shoes to fill and may you live long and prosper. We need Senators who are for the people rather than the corporations, I hope you carry on that Kennedy tradition. Also, I understand that Joeseph III seems to be our best chance to keep the (D) seat held by Barney Franks for so long. We certainly do not need another repug in congress.
It would be great if Mr. Kennedy could help to bring about a return to progressive policies of previous decades and displace the American Taliban that has taken over our political system.
It is unbelievable, how far our political landscape has regressed.
MADem
(135,425 posts)on the Cape for a couple of years and more recently in Middlesex County.
PA Democrat
(13,225 posts)Marrah_G
(28,581 posts)There were some years we would not have made it through the winter without his help. I hope his son takes after him. Sounds like he might since he served in the Peace Corp.
I'm really looking forward to hearing more about him.
MADem
(135,425 posts)I used to donate a decent chunk of money to it. Back then, he collected money and used it to buy fuel on the spot market; the thing with VZ is a more recent iteration.
It's a good program, I wish that some of the Big Oil assholes would be shamed into helping. Stupid BP, if they would take the money they spend on their stupid green and yellow ads and give it to Joe instead, it would go a long way towards improving their shitty image. I don't know why these greedy bastards are so short-sighted. It seems like a no-brainer to me.
Marrah_G
(28,581 posts)It's a scary thing for a mom to try and figure out how to keep her little ones warm when there isn't any money. Thank goodness my kids are older now and we are in an apartment where heat is included. Thank you for helping us.
MADem
(135,425 posts)Sure, I like a little New England weather as much as the next person (not too much, of course) but I like to be able to put it behind me when I close the door. It is one thing to wear a sweater in the house, but when you have to keep your parka on and sleep in a sleeping bag, that's not a good thing. In my wayward youth I had a tough time staying warm a time or two, choosing food over heat, and like the elephant, it's something I remember.
I am glad Joe's program was there for you.
It's been weird not having a Kennedy in congress for these past few years.
nyy1998
(1,010 posts)Nice hard-working guy, doesn't have any air of arrogance that one would expect coming from a long famous family, in fact he's quite humble. I hope he does it(which sounds like he will) and wins it!
CaliforniaPeggy
(149,754 posts)His credentials are impeccable.
Whose child is he? The article didn't say.
markpkessinger
(8,409 posts)CaliforniaPeggy
(149,754 posts)madokie
(51,076 posts)I still remember the night that they killed RFK and I do mean they. One man didn't do that alone. If I was a bettin' man I'd bet the farm on that.
I'm sad because of the world we would be living in would be drastically different today than it is if not for the murder of Robert Kennedy. The powers to be knew that too and weren't going to let it happen... as they also did to young John more recently.
freshwest
(53,661 posts)Wait Wut
(8,492 posts)Why isn't he asking God if he should run?
I'm glad to hear he's moving forward. It didn't sound like he was seriously thinking about running. Go for it, JPK!
dotymed
(5,610 posts)Instead of pandering to the zealots, he admits to using his own deision making capabilities.
MADem
(135,425 posts)He was a prosecutor in Barnstable County, on the Cape, and now he is working in Middlesex. He has been in the new job for half a year or so.
Ya gotta live where you rep, after all. Barney's is the 4th District in that County. This isn't an intemperate decision on his part.
Wait Wut
(8,492 posts)I'm sure he's already made his decision, or is at least very close. I wonder if Barney helped him decide.
alp227
(32,068 posts)markpkessinger
(8,409 posts)cstanleytech
(26,342 posts)inheriting the presidency from his father and being appointed by scotus or atleast thats what I have seen some people claim happened.
RoccoR5955
(12,471 posts)and it will be a great benefit to our country. He's got a great record, and I am convinced he will work for WE THE PEOPLE.
Marie Marie
(9,999 posts)A fitting replacement for the loss of a decent liberal congressman.
craigmatic
(4,510 posts)By the way, who's son is Joe Kennedy III?
karynnj
(59,507 posts)karynnj
(59,507 posts)He is there at the very beginning of this clip. Ted Kennedy always had a Hyannis rally before every election. In 2008, he was too ill and asked Kerry to do it. Kerry did it in honor of Ted Kennedy. The signs people had had Kennedy for Senate on one side and Kerry for Senate the other - the Kennedy ones were printed and paid for by Kerry's campaign.
As you can see, Joe Kennedy is extremely charming and certainly got his share of the Kennedy looks!
http://www.johnkerry.com/multimedia/entry/barnstable_democratic_town_committee_election_eve_rally_video/
Blasphemer
(3,261 posts)I've been curious about him since the rumors of his running began to surface. It was just a brief speech but I am very impressed. He seems to be the perfect Kennedy to carry on the family legacy.
karynnj
(59,507 posts)I was very lucky to be there with a few other DU JK people. This was a "Kennedy" crowd, but he was very poised, had a wonderful smile, an abundance of Kennedy charm, and he really responded to the crowd. I still have my Kerry/Kennedy sign (stapled back to back) - something that I think was unique to that event - and a very touching gesture on John Kerry's part.
AngryAmish
(25,704 posts)Wait Wut
(8,492 posts)The husband and I were talking about that last nite. I couldn't think of any President that had red hair. Carter was more of a greying, strawberry blonde.
dflprincess
(28,089 posts)http://www.monticello.org/site/research-and-collections/hats
"As a young man, Jefferson's hair was red and portraits indicate the fair skin that often accompanies hair of this color"
Though, I suppose by the time he was president, it may have turned gray
Wait Wut
(8,492 posts)How could I have forgotten Jefferson? Well, at least us redheads have had some decent representation in the past. Time for some new ginger blood. Um...in government. I'm not saying we should start sacrificing them. We're the ones that will be doing the sacrificing, thank you very much.
boppers
(16,588 posts)Does anybody under the age of 40 even give the Kennedys credibility anymore?
wordpix
(18,652 posts)Gringostan
(127 posts)While I can not, do not, and will not, support any concept of hereditary right; if he is the best progressive candidate, he has my support.