Love match to needle match: a brother plots political revenge

[emad]

Times
From James Bone in New York



A SPAT between two of New York’s most powerful dynasties seems set to move from the divorce courts to the political arena.
In recent days, Robert Kennedy Jr, nephew of the late President Kennedy, has signalled that he might challenge Andrew Cuomo, son of Mario Cuomo, the former New York Governor, in next year’s race to become the state’s attorney-general.

The political clash is likely to turn personal because Mr Cuomo is divorcing Mr Kennedy’s sister, Kerry.

The two families form part of America’s “Democratic royalty”, who exercise a powerful influence over Democratic politics. Mr Kennedy’s father, Robert, served as a senator for New York and as US Attorney-General before being assassinated as he ran for the presidency. His older brother, Joseph, was once a congressman for Massachusetts and another sister, Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, was elected Lieutenant-Governor of Maryland. His cousin, Maria Shriver, is married to Arnold Schwarzenegger, now the Governor of California.

Mario Cuomo was a three-term Governor of New York, making him the longest-serving in the post in the state’s modern history.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,11069-1446618,00.html