Legacy of a dead lion

We Americans have witnessed the long-ago inception of a family dynasty that controlled the levers of power in this country since the nineteen-twenties. In Boston, the Irish had immigrated to the extent that folks of a different origin elected them to run that city. All of Massachusetts, particularly of the Catholic persuasion followed their lead, especially after "Honey Fitz" was sent to City Hal. That mayor had an Irish son-in-law named Joe Kennedy who made a fortune in liquor and the movies. He and his wife, Rose, had nine children -- many of them famous or infamous or a combination. President Roosevelt appointed him ambassador to the Court of St. James in London, where he and his large family settled in 1940.

Of the four sons, the eldest, Joe Junior -- his father's choice for president -- was killed in combat over Europe when his plane exploded. Jack was a World War II hero who came home and right away was elected to the House of Representatives -- later Senator and finally, in 1960 president. Joe was ecstatic. After Jack's assassination in 1963, both younger brothers, victims of their own scheming and their fathers machinations entered local and then presidential campaigns. Bobby was murdered when it appeared he had the nomination sewed up in 1968. This brings us down to the remaining son, Teddy, who expired from a brain tumor this past week.

Teddy was brilliant, but he was flawed to the point that a close study of his political career makes one wonder why he did come to be the beloved and respected lion of the Senate, after 47 years. His sometime alcohol abuse, accidents and womanizing, resulted in the tragedy that happened at Chappaquiddick when a young woman died from drowning after a night of drinking with the Senator. He pled guilty to a minor charge of failure to report an accident to result in a warning. This episode brought a determination to amend his life. His first spouse -- an alcoholic -- divorced and he later married a woman whose influence helped him to achieve the heights of prestige, respect of his peers and his family. His last rites, travel from Boston to Arlington Cemetery received total attention of all the news outlets on television for all of a weekend and included a morality play of sin, error and redemption of a soul who achieved the pinnacle of popularity and the greatest prize in politics, ever.

The family with an entire corps of younger generation seems likely to follow suit and try to emulate their seniors and add luster to the name of Kennedy.