Late this evening, The Dead Kennedys added another member, though this time, it was an assassination by cancer (thanks Rybot).Ted Kennedy really earned his way into the hallowed halls of political esteem. When he first took the Senate seat previously held by John Kennedy in 1962, he was seen as something of a political lightweight who owed his ascent to his famous name. And that was correct. But still, he made sure that his political legacy would not be pinned to that one event.
After Robert Kennedy's death, Edward was expected to waste little time in vying for the presidency. What an opportunity! Two dead brothers? That's winning the sympathy lottery to the nth degree. You'd have to be a grade-A retard to squander it...
In July 1969, Kennedy had a car accident. The kind where you drive a car off a bridge and your passenger drowns. Which may not have been so bad if it wasn't a 28 year old chippie you were spending time with instead of your wife. After a night of partying.
It can be said that Kennedy's image took a major hit after the little incident on the Massachusetts resort island of Chappaquiddick. But the man spent the subsequent 40 years being a political scion, which for all it's good doesn't make me forget how he had failed to report the accident to authorities. And left the sight of the accident, but not to get any help. Which is why he would have likely never thought twice about it, except some fishermen found the overturned car, which eventually led to the discovery of Mary Jo Kopechne's body. Pleading guilty to leaving the scene netted him a suspended sentence. Draconian!
Ted Kennedy was a great lawmaker, who also had his driver's license was suspended for a over six months and personally paid $90,904 to the Kopechne family. Let us think fondly of his legacy.
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