In an emotional ad that will be released Sunday night Kennedy said, "I will not be a candidate for re-election this year."
“We all know how difficult the last few years have been,” Kennedy begins. “Rhode Island families have struggled,” he adds, citing the bad economy and mortgage foreclosures.
Then Kennedy says of his father, the longtime Democratic senator from Massachusetts: “Illness took the life of my most cherished mentor and confidant, my ultimate source of spirit and strength.”
According to Kennedy confidant Sean Richardson, his decision has nothing to do with his drop in the polls, or to Scott Brown's win over his father's seat and was unrelated to his struggles as a recovering alcoholic. Richardson said the Rhode Island Democrat was "talking about this decision before any of these storms were on the radar."
“The decision has been on his mind for a while, and he just came to the conclusion that he’s spent half of his life in public service and is lucky to be young enough to continue to fight in other ways for what he cares about,” including the advancement of better mental health coverage."
If the young Kennedy can do for mental health what his family has done for the Special Olympics, the benefit will be ours.
I found this news quite sad. For the first time in 40 plus years there will be no Kennedy in the government.
ReplyDeleteI find it sad as well, but this poor guy has had his problems and I'm sure the pressures to live up to the Kennedy name and to be successful politically has to be an enormous burden. I've no doubt his father has been his life support and now he's out there swimming all alone.
ReplyDeleteAll the public sees are the Kennedys grouped together looking like one big lovery-dovey family. But beyond the money, I'm sure they're the typical dysfunctional all-American family.
I'm not saying this to be disparaging.