Joe Klein: How Ted Kennedy Found Himself

His family defined political style and vigor for a generation of politicians. But for years, Ted Kennedy seemed to writhe in the public eye

Shepard Sherbell / Corbis

Senator Ted Kennedy at Bork Confirmation Hearings.

He seemed a ghost the day I met him. It was Memorial Day, 1970. He was dressed in a black suit, white shirt, black tie. He was still wearing a back brace from the Chappaquiddick accident and he moved stiffly, like a robot cartoon of a politician. He didn't smile, seemed grim even when shaking hands with the civilians; his demeanor was all the more striking because we were at a classic grip-and-grin event, the annual Greek picnic in Lowell, Mass. All sorts of politicians were there, including two who would run for President themselves — Michael Dukakis and...

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