Nation: A Night That Haunts Him

"Irrational and indefensible and inexcusable and inexplicable." That was Ted Kennedy's own assessment of his behavior ten years ago at Chappaquiddick Island after the automobile accident in which Mary Jo Kopechne died.

Ever since, he has been burdened by the events of that night. It was the chief issue that kept Kennedy out of the 1972 presidential race and that caused him to abandon plans to run in 1976. Now Chappaquiddick is again an issue, and one that is already being used against him. Twice Jimmy Carter has alluded to it. Republican John Connally has...

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