An Heir to a Legacy of Politics -- and Also Misfortune

Sen. Kennedy issued a statement calling his son "a courageous man who has admitted a problem and taken bold action to correct it."

Recently, Rep. Kennedy has become a more active legislator, using his seat on the Appropriations Committee to funnel dollars back home. He is popular in his Rhode Island district, particularly with older voters, and political observers said they doubt that his House seat is in jeopardy, although potential opponents have until the end of June to jump into the race.

"I don't see negative ramifications," said Darrell West, a Brown University professor of political science who wrote a book on Kennedy. "People appreciate that he's worked very hard for the state."

Kennedy came to prominence in 1999 and 2000 as chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. The handpicked choice of then-House Minority Leader Richard A. Gephardt (Mo.), Kennedy worked tirelessly to raise money for his party and recruit candidates for Congress. Democrats did not win control of the House, but Kennedy won praise for mounting a serious campaign to raise funds and mobilize party activists.

"He was in every way a great chairman," recalled Erik Smith, who served as the DCCC spokesman during Kennedy's tenure.

But the effort left Kennedy exhausted, according to several who know him, and less enthusiastic about the idea of seeking a House leadership post or a Senate seat. He decided to take a low-key approach to legislating, focusing on Rhode Island and mental health issues.

Staff writer David Fahrenthold in Rhode Island and researcher Madonna Lebling in Washington contributed to this report.