On ABC's World News Saturday, correspondent John Hendren filed a report marking this year as the first time since 1947 that no members of the Kennedy family will hold public office in Washington, D.C. The piece began:
JOHN HENDREN: The sun has set on the Kennedy era. When Congress reconvenes next week, it will be the first time in 64 years that there has not been a Kennedy in office.
KATHLEEN KENNEDY TOWNSEND, DAUGHTER OF ROBERT F. KENNEDY: I think it's sad. I think that we need a Kennedy.
Hendren went on to recount the death of former Senator Ted Kennedy, "the Lion of the Senate," and the decision of Rhode Island Representative Patrick Kennedy to retire, as well as the shuffling of office space with the arrival of newly-elected Republicans. The ABC correspondent also noted that Tea Party-backed Rep. Ron Paul and Senator-elect Rand Paul are the only family members serving who will be serving concurrently in Congress.
Hendren concluded by offering a ray of hope for those who would like to see the Kennedy family in government again:
HENDREN: There are still dozens of young Kennedys who could pick up the torch, so it's possible this is a gap and not the end of an era.
FORMER SENATOR TED KENNEDY (D-MA): The work begins anew, the hope rises again, and the dream lives on.
Below is a complete transcript of the report from the January 1, World News Saturday on ABC:
DAVID MUIR: And we turn now to politics tonight. And with the new year here, a new wave headed to Washington. And as so many Tea Party members arrive, the beginning of one era, the end of another. For the first time since 1947, there will be no Kennedys in Washington. Here's John Hendren.
JOHN HENDREN: The sun has set on the Kennedy era. When Congress reconvenes next week, it will be the first time in 64 years that there has not been a Kennedy in office.
KATHLEEN KENNEDY TOWNSEND, DAUGHTER OF ROBERT F. KENNEDY: I think it's sad. I think that we need a Kennedy.
HENDREN: The last Kennedy, Patrick, Congressman from Rhode Island, has left the building.REP. PATRICK KENNEDY (D-RI): I will not be a candidate for re-election this year.
HENDREN: His father, Senator Edward Kennedy, the Lion of the Senate, died in 2009. The new frontier on Capitol Hill has a distinctly Republican flavor. Replacing the Kennedys as the only father/son team on the Hill, Congressman Ron Paul and Senator-elect Rand Paul, Tea Party Republicans. Outgoing Congressman Patrick Kennedy's office will go to a Republican. And here, Senator Ted Kennedy's third-floor office suite, 3500 square feet and a view of the Capitol that originally went to the man who won his Massachusetts Senate seat, Republican Scott Brown, but there wasn't much chance a junior Senator was going to be able to hold on to such prime real estate for long. Now, Brown is getting kicked out by the Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, bringing a new set of family photos to these walls. John Kennedy launched the family business in 1947 with his election to the House. He moved to the Senate. Then, in 1961, the White House. Brother Robert became attorney general. Ted joined the Senate two years later. They were bred for politics.
TOWNSEND: We had quizzes around the kitchen, you know, table. What's going on? What are you doing about it? That was part of, I think, the Kennedy legacy.
HENDREN: There are still dozens of young Kennedys who could pick up the torch, so it's possible this is a gap and not the end of an era.
FORMER SENATOR TED KENNEDY (D-MA): The work begins anew, the hope rises again, and the dream lives on.
HENDREN: John Hendren, ABC News, Capitol Hill.
- Brad Wilmouth is a news analyst at the Media Research Center