A Cure for Kennedyitis

FOR a guy with his last name, U.S. Rep Joseph P. Kennedy II (D-Mass.) sure has a hard time getting what he wants in the Democratic Party, and that is something for which Massachusetts citizens can be thankful. After crushing his Republican opponent Glenn Fiscus in the race to represent the Eighth District, Kennedy lost his bid for a seat on the House Appropriations Committee to Rep. Chester Atkins (D-Mass.), who will now replace retiring Rep. Edward Boland (D-Mass.) on the panel.

The Appropriations Committee, which in large part determines how much the federal government spends on its programs, is considered one of the most powerful in Congress. Both Kennedy, who was first elected in 1986, and Atkins, who came to the House in 1984, saw the opening on the panel as a chance to move into positions of greater power at a fairly early point in their congressional careers.

The race was a very divisive one, as Kennedy and Atkins tried to woo the other members of the state's delegation in an extensive campaign. Sen. Edward M. Kennedy '54-56 (D-Mass.) publicly predicted that his nephew would win the seat, but there were also delegates who believed that the spot should go to Atkins because of his seniority. The resulting confusion among the Bay State representatives nearly cost Massachusetts a spot on the committee. Rep. Bruce Morrison (D-Conn.) entered the fray, hoping to sneak into the spot by taking advantage of the split vote.

The campaign was divisive, and the election itself will not heal any wounds. It was decided by a single vote in the New England delegation after Morrison was knocked out on the first ballot. Although Kennedy needed only one of Morrison's three supporters on the second ballot to win, he came up short after one of his original backers switched to Atkins' side. Since the vote was secret and the ballots were destroyed afterwards, there is no way of knowing which delegate switched votes.

It was the second time in his two terms that Kennedy has lost out in a battle for a committee seat. In 1986, he tried for a spot on the Energy and Commerce Committee, but was turned down, despite his experiences with Citizens Energy, a non-profit corporation that supplies less expensive oil to the people of Massachusetts.

THERE is now, and has been from the time he was very young, a great deal of speculation about Kennedy's future plans. As the son of former-Sen. Robert F. Kennedy '48 (D-N.Y.) and the nephew of President John F. Kennedy '40, a political career seemed almost pre-ordained for Joe. Political success, it seems, is a hereditary trait.

But when Joe's time to enter politics arrived in 1986, he reminded very few people of his father and uncles. He was not smooth, not polished and certainly not articulate. Reporters covering the congressional race dubbed him "The Wizard of Uhs," because of his jumbled sentence fragments. But that did not matter because he was a Kennedy, and Kennedys usually win political elections--especially in Massachusetts.

Joe still won the primary and general elections, but some political observers retained grave reservations about his ability, his dedication and his intelligence. The previous two representatives from the district--his uncle John and Tip O'Neill--went on to become President and Speaker of the House respectively, and there were many serious doubts about whether Joe could fill those shoes.

But Kennedy has largely dispelled those doubts with a productive first term in Washington. He has been an effective representative, willing to stay out of the spotlight and work hard for his district. His Banking Reinvestment Act has been a major legislative success for income redistribution. He has saved Section 8 Housing in the district with legislation. And his other activities have made him a major advocate in the House for the interests of the elderly. All in all, his achievements are certainly above-average for a freshman member of Congress, and far better than many people expected.

THOSE successes may have gone to Kennedy's head. It is the congressional norm for representatives with the most seniority to win seats on the popular committees, and Kennedy was completely out of line to try for a spot which the more senior Atkins properly deserved. The fact that Joe jeopardized his state's seat on one of the most powerful panels in Washington for the sake of his own political aggrandizement indicates that he suffers from the worst kind of Kennedyitis--a swelling of the ego which hurts constituents.

Political observers speculate that that same disease will soon lead Joe to leave the House to seek higher office. There are plenty of rumors regarding a Kennedy bid for governor in 1990 or senator in '92. If he tries to do either, Massachusetts loses. Kennedy has been a successful representative in the House because he has listened to the advice of his fellow representatives and his well-chosen staff. He has been able to focus on issues that interest him while ignoring others. As senator or governor he will not be able to hide as easily, and his weaknesses will become obvious.

Hopefully, Kennedy will be able to nip his Kennedyitis in the bud. Perhaps the best cure for that ailment is defeat, something to which Kennedys are normally immune.