Family Planning

Though Jack Kennedy was far away in Florida, the Kennedy political power swept over Massachusetts last week. From outgoing Governor Foster Furcolo came the curt announcement that "in the interest of promoting party unity" Kennedy's Senate seat would go for two years to Gloucester Businessman (wooden boxes) Benjamin A. Smith II. Two days later Kennedy sent his own final resignation from the Senate to Vice President Nixon, the Senate's presiding officer.

The Smith appointment was a real shocker for Massachusetts Democratic regulars. Affable Ben Smith, 44, was not a real member of party inner circles, though he had helped Kennedy out during the primary campaigns, and had no demonstrable capacity to be an effective U.S. Senator. His principal qualification seemed to be that he was once Kennedy's Harvard roommate, served as an usher at Kennedy's wedding (as Kennedy served at Smith's), and is a darned good tuna fisherman who once got his name in Ripley for a record catch. He is the scion of an oldtime Gloucester fishing family and, like Kennedy, was a naval officer in the Pacific in World War II. His sole experience in political office was as a city councilman and mayor of Gloucester.

Lame-Duck Governor Furcolo, who has little affection for Jack Kennedy, made it clear by the terseness of his announcement that he was depressed by having to name Smith, and felt powerless to oppose it. Actually, Kennedy had favored Congressman (and Old Harvard Roommate) Torbert Macdonald for the post, hopeful that Macdonald would be strong enough after the two-year interim appointment to make the race for reelection. But with Furcolo resisting a Macdonald appointment (Massachusetts pols were gossiping that the Governor was trying to hold Kennedy up for a big Administration job), Kennedy decided to settle for Ben Smith. Even then, Kennedy put it on the line to Furcolo: make the appointment or we'll get Republican Governor-elect John Volpe to do it once he takes office.

When the news got out, most Massachusetts Democrats were plainly disgusted about the whole thing ("We can't afford a senatorial baby-sitter"). Among those most angered: House Majority Floor Leader John McCormack and his brother Edward ("Knocko") McCormack Sr., who wanted the job for Knocko's son, Massachusetts Attorney General Edward McCormack Jr. This hardly left McCormack in a position to decry favoritism over merit, so he could only sulk.

To many Bay Staters, the Smith appointment was more offensive than Bobby Kennedy's to be Attorney General. Brother Teddy Kennedy, just back from a five-week swing through Africa, unexpectedly took a lease on a new apartment in Boston's Beacon Hill--apparently abandoning his long-talked-about plan to move West to Arizona. Next question: With Bobby in the Attorney General's chair, were the Kennedys grooming Teddy to take over Jack's Senate seat?

This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so reader's discretion is required.