Ted Kennedy died today and I as much as I knew about him being a brother to John F. Kennedy and Robert Kennedy, I never really put the whole story together until I read this article:

And what a story Ted Kennedy represented. Here’s the pitch: you’re the youngest child of a man who’s frustrated by the fact that despite his wealth, despite his connections, and despite marrying well, he’d never be thought of as anything more than a Useful Irishman by those high in power.

Your father earmarks your oldest brother to get into politics. He’s killed in World War II. So he lines up your oldest surviving brother and he becomes President! And then he’s assassinated. Again, your oldest surviving brother is lined up; again, your oldest brother is shot.

And now you’re next in line.

Quite a story.