Joe Kennedy III joins Irish lobby on Capitol Hill

New congressman continues a family tradition

JAMES O'SHEA,

IrishCentral Staff Writer

Published Wednesday, December 26, 2012, 6:49 AM

Updated Wednesday, December 26, 2012, 11:24 AM

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Joseph Kennedy III, son of former U.S. Rep. Joseph P. Kennedy II and grandson of the late Robert F. Kennedy, delivers his victory speech, Tuesday, Nov. 6, 2012, in Newton, Mass. Kennedy III, 31, beat Republican businessman Sean Bielat in the race to replace retiring congressman Barney Frank.

Photo by AP Photo/ Bizuayehu Tesfaye)

The latest Kennedy to be elected to the U.S. Congress has become a Congressional Friend of the Irish National Caucus.

Congressman Joe Kennedy III, who will be sworn into the House of Representatives on January 3, 2013, has written to Caucus President, Fr. Sean Mc Manus, saying he “would be honored to be a Congressional Friend.”

Fr. Mc Manus was pleased by the continuity of it all: “Joe’s father, Joe II, was a Congressional Friend when he served in Congress for the same seat ( 1987-1999). It means a lot to me that Young Joe is also going to use his influence and Kennedy -magic for justice and equality in Ireland.”

Joe the Second endeared himself forever with Irish Americans when he was seen on TV being accosted in Belfast by a belligerent English soldier, who screeched, “Why don’t you go back to your own country?” Joe II, not missing a beat retorted:“ Why don’t you go back to your country?”

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darragh S | Dec 28, 2012, 11:15 PM EST

Great Dalcasian, its Joe Kennedy the Third...

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Seanmor | Dec 27, 2012, 06:04 AM EST

Since Congressman Joe Kennedy 111 intends to follow in his father's footsteps by becoming a Congressional Friend of the Irish National Caucus, he may not be very popular with a large number of T.D.s in Dáil Éireann who regard Ireland's Northeasst region as a permanent part of Great Britain.

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eiriamach | Dec 26, 2012, 01:34 PM EST

Will Hamilton, why do you think the Irish National Caucus is loyal to the pope? Their statement reads, "The Irish National Caucus is non-violent, non-partisan, and non-sectarian. It has no foreign principal and does not support, morally or financially, any group or party in any part of Ireland. It does not send money to Ireland...." Maybe that's why Rick Santorum, who was a 107th Congress member of the INC, dropped out. He found out that the INC has nothing to do with the pope? On the INC web site, you'll find these words of BJ Flaherty's: "Indeed, it has haunted me my entire life: how could Irish Catholic Church leaders in both Ireland and the United States have remained silent about the British Government’s anti-Irish and anti-Catholic policy in Northern Ireland? What the hell was wrong with them? I write in my book, 'Thank God Ben Gilman was Jewish and Bill Clinton was Protestant' because had they been Catholic, they might have been guided my the official position of the American Bishops: “… there is no appropriate basis for public intervention in the problems of Northern Ireland, either by this conference, or any branch of the US government (1979)."

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Canal Rat | Dec 26, 2012, 01:20 PM EST

Better look to your history pal. There have been quite a few. You sound like a Know-Nothing.

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Will Hamilton | Dec 26, 2012, 12:17 PM EST

No organisation headed or including members whose first loyalty is to an archaic elderly German male virgin in Rome could really be described as being a friend of Ireland.

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