THE EARMARK

For a while, it looked like the United State Senate might be left without a member of the vaunted Kennedy clan for the first time since 1953, when JFK was sworn in as the junior senator from Massachusetts.

After all, although he is courageously battling brain cancer, it’s hard to imagine that Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-MA) will be in office much longer. JFK’s daughter Caroline Kennedy’s bid to become a U.S. Senator from New York famously went down in flames, Ted’s son Rep. Patrick Kennedy (D-RI) continues to pass up opportunities to run for the Upper Chamber, and we wouldn’t expect too much from RFK’s daughter Kathleen Kennedy Townsend (D-MD).

But enter a dark horse! It appears that after weeks of rumors, Chris Kennedy, a Democrat from Chicago and the son of RFK, is definitely in the race for Barack Obama’s old Senate Illinois Senate seat.

Kennedy has a local real estate empire, kind words from Mayor Richard Daley, and of course that helpful last name.

But don’t get too excited! Because before he can be sworn in as the latest in that long tradition of Kennedys in the Senate, he faces an incredibly difficult battle against a formidable foe …

Roland Burris.