Kennedy Wins Re-Election in Landslide

BOSTON--When incumbent Democratic Representative Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr. announced his landslide victory over Republican challenger Glenn W. Fiscus last night, he didn't read the typical canned acceptance speech.

An ebullient Kennedy sang for his U.S. House of Representatives seat.

"I didn't know if it was day or night, I started kissing everything in sight...love potion number nine," crooned the young congressional representative, with instrumental backup from the five-member Blue Suede Boppers.

The crowd of 300 Kennedy backers gathered for a victory party in the smoky Axis nightclub on Landsdowne St. in Boston appeared to be loving every minute of it.

Still, it was hard to imagine Kennedy's father Robert F. Kennedy '48 or his uncle John F. Kennedy '40 yelling the pop lyrics into a microphone.

The Representative had entered the room at 10:35 p.m. to chants of "We want Joe." Nobody said anything about singing.

Shaking hands and hugging and kissing supporters, he made his way to the stage after being introduced by his youngest brother, Douglas.

In the conventional acceptance speech that preceded the impromptu concert, Kennedy thanked his staff and volunteers and touted "a margin of victory that was second to none in the state." With 40 percent of the votes counted, Kennedy was leading Fiscus, a self-employed engineer, by 75 percent to 25 percent.

Acknowledging the token nature of his opposition in this year's race, Kennedy also left the door open for bigger, tougher contests in the future.

"I know that we've worked together on campaigns in the past that were much more difficult, and I hope that in the future we'll work on some that are more difficult," Kennedy said.

Those attending the victory party last nigh ranged from battle-scarred veterans of Kennedy campaigns past and high school students working on their first political races.

"I got soaking wet, that wind howling, blowing that sign all over the place," said John A. Roderick, a retired Somerville resident who said he held a Kennedy sign yesterday at Somerville High School. Roderick said he had served with John F. Kennedy '40 in the South Pacific during World War II and had worked on JFK's 1946 congressional campaign.

"He's a good egg," Roderick said of Jopseph P Kennedy. "He's alright, I hope he goes a long way like his uncle did."

These sentiments were echoed by three generations of MacMullans, who said they held Kennedy signs yesterday at the Highland Ave. fire station in Somerville.

"I have an idea he'll grow up be president someday," said Mary F. MacMullan, another retiree, of the 38-year-old congressman.

"He's got the charisma people look for," added her daughter, Jennie M. Hickey, who works for New England Telephone.

And Hickey's 17-year-old son, Bobby G. Hillis, said he was very impressed with Representative Kennedy when he met with him on a school trip to Washington D.C.