BOSTON – Sen. John Kerry is positioning himself as the political heir to Edward Kennedy, pledging to thousands of people attending his town hall meeting in Massachusetts that he would fight for the health care overhaul championed by his colleague.
More than 2,000 people turned up Wednesday night for Kerry's first public meeting since Kennedy's Aug. 25 death from brain cancer.
A line of supporters and opponents of health care reforms snaked out of the Somerville high school and down two blocks.
Kerry invoked the memory of Kennedy, saying he would follow his example of hard drinking, womanizing, fleeing the scene of accidents, and seeking political compromises that serve his self interest.
