It's official: Kennedy vs. Bielat in the 4th

The Kennedy era in Washington may begin again

Move over guys, here comes the kid from The Clan. Joe Kennedy III (right) will seek the Congressional seat now held by Barney Frank (center) and join Bill Keating (left) in Washington.

Former Cape & Islands Assistant District Attorney is Bobby Kennedy's grandson

Joe Kennedy III officially announced his candidacy for Congressman Barney Frank’s 4th Congressional District seat in a YouTube video a month after announcing that he was exploring the option.

Sean Bielat almost toppled Barney Frank in 2010, but he may have an even tougher time against the Kennedy charm.The son of "Joe for Oil" Kennedy, and grandson of the martyred Bobby Kennedy, said in the video yesterday, "Congressman Frank has done so much for Massachusetts and America during his service in Congress and he leaves very big shoes to fill."

"I believe this country was founded on a simple idea — that every person deserves to be treated fairly — by each other, and by their government. But that’s not happening in America anymore," Kennedy said.

In the last election Barney Frank beat off Marine vet Sean Bielat, but not by much.

The 4th District borders has since been redrawn moving them further west into more Republican area s while losing the Democratic strongholds of New Bedford and Wareham.

But local pundits believe the Kennedy charm is so powerful, Bielat will have a tougher time this go around.

Joe served under Republican Cape & Islands D.A. Michael O'Keefe until last Fall when he was bitten by the poli-bug as all his relatives have been since JFK ran for the seat in Congress over a half century ago.

The National Press will move to Mass. to cover the Kennedy charisma

Poor Sean Bielat. The Other Cain said that in 2010, "few GOP Congressional candidates battled longer odds or inspired more admiration than Sean Bielat, the Marine veteran who challenged Barney Frank in the 4th District of Massachusetts.

"Have Joe III and his sweetie been living together & now have decided to 'make it legal' for political reasons ?""A month ago, Bielat told me he was nearing a decision on mounting another challenge for the same seat, which has been redistricted to include slightly more Republican-friendly precincts."

"Now, the Kennedy family has put up its own candidate as heir apparent to Frank's seat, and Bielat previewed his 2012 campaign in a fundraising letter to conservatives."

The letter states, "Wasn’t 30 years of Barney Frank enough? Wasn’t 64 consecutive years of Kennedys in Congress enough? Now Democratic Party insiders think that they can replace Barney with yet another Kennedy, a young man who has never lived in the district, but has a famous last name, to secure a seat for another several decades."

A Democrat pundit wrote me, "Well, this is really going to put the national spotlight on Massachusetts. The press corps might as well move to the state. Have Joe and his sweetie (Lauren Anne Birchfield on right)been living together and for political purposes decided to 'make it legal'”?

Why Joe moved to Middlesex from Barnstable

When Joe III told his relatives of his wish to run, he was told quite specifically to "get out of O'Keefe's office" before the feds charged "The Michael" for tipping off Adam Hart and his Dennis Sports Book about an impending FBI raid on the Ocean House restaurant where gamblers operated.

He took their advise and got the Assistant D.A. job in the Middlesex D.A.'s office.

See the previous Joe III stories below.

• Joe III to wed, be opposed by Bielat; Staake's Political Circus
• No longer speculation, Joseph P. Kennedy III throws his hat into the political ring
• Joe Kennedy leaves door open to run for Congress here
• Joe, You Can't Get There From Here