
Ted Kennedy has been one of Massachusett's senators since his brother John F. Kennedy left the post when he was elected President. Kennedy is generally seen as a 'hard-left' liberal, at least in comparison to other congressmen. In 1969, Kennedy crashed his car off of Chappaquiddick Island, swam to shore and walked back to the party he was at, leaving his passenger Mary Jo Kopechne to die, and never reported the incident. He was sentenced to two months in jail for leaving the scene of an accident after causing injury.