Organize, control, distribute and measure all of your digital content. Wikinews (0 entries) edit. . Ethel Kennedy, Joes 92-year-old grandmother, cut a video for his campaign. ", "For me, a marriage, even one that was over, remained a sacred bond," Kennedy wrote. How could anyone make such a statement about a courtship that had lasted nine years, and a 12-year marriage that had produced two children? And thus the compound outrage that produced this memoir and manifesto. In Church law, the grounds for an annulment are either an impediment to the union, including non- consummation of the marriage or bigamy, or where full and free consent for the marriage was not given, including cases of forced unions or emotional or mental incapacity. "I don't believe this stuff. She fixed up the house, took work as a freelance city planner (she has a master's degree from Harvard), and sought not a penny of alimony. Rauch, who is Episcopalian, was appalled by that . Businessman, Matthew Rauch Kennedy is famous for being the son of an American businessman, Joseph P. Kennedy II and his ex-wife, Sheila Brewster Rauch. She was the one to file for divorce. Ms Rauch Kennedy and Joseph Kennedy II dated for nine years before he proposed. But like his Uncle Ted, he stuck his neck out for causes that other politicians shunned, such as peace in Northern Ireland, the creation of the Community Reinvestment Act to force banks to end discriminatory lending and his signature issue, the provision of heating oil to needy families in cold parts of the country. Annulment, though it obliterates the sacred union of parents, has no effect on children, a priest assured her. But she did use its launch to announce to the world that she was taking her case to the Vatican. of electoral votes ''annulled'' John F. Kennedy's Presidency: ''Congress doesn't take away any pensions, health insurance, or other benefits that his family may have gained from his years of service. ''The Catholic spouse may participate But as his mother knows entering into politics - a decision which was not, her son has said 'a life long ambition' - can change everything. And she decided she was through "being stomped on. Job Market | Before nuptials, they became engaged on January 1, 2012. The original motive was compassion - the divorce rate among Catholics is 40 per cent - and they wanted to find a way of giving people a second chance. If he had to bear the burden of being a Kennedy, he seemed to believe, he might as well reap the benefits. His expected run for governor looks imperiled. Copyright 2021, All Right Reserved MARRIEDCELEB, Two daughters ( Lily Frances Kennedy, Charlotte Ethel Kennedy). In addition to his wife and daughter, Ben is survived by his siblings, Eleanor Rauch Crosby, Rudolph S. Rauch, Susan P. Rauch, and Sheila Rauch Kennedy. Designed and Developed by, FICC Classic Movie Night: The Music Man (1962), Invitation to Bid: Fishers Island School Renovation. Born in New York City on September 2, 1913, she attended the Brearley School and graduated from the Foxcroft School, Middleburg, VA. with the Class of 1931. Two years later . If the sacrament of marriage can be undone on grounds of neurotic tendencies among the partners -- if sacraments can be erased on any finding short of force, fraud, the gravest misunderstandings or a clear sign from God -- surely the church has abandoned As friends and families of the deceased are mourning the passing of. However, the. They wanted to know what was wrong with my city planning work that I had to write a book. Geni requires JavaScript! The couple's children, twins Matthew and Joseph III, are 16. Interment will be private. View history. 15:32 EST 08 Nov 2012 While living in Hong Kong Ben met journalist Margaret Scott, then an editor at the Far East Economic Review. But the day she received a letter from the archdiocese officially notifying her that her ex-husband sought "an ecclesiastical declaration of nullity," she threw up. 'Shattered Faith', by Sheila Rauch Kennedy, Poolbeg Press. At least one Kennedy served in the House, Senate of White House for 64 years until Congressman Patrick Kennedy retired in January 2011. When she presented the facts to her former husband, he replied, according to her account, I dont believe this stuff. "This isn't an election year," she responded. EmoryDOCS (Career Advising for Medical Students) . She has nothing but good things to say about Mary Beth, Joe's new wife, who entered the scene as his secretary. . Joseph Patrick Kennedy II (born September 24, 1952) is an American businessman, Democratic politician, and a member of the Kennedy family. If the church applied its annulment practice to other sacraments -- to baptism, confession or Holy Communion, for example -- the chaos in church life would be instantly obvious. Joe Kennedy's parents Sheila Brewster Rauch and Joseph Kennedy II were married on Feb. 3, 1979. Concerning education, he studied at Stanford and Harvard in business. But no one is comparing her to Bobby, Jack and Teddy. Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies.
BOSTON (Reuters) - After a decade-long crusade, Sheila Rauch Kennedy said on Thursday the Roman Catholic Church had overturned its annulment of her 12-year marriage to former Rep. Joseph P.. If you blow it, you blow it. Sheila Rauch Kennedy, an Episcopalian who agreed to raise her children in both churches, has undertaken to change Catholic policy on divorce and remarriage, first by ventilating the anger of. Start a FameChain Add to my FameChain. Comics. Wikipedia (0 entries) edit. Ex-wife of Joseph P. Kennedy II. But she is objecting, loud and. Sadly, she's made headlines for poor behavior more often than her aspirational cousins. first wife a ''nobody,'' she charges. Human Simulation Education Center . Neither seems to have been appropriate in the Kennedys' case. Ben was an avid supporter of the arts. If the Church granted the annulment, the marriage, which had lasted twelve years, would be rendered nonexistent -- not simply ended, as was stated in the . If the Church granted the annulment, the marriage, which had lasted twelve years, would be rendered nonexistent -- not simply ended, as was stated in the . Similar to the ospreys he loved, Ben returned to the Island each summer. Dont miss to subscribe to our new feeds, kindly fill the form below. I ask. Start your Independent Premium subscription today. Nobody actually believes it., Damage was done, and kept on being done. Search instead in Creative? FishersIsland.net and the accompanying Fog Horn eNewsletter serve as the communications resource for the Fishers Island community. Emboldened by her account, I am now fighting a similar battle. Two years later, while. Big Brother 9. Joe Kennedy, now 54, and his then wife went through a civil divorce in 1991 after their relationship broke down. Please enable JavaScript in your browser's settings to use this part of Geni. Sheila Kennedy's fight to prevent the Local Catholic Tribunal from annulling her valid marriage is admirable, brave and inspiring for other women like me, whose husbands (of many years) have decided to annul their marriages, opt out, and marry someone else in the Catholic Church. He has a twin brother Joe Kennedy III who is married to Lauren Anne Birchfield (m. 2012). Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. Kennedy, Jr., 63, is . Kennedy also has a special connection to the collegehis mother, Sheila Rauch Kennedy '71, is a Wheaton alumna and has taught political science as an adjunct professor. Arguably, the Kennedys practiced a form of charismatic politics that bridges the gap between todays anti-establishment populism and government as usual: The Kennedys were populist believers in government. Hunch confirmed.Sheila Rauch Kennedy, in her oddly organized book, Shattered Faith, at p. 215, quotes her letter to the Tribunal of Boston: ". to reflect at all on what he called the church's ''gobbledygook.''. They had one daughter, Isabel Frances Mei Rauch. It was published at the same time that Joe Kennedy's brother Michael had died in a skiing accident and the congressman decided to pull out of the race for the governorship of Massachusetts. Taking nothing for granted, he worked hard and met thousands of voters face to face. Sheila Rauch and Joseph Kennedy, the eldest son of Robert F. Kennedy, married in 1979, nine years after they met. Showing Editorial results for sheila rauch kennedy. The first effect of all the news is to rally bad old memories of Kennedys and women -- including Uncle Ted at Chappaquiddick, Uncle Jack and Judith Campbell Exner and Grandpa He has adopted a puppy. This is the only time I see a shadow cross her face. Ms. Kennedy has hammered it precisely and hard in a fashion that the church will have to address, if only because the ''declaration He championed health care, like his Uncle Ted, but seemed content to accept a lesser role on the crowded roster of Democrats scrambling to remake the system. It was why she filed for divorce in 1991. My. The presence of the rarely seen Ethel and the vintage photos seemed to emphasize the vast number of decades that had passed since Camelot. Wikiquote . | Further, he is also known as the grandson of 64th U.S Attorney General and Senator, Robert F. Kennedy (died on 6 June 1968). "They see it as a disagreement between their parents, and they know their mother has a disagreement with the church," Kennedy said evenly. Election to office spelled the end of Sheila Rauch Kennedy's marriage to Joe Kennedy I, Joe Kennedy III, 32, and fiancee Lauren Anne Birchfield, 25, will have to 'make it work', according to his mother, They're back! A few states away, in New Jersey, Amy Kennedy, the wife of Joes cousin Patrick, is making a surprisingly plucky campaign for a House seat against Democratic Party turncoat Jeff Van Drew. Not a bit, she says. ), blames politics for their divorce. To Joe IIs apparent surprise, Sheila objectedso viscerally that upon receiving his written request she was sick to her stomach. Now they are free to be themselves and discover their own ways to make a contribution. If you had an abortion and try to get forgiveness, you're not told you were never pregnant." Sheila Brewster Kennedy (Rauch) Birthdate: March 22, 1949. Rep. Joe Kennedy III speaks outside his campaign headquarters in Watertown, Mass., after conceding defeat to Sen. Ed Markey in the Massachusetts Democratic Senate primary. "I had respect for them. in the sacraments, and everyone seems happy enough with the arrangement.''. Real Estate | Polls show Joe Kennedy's popularity in Massachusetts declining in the wake of Shattered Faith and his brother's difficulties. Just a year earlier, Ayanna Pressley had routed long-serving Rep. Michael Capuano in a district that covered Boston, Cambridge and Somerville. Two years later, while preparing to remarry, Kennedy filed for an annulment. But Sheila Kennedy has appealed the decision to the Roman Rota, the Vatican's court, and is hoping for a different outcome. Weather | Then, she revealed, 'Family life wasn't on the menu anymore. By the time Joe got his annulment, she was adding the finishing touches to a book that showed the national boom in annulments for what it was. Sheila Rauch Kennedy, an Episcopalian who agreed to raise her children in both churches, has undertaken to change Catholic policy on divorce and remarriage, first by ventilating the anger of. ''Their marriages are valid but not sacramental,'' she writes. Ms Rauch Kennedy holds a masters degree in urban planning from Harvard University. He had all the familys looks and charm, and more native intelligence than most of his kin. Markeys dilemma was also Kennedys: What if another young upstart took down Markey? He was raised for the job. Daughter of Rudolph Stewart Rauch, Jr. and Frances Stuart Rauch She did make all the other usual promises and took them very seriously indeed. Keep Visiting Marriedceleb!!!! Yesterday, Mrs Rauch Kennedy, whose fight for justice has lasted almost as long as her marriage, said: 'Its been a long haul. Over four terms in Congress, Joe III behaved like a scaled-down version of the family archetype. We project on celebrities all our own needs and issues, and I think that's very dangerous. Being put out to pasture by a Kennedy seemed to him the greatest affront, the height of indignity, and he made others see it that way, too. Now, thanks to this ex-wife's public airing of a private dispute, he's been forced to withdraw from the race, and his camp followers are beside themselves. Page One Plus | ", After more than 20 years of being asked to put her personal life to one side in the name of the Kennedy political machine, she's had it. Unlike him, they are "very respectful of their friends who are girls". Imagine that a retroactive revision in the counting Ted Kennedy struggled with these kinds of expectations on a far grander scale. Further, he is also known as the grandson of 64th U.S Attorney General and Senator, Robert F. Kennedy (died on 6 June 1968). Standing on that podium, deafened by the applause as her son's electoral victory was announced, Sheila Rauch Kennedy must have feltshe had stepped back in time. Sheila A. Kennedy Westwood - It is with heavy hearts and immense sorrow that the family of Sheila A. Kennedy announce her passing on March 27th 2021 at age 86. ( 1962-04-12) April 12, 1962 (age 60) Memphis, Tennessee, U.S. [1] Television. When autocomplete results are available use up and down arrows to review and enter to select. She is now seven years. On the other hand, his late granddad, Robert F. Kennedy had a total net value of $100 Million at his death time in 1968. He and brother Matthew were raised largely by their mother who brought them up in a house in Cambridge which she purchased with a loan from her parents. THAT is, if the church got into the habit, of saying: ''No, on reflection 30 years later, your absolution did not take because you came into the confessional with a history of unhappiness; because you confessed your sins in sorrow and pain, perhaps, but without due discretion. ''Shattered Faith'' reads like sweet revenge on an ex-husband, but its real target is the Catholic Church. | AP Photo/Charles Krupa. Those victories were, however, a long time ago. An Episcopalian who lives in Cambridge, Mass., Sheila Kennedy took the breakup of her marriage in 1991 in stride. The annulment had been granted in secrecy by the Catholic Church after the couple's 1991 no-fault civil divorce. In 1990-1991, Ben spent a year as a visiting associate at Harvard Universitys John King Fairbank Center for East Asian Research, concentrating on Japanese-Russian relations in the post- Cold War period. He raised his voice at times, particularly in delivering the Democrats rebuttal to Donald Trumps State of the Union speech in 2018. Kennedy, one of twin sons born to Sheila Rauch Kennedy and Joseph P. Kennedy II, the . In 1993, Sheila Rauch Kennedy received a letter from the Boston Catholic Archdiocese announcing that her former husband, Congressman Joseph Kennedy, was seeking an annulment of their marriage. I00045832. In a 1962 debate, Massachusetts Attorney General Edward J. His dad, Joseph, 67, is a Democratic politician who served as the member of U.S Representativesof 8th congressional district of Massachusetts from 1987 until 1999. He could seem obnoxious and courageous in the same breath. Its publication in 1997 coincided with her former husband's bid to become Governor of Massachusetts. Isabel Oakeshott receives 'menacing' message from Matt Hancock, Insane moment river of rocks falls onto Malibu Canyon in CA, Mom who lost both sons to fentanyl blasts laughing Biden, Pavement where disabled woman gestured at cyclist before fatal crash, Pro-Ukrainian drone lands on Russian spy planes exposing location, 'Buster is next!' She, however did not fall in line. He argued that he was mentally unable to enter into marriage at the time. Trouble began when his ex-wife, Sheila Rauch Kennedy, published a book accusing him of trying to bully her into granting him an annulment. In 2012, they became parents for the first time when their daughter Lily Frances Kennedy was born. "I think that's the end of the line. Marketplace, Quick News | His parents had been divorced for two years when his father, U.S. Rep. Joseph P. Kennedy II, the anointed successor to the family dynasty, tried to get their marriage annulled. In July 2019, POLITICOs Stephanie Murray reported that many Bay State Democrats believed Markey was ripe for a takedown in the Democratic primary. Sheila Rauch Kennedy, who is appealing to the Vatican the marriage annulment granted to her ex-husband, Rep. Joseph P. Kennedy II (D-Mass. And his dad, Joseph served as Matthews best man, as per New York Daily News. What I cannot condone is a process that will declare my children to be the offspring of a marriage that had never existed.'. Unless, presumably, they happen He first worked at Bank of America, and in 1988, he joined Korn Ferry, the executive search firm, becoming a partner the following year. First Joe's saying we were never married, and then he's saying I'm supposed to be quiet because I was once a Kennedy wife! Showing Editorial results for sheila rauch kennedy. Boards are the best place to save images and video clips. Anne Kennedy. But I don't just see her going back to the dishes as if nothing happened. "There was a whole conspiracy of silence. "Though divorced, I remained loyal to it. Archives | Joe Kennedy III is trying to follow in the steps of his father (and grandfather and great-uncles and so on). . It was all so very familiar. Boston Archdiocese decided there were grounds that Joe Kennedy was not fit to give full and free consent, and granted the annulment. Her battle lasted a decade and brought a lasting bitterness to a separation that had initially been amicable. And the love life of the younger generation continues to fascinate with Conor Kennedy, Robert Kennedy Jr and Mary Richardson Kennedy's 18-year-old son, embarking on a romance with singer Taylor Swift, which has now come to an end. I think balance is the key word. It was a disastrous calculation. Because you were married before, we will regard your new marriage as valid but not sacramental. In the name of sensitivity to mental health, the church has let its annulment proceedings be infected with analyses by ''psychological consultants'' who on the strength of an hour's The Getty Images design is a trademark of Getty Images. Sheila Rauch Kennedy, the wife of Joe (brother of Robert F) wrote a book -- Shattered Faith -- a few years ago in which she detailed the involvement of the Boston Archdiocese, which let her know . I think there's more understanding and acceptance [of wives] these days. And some qualities once associated with the dynasty, forgotten in the fugue of privilege and entitlement, havent lost their viability, either. of nullity'' that is an annulment mocks the sacramentalism at the center of Catholic understanding. Terry Donilon, a spokesman for the Boston Archdiocese, declined to comment. is a completely serious, maybe inspired, inquiry into an absurd breakdown in the Catholic Church's thinking. Murdaugh is heckled as he leaves court, Ken Bruce finishes his 30-year tenure as host of BBC Radio 2, Ukrainian soldier takes out five tanks with Javelin missiles, Family of a 10-month-old baby filmed vaping open up, Missing hiker buried under snow forces arm out to wave to helicopter, Hershey's Canada releases HER for SHE bars featuring a trans activist, Moment teenager crashes into back of lorry after 100mph police race. But the Kennedy legacy of public service continues, not just in the person of Amy but in the causes advanced by other family members, from the Shrivers Special Olympics, to Joe IIs Citizens Energy, to Bobby Jr.s global environmental campaign and more. She said she embraced the authority of the Catholic church over her marriage on her wedding day. Mr. 80 Percent. Shattered Faith by Sheila Rauch Kennedy is published by Poolbeg, 7.99 paperback. Some sources claim he now serves as director of strategic partnerships at Washington, D.C.'s US Department of Commerce. But what if the Vatican decides not to annul the annulment? That person might be expected to hold the Senate seat for decades, while Joes own sense of promise would fade as he passed through middle age. Her dedication read: For our children.. She ended her ex-husband's political career with her ten year battle to reverse the annulment of their marriage, As a political wife she was treated like 'a doormat'. Living a charade, she says, became too hurtful for everyone. Matthew Rauch "Matt" Kennedy (1980-Present) Son of: Joseph P. Kennedy II and Sheila Rauch; Married to: Katherine Kennedy; Children: Lily Frances Kennedy; Matt serves on the board of the Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights and the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library Foundation. Kennedy's nephew, Joseph Kennedy II, had his marriage to Sheila Rauch Kennedy annulled after their divorce in 1991. sheila rauch kennedy obituary RAUCH-Frances Brewster, 88. Those werent the first reversals in Joe IIs life. It costs $300 to file for annulment, but nearly three times as much ($850) to file an appeal that would resanctify a marriage. At the rate of over 60,000 annulments per year -- a huge increase from 40 years ago She talks without embarrassment about searching for the truth and struggling to do the right thing. More wounding epithets get tossed around in sitcoms and have been flung in anger even between successful partners. Sheila Joe, a Catholic of course, obtained a civil divorce from Sheila in 1991. Incumbent U.S. Sen. Edward Markey speaks, Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2020, in Malden, Mass., after defeating U.S. Rep. Joe Kennedy III in the Massachusetts Democratic Senate primary. Well, one of the things I find not for sale are the terms under which my children were born.". Here, in reverse order of importance, are the top seven Kennedy sex scandals: 7. . His ex-wife said she felt sidelined and ignored while he was away in Washington. It is also unclear where the decision leaves Mr Kennedy's second marriage in the eyes of the Church. Services | ''Lack of due discretion'' is the church's code phrase for the multitude of hindsight flaws in a marriage that might warrant annulment. in accordance with canon law, I am appealing your affirmative decision to the [Roman] Rota as the Court of Second Instance . Businessman, Matthew Rauch Kennedy is famous for being the son of an American businessman, Joseph P. Kennedy II and his ex-wife, Sheila Brewster Rauch. Joe Kennedy, son of Robert Kennedy and former Congressman, secretly had his 12-year marriage to Sheila Rauch . Why didn't she realise that she was not going to have a normal life if she married a Kennedy? We are no longer accepting comments on this article. Dr. James T. and Marta M. Birchfield of Houston, TX are pleased to announce the engagement of their daughter, Lauren Anne Birchfield to Joseph Patrick Kennedy. A DECADE AGO, the Catholic Church tried to annul my marriage. Benjamin Rauch died at his home in New York City on Thursday, April 1, of complications from Multiple System Atrophy, a rare degenerative disease. It seemed like a smart bet. Sheila Rauch and Joseph Kennedy, the eldest son of Robert F. Kennedy, married in 1979, nine years after they met. Shattered faith: a woman's struggle to stop the Catholic Church from annulling her marriage 1998, H. Holt in English. Joseph Kennedy II with Sheila Rauch Kennedy and their twins, Matthew, left, and . Last Seen. 'I was certainly happy in the beginningthings unravelled, but that doesn't mean you didn't have a marriage.'. Politicians are politicians. Joes Senate loss places a 2020 marker on its gravestone. Then Michael was investigated for allegedly having. I was being told, 'Kennedy wives don't talk', but they were having it both ways. Sheila Kennedy. Few would blame her for feeling a prick of concern at Joe's victory. That sense of partnership which, Ms Rauch Kennedy hopes, will stand the couple in good stead as they embark on both married and political life, is in stark contrast to her own experience of marriage to a member of the Kennedy clan. It was a move that effectively ended his political career. Still there are parallels between father and son. Streamline your workflow with our best-in-class digital asset management system. interview (or less) will issue opinions about the mental state of marriage partners 30 years earlier. As friends and families of the deceased are mourning the passing of their loved and cherished Sheila Kennedy. Gladiator. His brother, Joe Kennedy III's net worth is around $43 million, making him among the richest members of Congress. The Peerage. Arts | She wrote a book, Shattered Faith, railing against the hypocrisy of the process. His twin brother, Joe now serves for Massachusetts's 4th congressional districtas the US Representative. IN THIS SECTION Toy Show the Musical will return after a 'rethink', says RT Now, she is three years old. But being a Kennedy means being perpetually groomed for greater things. Joseph P. Kennedy III was in high school when his mother wrote the book that effectively destroyed his fathers political career. Altogether, Rauch has ten uncles and aunties including Kerry Kennedy. He proposed just days after resigning from his job in Middlesex Country prosecutor's office and announcing he would enter the race for the seat being vacated by Congressman Barney Frank. Diversions | Watch. After college Ben began a long career in finance and executive search, working in New York, London, Hong Kong, and Tokyo. the principle that it is God's own grace that makes the union, not merely the designs of men and women whose inescapable flaws make every human act vulnerable to the ultimate inspection. Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in, Please refresh your browser to be logged in, Joe Kennedy stole my life-interview: Sheila Rauch Kennedy, Extra 20% off selected fashion and sportswear at Very, Up to 20% off & extra perks with Booking.com Genius Membership, $6 off a $50+ order with this AliExpress discount code, 10% off selected orders over 100 - eBay discount code, Compare broadband packages side by side to find the best deal for you, Compare cheap broadband deals from providers with fastest speed in your area, All you need to know about fibre broadband, Best Apple iPhone Deals in the UK March 2023, Compare iPhone contract deals and get the best offer this March, Compare the best mobile phone deals from the top networks and brands. He wanted to marry his secretary. At least not publicly. In his outspoken style could be seen both the power and detriments of entitlement. To have one set of rules for marriage and another for everything else was a slap in the face of any woman who had ever tried to be a good Catholic wife. Ex-wife of Joseph P. Kennedy II The eldest son of Bobby and Ethel Kennedy carried the burden of having been deeply affected by his fathers death. not a block, to the next marriage. The Archdiocese of Boston granted initial approval of the request in 1996. Wednesday 24 Sep 1952. Sheila Kennedy doesn't think that's fair. , updated SHEILA RAUCH KENNEDY is the author of "Shattered Faith," an account of how she and others sought to defend their marriages. Within a year, Joe II announced he would not seek reelection to the House seat he had held for 12 years. Her own Episcopalian parents, a prominent Philadelphia couple, were less than thrilled with their daughter's decision to go public. * In 1996, Sheila Rauch Kennedy learned that the Boston archdiocesan tribunal had proclaimed that her marriage to Joe Kennedy was a nullity. be called the ''Nevada of the annulment world.'' Matthew was born on October 4, 1980, in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. Living a charade, she says, became too hurtful for everyone. Nevertheless, he lives a little more behind the political world. subject named as. CLEVELAND _ Sheila Rauch Kennedy is sturdy and deliberate about the importance of telling the truth. Nobody actually believes it," she quotes him as fuming over the telephone. Heres a guide to Tampa Bay fish fries. To fail to challenge the decision would have been to show weakness to her twin sons, Matthew and Joe. Their relationship, which had begun nine years before they married, began to unravel after Joe entered the family business, politics. "We are a religion and a nation about second chances," Kennedy said. Kennedys supporters put out word that Joe was open to challenging the incumbent.