Salon.com News | How Kerry wins

"My journey with John Kerry began in 1972 in the basement of a suburban Boston house he was living in. I had been the press secretary for Robert Drinan, the first Catholic priest elected to Congress in 1970. I had dropped in to do some volunteer work in anticipation of Kerry's run for Congress."

"In 1972, inspired by Drinan's success and poised to capitalize on his national fame, Kerry decided to run for Congress."

Wow...that explains a lot.