McLEAN -- Terry McAuliffe may have the Clintons, but Brian Moran's got Camelot.
Last night, at Hickory Hill, the famed estate that was at the center of the Kennedy dynasty, one large Irish Catholic family from Massachusetts opened their home to the youngest son of another.
Ethel Kennedy, widow of Robert F. Kennedy, welcomed 278 people to her family's manse for a fundraiser that the Moran campaign expected to raise $150,000 for his gubernatorial bid.
Moran has "integrity and courage and he's so smart," Ethel Kennedy said in a brief interview. "He has great energy and he really cares about the people."
The fundraiser came in the closing two weeks of a bruising battle for the Democratic gubernatorial nomination between Moran, a former delegate from Alexandria; state Sen. R. Creigh Deeds of Bath County; and McAuliffe, a former chairman of the Democratic National Committee who also lives in McLean.
Politically, the Moran camp believes Ethel Kennedy's support and that of Rep. Patrick J. Kennedy, D-R.I., can only help his chances among voters with Democratic loyalties.
Personally, Moran said it meant a great deal to him that Ethel Kennedy hosted the event at her home, which is filled with keepsakes and family photos. He said the Kennedys represent fighting for the underdog.
"The Kennedys are a role model for those of us in public service," Moran said.
Ethel Kennedy, wearing a spring green skirt suit, stood by the front door and greeted each guest. She took care to explain some of the home's memorabilia, including a framed original copy of the Emancipation Proclamation, signed by President Abraham Lincoln, which hangs at the bottom of the stairs in the front hallway.
Robert F. Kennedy purchased the home in 1956 from his brother, then-Sen. John F. Kennedy, who lived there with his wife, Jacqueline, the year after they married.
Ethel and Robert Kennedy already had several children who could enjoy the nearly 6 acres of prime property outside Washington.
The couple raised 11 children at Hickory Hill and made their home the social center of the family, hosting political gatherings, celebrity-laden dinners and famously raucous parties where fully dressed guests frequently wound up in the swimming pool.
Decades later, Hickory Hill is a different kind of social scene. Ethel is said to split her time between Hyannis Port, Mass., and Northern Virginia. Last year, she hosted a high-dollar event for Barack Obama's presidential bid. Hickory Hill is on the market.
Last night, Moran completed his remarks with one of his favorite quotes, from a 1966 speech by Robert Kennedy.
"Each time a man stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of others, or strikes out against injustice, he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope, and crossing each other from a million different centers of energy and daring those ripples build a current which can sweep down the mightiest walls of oppression and resistance."
At one point, when Moran paused to recall the quote, Ethel Kennedy recited a few words from memory.
Contact Olympia Meola at (804) 649-6812 or omeola@timesdispatch.com.
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