"He was really impressive," Machado recalls. "He's a John [F. Kennedy '40] man with lots of energy, enthusiasm, health and quality to life."

For the representative as for his uncle, the family's widespread reputation has definitely been an asset, even thousands of miles from his home district north of Boston.

Especially in Puerto Rico, Machado says, the lore of the Kennedy name was an important factor to the success of the fundraiser.

"John F. Kennedy was a good friend of Puerto Rico and a good friend to our governor," Machado says. "The [people of the] commonwealth are good friends of the Kennedys."

Pedro A. Santiago, an attorney from Ponce, Puerto Rico, agrees.

"The Kennedy family is wellrespected in Puerto Rico," says Santiago, who contributed $500 to Rep. Kennedy's campaign. "A hundred percent of Puerto Ricans respect and love the Kennedy family."

Because of the his family's reputation on the island, Rep. Kennedy's mere presence--regardless of his campaign platform--elicited widespread support, says Porfirio Bonet, an administrator at Hospital Hermanos Melendez.

"It can be that way with the Kennedy family," says Bonet, who donated $1,000 to Kennedy's campaign fund, according to FEC reports. "I don't know what there is to say about the convention."

But Brian W. O'Connor '78, Rep. Kennedy's district director, says Kennedy has worked hard to develop a relationship with the people of Puerto Rico, independent of his family connections.

"The Kennedy family has long had dealings in Puerto Rico," O'Connor says. "He's visited numerous times and has a lot of friends in that part of the world."

"He has always been very helpful to the Puerto Rico community," Santiago agrees. "He promised to help Puerto Rico to ensure whether [it will achieve] statehood or commonwealth."

Kennedy, the consummate crowd-pleaser, even addressed the audience in Spanish, says Marcelina Santiago, president of Catholic University in Ponce.

"He impressed me in the way he conducted himself," she says. "He was easy with the people, and he did communicate some things in Spanish."

Like her husband Pedro, Santiago also contributed $500 to Kennedy's re-election campaign.

Some Salient Issues