You're making sense, and I do appreciate your point of view. It could be that he tried to make up for being a killer by doing his version of good in the senate.
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However, I strongly disagree that his behavior at Chappaquiddick was excusable because he was drunk. Drinking is no big deal, but drinking and driving is a completely avoidable choice. He never should have driven drunk, and when he did anyway and drove off that bridge he never should have left his passenger to die. Drinking does NOT excuse his behavior before or after the crash.