Those looking for hints about what role faith might play in the presidential election campaign would do well to recall Ted Kennedy's bitter and bruising 1994 Massachusetts Senate campaign against Mitt Romney.

 

Facing the prospect of losing his well-worn seat to the political novice, Kennedy and his surrogates unleashed a broadside against Romney's Mormon faith. The episode may offer a preview of how the Obama re-election campaign will address Romney's faith, and how Romney will respond.

 

Sen. Kennedy was the weakest he'd ever been as he sought re-election in 1994. In his six terms in office, Kennedy had never trailed a general election opponent in a poll, and he'd never won by fewer than 14 percentage points.

 

But 1994 was different...