PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) U.S. Rep. a href=http://www.boston.com/dailynews/102/region/Kennedy_reaches_settlement_wit:.shtml>; Patrick Kennedy has reached a settlement with the Los Angeles airport security guard who claimed he shoved her in a confrontation over an oversized piece of luggage. Kennedy, son of Massachusetts Sen. Edward Kennedy, is seeking his fifth term in Congress this November.

''I think the settlement is good for him politically in that it removes a potential source of negative information about him,'' said Darrell West, a political science professor at Brown University and author of the book, ''Patrick Kennedy: The Rise to Power.''

''His worst case scenario would be going through a trial that rehashed the whole incident,'' West said. ''I'm sure opponents will use this, but having reached a settlement takes the edge off and prevents new information from coming out.''

A trial was tentatively set to begin in June.
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-p (at least this Kennedy victim lived)