No seat belongs to the Kennedys, not even in the House of Representatives. Announcing his candidacy on the same day that Sen. Scott Brown took his oath as successor to Edward M. Kennedy in the U.S. Senate, John Loughlin, a former lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army Reserve who was deployed to Bosnia-Herzegovina and trained troops for Operation Iraqi Freedom, hoped to surprise the establishment in a similar way: succeeding Senator Kennedy’s son, Patrick, in the House. Loughlin has even picked up Brown’s advisers to help him pull it off.

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And like Brown, Loughlin, who currently serves in the Rhode Island house, is running on a “center right” platform. He’s against a “government takeover of our health-care system.” He worries about America slipping back into a “pre-9/11 mindset.” And he’s even willing to take a stand against most of Washington — but with enlisted military — by opposing the repeal of the so-called “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy in the military.

Of congressman Kennedy, Loughlin says: “He was the only member of Rhode Island’s delegation to refuse to hold a public town-hall meeting with his constituents. It’s clear that he’s not interested in the views of the people of Rhode Island.” In short, it’s the people’s seat. And Loughlin’s hoping the people will see it to be in their best interests to send him to Washington to fill it.

But can he do it? Larry Sabato, director of the Center for Politics at the University of Virginia, currently has Patrick Kennedy as “likely winner” for this year’s election for Rhode Island’s first congressional district. “People incorrectly think Massachusetts is the most Democratic state,” Sabato tells NRO, “but in fact, every election statistic says that it is Rhode Island.” But, he adds: “Patrick Kennedy has had something of a checkered career, so he’s not unassailable. I’ll be shocked if Loughlin wins, just as I was shocked when Brown won. Occasionally, we’re all shocked!”

“In this environment, in a year that may see plenty of unexpected upsets; no sane analyst rules anything out. I’ve had several people mention John Loughlin to me, and his fundraising numbers are fair to good for a challenger. Clearly, he’s adopting Scott Brown as his model, and I understand he’s been recruiting some of Brown’s campaign staffers,” Sabato adds.

Patrick Kennedy recently referred to the Brown candidacy as a joke. With some hard work and campaigning, the political joke may be on him.

Here’s candidate Loughlin’s full interview with National Review Online:

Q: Why shouldn’t Patrick Kennedy be reelected?

A: It’s time for a new direction. Congressman Patrick Kennedy is part of the problem in Washington. He’s never seen a spending program or a tax increase that he has not embraced or supported. This is why he received a grade of “F” from the National Taxpayers Union, a zero from the National Tax Limitation Committee, and a zero from the Business Industry Political Action Committee. In addition, I believe the congressman is disconnected from the voters. At a time when he should have focused on jobs, he was voting for the government takeover of our health-care system. At a time when he should have focused on jobs, he was voting for the cap-and-trade energy tax. He was the only member of Rhode Island’s delegation to refuse to hold a public town-hall meeting with his constituents. It’s clear that he’s not interested in the views of the people of Rhode Island.