NAMES IN THE NEWS : Cuomo Thrilled by Kennedy Link

New York Gov. Mario M. Cuomo says he has met Ethel Kennedy only once and describes his son’s future mother-in-law as “honest and charming.”

Cuomo’s oldest son, Andrew, will marry Ethel Kennedy’s daughter, Kerry, this weekend at the Kennedy home in Virginia. Cuomo says he’s looking forward to meeting Ethel again. “She’s something of a legend to me,” he says. “It’s kind of thrilling. . . . She is part of history, as the whole family is.”

Cuomo is enchanted by the whole Kennedy clan. “Ted has always been a favorite of mine,” the governor said. “He has taken a lot of criticism and every time he was criticized, I defended him.” Cuomo said Ethel Kennedy has been doing all the work in planning the wedding. “The only question for me was whether I wear a long jacket or a short jacket,” Cuomo said.