Flashermac Posted May 21, 2008 Report Share Posted May 21, 2008 BOSTON - Sen. Edward M. Kennedy was diagnosed with a cancerous brain tumor Tuesday in what could be the grim final chapter in a life marked by exhilarating triumph and shattering tragedy. Some experts gave the liberal lion less than a year to live. Doctors discovered the tumor after the 76-year-old senator and sole surviving son of America's most storied political family suffered a seizure over the weekend. The diagnosis cast a pall over Capitol Hill, where the Massachusetts Democrat has served since 1962, and came as a shock to a family all too accustomed to sudden, calamitous news. "Ted Kennedy and the Kennedy family have faced adversity more times in more instances with more courage and more determination and more grace than most families have to," said Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass. "Every one of us knows what a big heart this fellow has. He's helped millions and millions of people â?? from the biggest of legislation on the floor to the most personal." Kerry added: "This guy is one unbelievable fighter." Kennedy's doctors at Massachusetts General Hospital said he had a malignant glioma in the left parietal lobe, a region of the brain that helps govern sensation, movement and language. Seizures can be caused by a wide variety of things, some of them relatively minor. The finding of a brain tumor â?? and specifically a glioma, an especially lethal type â?? was about the worst possible news. Ted K is not one of my favourite people, but he doesn't deserve this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keith doug Posted May 21, 2008 Report Share Posted May 21, 2008 have to admit i was very sad when i heard this what aweful things happen to the kennedys... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flashermac Posted May 21, 2008 Author Report Share Posted May 21, 2008 This is what got my dad, which hits home a bit. Not pleasant to watch a healthy active man steadily go downhill. It must be very frustrating for him too. On the positive side, he will just slip away in his sleep one night. p.s. I met Ted Kennedy when he was campaigning for his brother in 1960. That's almost 48 years ago ... hard to believe. I was a high school kid and Teddy was young and handsome. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bangkoktraveler Posted May 21, 2008 Report Share Posted May 21, 2008 I would hate to see him go. I don't agree with everything he says, but hearing from both sides is what the USA is all about. Some don't like him but I never heard him going around calling people names. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mentors Posted May 21, 2008 Report Share Posted May 21, 2008 bad all this horrible diseases Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Torneyboy Posted May 21, 2008 Report Share Posted May 21, 2008 Yes.. and very sad for the family .. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hugh_Hoy Posted May 21, 2008 Report Share Posted May 21, 2008 Forty years too late for Mary Joe. HH Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Faustian Posted May 21, 2008 Report Share Posted May 21, 2008 Wow! Do you possess even a hint of the humane? The guy is dying. Give your prejudicial bullshit a rest. Btw, depending upon what you read, not all was as it appeared to be... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flashermac Posted May 21, 2008 Author Report Share Posted May 21, 2008 News of Ted Kennedy's illness brings roll call of tears at nation's Capitol Grown men wept on both sides of the political aisle Tuesday when word of Sen. Edward Kennedy's illness hit the Senate, his political home of 46 years, where he has been known for a soft heart, a strong arm and a ready joke. "I have described Ted Kennedy as the last lion in the Senate," said presumptive GOP presidential nominee Sen. John McCain, his eyes glistening and his voice thick. "He remains the single most effective member of the Senate," McCain said of his Democratic friend. "He is not reluctant to share the credit. And when it fails, he's willing to take the blame. We will miss him for that and many other reasons." The normally voluble Sen. Chris Dodd (D-Conn.) choked up as he spoke. "He's a strong guy. He has a great heart. We're confident he'll be back here," he said, then abruptly strode away. West Virginia Democrat Robert Byrd, 90, wept openly. "Ted, Ted, my dear friend, I love you and I miss you," he grieved. "I thank God for you, Ted." Lawmakers took comfort in Kennedy's scrappy spirit. "Sen. Kennedy is a real fighter - we all know that. I'm betting on Sen. Kennedy," said Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Pa.), a cancer survivor. Republicans may love to run against Kennedy as a liberal bogeyman, but he is personally widely popular. "If you ask the 99 other senators to name the most powerful member, and then to name the most popular, Kennedy is the only one who would end up on both lists," said Boston political consultant Michael Goldman. One of his best pals is Utah Republican Orrin Hatch. "Ted and I have sparred a lot," he said. "So I know firsthand what a formidable fighter he is." Illinois Sen. Barack Obama, whose Democratic presidential bid enjoyed a big boost from Kennedy's symbolism-laden endorsement, called the illness "grim news." "He has been there for the American people during some of our country's most trying moments, and now that he's facing his own, I ask all Americans to keep him in our thoughts and prayers," Obama said. Link Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flashermac Posted May 21, 2008 Author Report Share Posted May 21, 2008 p.s. Kennedy is one of a vanishing breed in Congress. He actually served in the US Army! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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