CNN Breaking News

Doctors say Sen. Edward Kennedy has brain tumor; condition discovered after he had seizure.

Comments

[Angrier and Angrier]

Well, he's pretty much dead.

[Joe Loy]

Very very sad news

[David K.]

I think its a bit premature to say that, there are a lot of factors that go in to the prognosis for a brain tumor. Some much better than others, including survivable ones.

[B. Minich]

I wish the good Senator the best.

[Angrier and Angrier]

You have a 76-year-old man with a malignant brain tumor. Usually the way you deal with malignancy is to remove the afflicted organ or a significant chunk of tissue around the tumor when it is removed and then use chemo or radiation treatment. You can't remove Kennedy's brain or much of the surrounding tissue and at his age the chemo or radiation is going to be almost as deadly as the cancer itself.

He may pull through, but I seriously doubt it.

[kcatnd]

Yeah, younger people stand a better chance of surviving a brain tumor, but regardless, it's always a serious life-threatening condition with a high mortality rate.

Sorry to hear this.

[Joe Mama]

I remember seeing Ted Kennedy, of all places, while I was studying abroad in law school at the University of Leiden. I was walking to class along the Old Singel and overtook a rather large gentleman in front of me, who was walking slowly with what appeared to be 3-4 family members, one of whom was pushing a baby in a stroller. As I walked by I heard that unmistakable Boston accent, so I turned and saw the Liberal Lion of the Senate, who evidently was getting a walking tour of Leiden. I was tempted to stop and introduce myself, but I decided not to interrupt his tour, and also foreclose the possibility of my succumbing to the temptation to make any number of disrespectful wisecracks.

[Joe Mama]

BTW, he is a large man, especially in person. If anything, I expected that his weight would've been what did him in.

[Joe Loy]

Very sound judgement re the Wisecrack temptation, Joe Mama. Avoiding the Near Occasion of Sin. ;}

From the Visitors' Gallery I saw Ted, age 36, in the Senate chamber in 1968. (My college girlfriend was with me & she damn near Swooned when she saw Yer Man come marching in. :) / In the mid-80's I shook hands with him in DC at AFT union workshop at which he had orated, bombastically & well :}. Circa 1993 my wife & son and I saw Ted & wife Victoria marching in the world-renowned Holyoke, MA St. Patrick's Day Parade. :)

[Ted to World: 'Would ye leave off the reminiscing, I'm Not Dead Yet!' :]

[Sandy Underpants]

If I live to be 76, serve 7 terms in the Senate and party like a rockstar til my last day, then I'd be pretty satisfied when it was over. I hope Teddy gets to make a speech at the DNC and gets to congratulate President-elect Barrack Obama before he goes to the big Martha's Vineyard under the ground.

[Joe Loy]

Amen, Sandy U. :}

[Angrier and Angrier]

Oh, and they are holding primaries in Kentucky and Oregon today, aren't they? Wonder how much time THAT will get on the news this evening.

Once again Hillary gets screwed by Teddy Kennedy.

[Brendan Loy]

Hahahaha. Excellent point, Angrier.

[Brendan Loy]

P.S. And you know Bill is sitting there, thinking, "That rat bastard, he's doing this to me on purpose!!"

Because, for Bill, everything is always about Bill.

[john]

Since Kennedy isnt dead yet, it isn't disrespectful to go off-topic... "House Passes Bill To Sue OPEC Members."

This seems misguided, with a tiny chance of leading to lower gas prices. It has a much greater chance of encouraging OPEC to switch to the Euro. They have enough votes to override a veto.

[Angrier and Angrier]

Talk about pandering. Suing OPEC isn't going to do anything.

[Benedict]

Couple of policy points that Kennedy's affliction bring into stark relief:

1) He does not appear, contra Michael Moore et al., to be heading to Canada or Cuba for treatment. Curious, that.

2) He will no doubt be hoping to receive the latest and greatest medicines and treatments from the pharmaceutical companies which he and his fellow-travelers have spent years maligning. Perhaps he'll take a principled stand and refuse them? Or maybe he'll wish that he had recognized their contribution to our quality of life and lowered their taxes and incentivized further research and development so that his life could be extended and enhanced.

3) He will also no doubt be hoping for care by the best physicians available. That is, those that are still practicing after decades of predation by the John Edwards and other plaintiffs' lawyers of the world, who are right there with the teachers unions as the Democrat party's largest and most reliable supporters.

It's multi-culti types like Kennedy that believe in karma, right? If there's anything to that, then I wouldn't be buying green bananas in the Kennedy household.

[copndor]

Benedict: according to you, Kennedy is Michael Moore is John Edwards is the "multi-culti" types. Now, we've all heard of the holy trinity, and some folks think that's a tough pill to swallow. But according to your political cult, the devil has even more parts: four in total. Now, I don't know about the rest of the folks here, but I think you'll have a tough time finding reasonable people to drink that kool-aid.

[Alasdair]

copndor - while I do not wish Senator Kennedy ill, I cannot help but reflect on the Dharmic nature of what he is about to undergo ... he and the political Party of which he is a significant and recognised leader have worked proudly and consistently to get in the way of and make problems for the types of R&D that could help him at this time ...

Benedict's statements could be at a better (ie more diplomatic time) but

1) Given Senator Kennedy's political positions and support, Benedict's comment is not unreasonable

2) His political stance has hardly endeared him to the big Pharma folk who have done the R&D that has gotten us meds that are miraculous by standards of more than 40 years ago ... and, as someone who benefits from such leading edge research results myself, I prefer to see it made easier for pharmaceutical companies to come up with better and more effective meds ... for any condition they can help with ...

3) Until reasonable Tort Reform gets through Congress, in spite of Senator Kennedy's Party, skilled doctors will continue to leave (or be driven out of) the profession by malpractice premium problems and by having to deal with frivolous lawsuits ... a very simple reform like "Loser Pays" would make a tremendous difference ...

None of the above are "kool-aid" ... each is based upon the experiences of many people ...

None of them are sufficient reason to deny Senator Kennedy the best care he can get ...

Each of the above is enough, however, to hope that Senator Kennedy and those who respect him and those who support him might just think a bit more before voting the way they do ...

So - while I hope he gets to speak at the Democratic Convention this summer, I also hope he gets to attend the Inaugural for President McCain in January, too !

[john]

There has been much press about the reduced health care quality (and especially speed) in socialized systems. However, whether our medical system becomes more capitalist or more socialist, celebrity politicians will never feel the bite of long wait times or reduced care quality.

Kennedy may not be Michael Moore, but he a fellow soldier in the battle against capitalism. No matter how far he pushes down the standard of care, he will never have to go to Canada for medical care... he will always have the best available care right here in the USA.

-pushing socialized medicine
-against tort reform

[john]

Alasdair hit it on the head.

[Sandy Underpants]

I think Kennedy's position in opposition of the Health Care financial structure doesn't void the fact that he has full health care coverage via the US Senate. I believe that he wants all Americans to have affordable health care. I don't agree with the current system either, but I still pay a ridiculous amount of money to Blue Shield every quarter, just in case. There is much that people disagree with, but they still have to partake in. For example, when President Obama is sworn in with a Democratic Congress and Democratic Senate, Judge Judith Sheindlin, Michael Moore, and Rosie O'Donnell awaiting their appointments to the Supreme Court, I'm sure Alisdair, Big Mama and the rest of the Republicans aren't going to disavow America. Although that would be one more thing to celebrate November 5th, if they do. :-P

[Joe Mama]

Sandy, "the rest of the Republicans" can always rejoice under your hypothetical scenario in the knowledge that a President Obama and a Democratic Congress will all but ensure the election of a once again divided gov't in 2010.

[Joe Mama]

Feel bad for anyone with a brain tumor, but of course, at 76, Teddy is ancient for a Kennedy . . .

[Alasdair]

Warning ! Scots Black Humour Alert !

Joe Mama - (with the hope that Senator Kennedy survives the brain tumour) if it should prove to be inoperable, then, at eventual autopsy, the pathologist could remove the first brain tumour *already* preserved in alcohol ...

[CORNHUSKERS 94 95 & 97]

I wish you the best Teddy

[The Governor of Cally Fornia]

It's not a tuma

[Angrier and Angrier]

It's much better to keep the status quo of our current health care system - limited competition and subsidizing the drug costs of every other industrialized nation - than to actually do something about it.