Kennedy Hospitalized

by hilzoy

CNN:

"Sen. Edward Kennedy was rushed to a hospital in Massachusetts Saturday morning, his office confirmed.

Kennedy was transferred to Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston for evaluation after initial treatment at Cape Cod Hospital, a statement from his office said.

The senator spent less than an hour in the Cape Cod facility, hospital spokesman David Reilly said.

Massachusetts General said it had no information on Kennedy.

A well-informed Democratic source in Massachusetts said the 76-year-old senator had "symptoms of a stroke" at the Kennedy family compound in Hyannis Port."

Lots of people go directly to Mass General to see their regular doctor; when you're transferred to MGH, however, it's normally because something is very serious, and you need the best care you can get.

My best wishes are with the Senator and his family.

Comments

[Gary Farber]

The initial reports all said he had suffered a stroke, or an apparent stroke.

That's now switched to "apparently suffering a seizure" and "One person close to the family said that after an initial scare, Kennedy intimates were reasonably optimistic Mr. Kennedy would recover quickly and fully. Another family friend described his medical condition as serious but not life-threatening."

[Gary Farber]

Any chance of a weekend open thread, even though the weekend is half over?

Or is everyone out for the afternoon? Sure is quiet around here.

[russell]

Or is everyone out for the afternoon? Sure is quiet around here.

To stray briefly OT...

Here in New England it's finally nice enough to be outside.

Mowed and raked the lawn.
Sprayed the maple and cherry trees for winter moth caterpillars.
Put down a dose of Milky Spore for the grubs.
Treated some rogue trumpet vine with RoundUp.
Filled the bird feeders, including some fresh Niger for the goldfinches.
Dug about 35 small holes for my wife to fill with perennials. Hit hardly any rocks, which must be some kind of a record. Around here we call them "New England potatoes".

Now it's time for an ice cold Harpoon cider.

That was my day! No doubt TMI, but you did ask.

Back OT: best wishes to Kennedy and his family.

Thanks -

[PopeRatzo]

Teddy has been kick-ass for generations. Funny that he's the Kennedy who has come through for us time and time again.

I hope he's OK.

[Phil]

I'm on my way out to a 50th anniversary party for my old college radio station, at which Is served as general manager for a year and spent countless hours on the air in various capacities. Hope to see lots of old friends there. Hope everyone has a great weekend, and here's to a speedy recovery for Sen. Kennedy.

[Bobbski]

Likely was a TIA.

[Hartmut]

Puh, For a moment I thought the headline was referring to SCOTUS judge Kennedy and the (dreadful) prospect of Bush having the chance to nominate a 3rd new one during his presidency. Prtetty relieved that this is not the case.
I hope the honourable senator will be well soon.

[Sean M. Brooks]

Dear Hilzoy: I trust you are well.

Like you, I hope Senator Kennedy gets well. But I dont like him. And never have. So, I frankly hope he resigns for reasons of health.

Kennedy has been of the worst Senators the we have had. I've disagreed with him on practically all policy matters.

Sincerely, Sean

[Gary Farber]

"Kennedy has been of the worst Senators the we have had. I've disagreed with him on practically all policy matters."

Sean, it's not clear how the first sentence I quote -- an objective claim -- is supported only by the fact that you disagree with him. Do you have any sort of objective metric we might all consider and discuss as to how we might judge what makes a Senator better or worse?

Or were you not trying to offer something we can discuss, but simply proclaiming a personal opinion we should nod at and then ignore, since there's nothing objective for us to discuss, which is fine?

I have a long list of Senators I consider bad for the country, but I wouldn't expect you to find it persuasive or interesting if I simply listed them and gave as my only reason that I disagree with them on most policy matters. That wouldn't leave anything to usefully discuss, other than, perhaps, how foolish or not I am as a matter of opinion, which isn't the sort of discussion I regard as productive.

Here's a starter for possible discussion.

I take it you objected to deregulation of the airline and trucking industries, doing away with country-by-country quotas on immigration, the Americans With Disabilities Act, the Family and Medical Leave Act, portable medical leave, the 1965 Elementary and Secondary Education Act, the College Affordability and Access Act of 2007, combating global AIDS, and oppose more cancer treatment and prevention, just among the many issues to throw out for starters.

Care to discuss why?

[Jim Parish]

It's a malignant brain tumor.

[russell]

It's a malignant brain tumor.

Crap. What lousy news.

Could someone please delete my vapid, chatty garden chore post upthread? I'm embarrassed to have it here. I'm not sure what I was thinking.

Best wishes to Kennedy and his family.

Thanks -