Fears and tears for Kennedy

Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor that doctors found after he suffered a seizure over the weekend, stunning his colleagues on Capitol Hill.

A statement released by Kennedy’s staff Tuesday from Dr. Lee Schwamm, vice chairman of the Massachusetts General Hospital’s neurology department, and Dr. Larry Ronan, the senator’s primary care physician, said a biopsy of Kennedy’s brain revealed “a malignant glioma in the left parietal lobe” and that the senator and his family were considering treatment options.

{mosads}The doctors said the usual treatment called for radiation and chemotherapy, and that Kennedy would stay at the hospital “for the next couple of days.”

The 76-year-old liberal icon’s sudden condition sent an emotional earthquake through the U.S. Senate. Members from both parties offered prayers and kind words for the third-longest-serving U.S. senator in history. Speech turned somber, conversations muted to whispers, and several senators cried softly as they spoke of the news that spread through the hall at mid-day.

Kennedy remained at Massachusetts General. The illness came six months after he underwent surgery for a narrowed carotid artery in his neck.

While the doctors made clear that Kennedy’s particular prognosis is unknown, patients suffering from malignant glioma generally face poor odds of survival for more than a few years. The prognosis is worse for older people.

The National Cancer Institute (NCI) reports that the five-year survival rate for white males with brain cancer was 31.8 percent, based on information collected between 1975 and 2000.

But for white men aged 65 to 74 who were diagnosed with brain cancer in 2000, the five-year survival rate was 5.6 percent, according to the NCI.

Democrats led a chorus of praise for Kennedy and prayers for his health, with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) offering “our affection, our love and our prayers” on the chamber’s behalf. Reid then introduced Kennedy’s friend, Sen. Chris Dodd (D-Conn.), who spoke briefly before stepping aside and crying softly.

Kennedy’s Bay State colleague, Sen. John Kerry (D), told reporters he had visited Kennedy over the weekend and that the senator was in good spirits.

“He’s helped millions and millions of people, in so many ways, at so many different times, from the biggest of the legislation on the floor to the most personal,” Kerry said. “Now, everybody needs to do that on behalf of Ted.”

Republican senators learned Tuesday’s news from their BlackBerrys during the GOP’s weekly policy lunch. Senators described a scene of stunned quiet, followed by a group prayer led by Sen. Sam Brownback (R-Kan.).

Most Republicans offered quiet praise for one of their most storied adversaries.

“It will surprise many people across the country that Republicans have as much affection for Ted Kennedy as they do for any other member of the Senate,” said Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), chairman of the Senate Republican Conference. “The Senate is a close family, and he’s one of the most-liked.”

Kennedy has at least one colleague whose very presence offers hope — Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Pa.), who survived brain tumors in 1993 and 1996. Specter issued an emotional address on the Senate floor that termed the news “devastating” and recalled that he was once given only six weeks to live.

“I’ve been there,” said Specter, who last month announced that his Hodgkin’s disease has also recurred. “I note in the press release that it says, ‘How well patients fare depends on what specific tumor type is determined by further testing.’ The diagnosis for me for a malignant brain tumor turned out to be incorrect.”

In the House, one of Kennedy’s three sons, Rep. Patrick Kennedy (D-R.I.), was absent from votes and said through a spokesman that he is “hopeful and comforted by the fact that his dad is a fighter and has a great zest for life.”

At the White House, President Bush was informed by aides at 1:20 p.m., and issued a later statement saluting Kennedy as “a man of tremendous courage, remarkable strength, and powerful spirit.” Bush and Kennedy worked together on the No Child Left Behind law and immigration legislation.

“Our thoughts are with Sen. Kennedy and his family during this difficult period,” Bush said.
Presumptive GOP presidential nominee Sen. John McCain (Ariz.), who is also close to Kennedy and co-authored the failed immigration legislation with him, issued a statement describing Kennedy as “the last lion in the Senate.”

“I have held that view because he remains the single most effective member of the Senate,” McCain said.

Sen. Robert Byrd (D-W.Va.), who is 90 and the longest-serving member of the Senate, broke down in tears on the chamber’s floor, causing spectators and reporters to stop and watch from TV monitors throughout the building.

In a quivering voice, Byrd intoned, “Ted, Ted, my dear friend, I love you. … Thank God for you, Ted, thank God for you.”

In the House, news of Kennedy’s illness began reaching members as they went to the floor for a vote after a caucus meeting. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) told reporters she received the news in a phone call from Patrick Kennedy.

“I have confidence, because Sen. Kennedy has been a fighter for all his life,” Pelosi said. “I know that fighting spirit will serve him well now.”

Mike Soraghan, Jared Allen, Jeffrey Young and Manu Raju contributed to this article.