Sen. Ted Kennedy hospitalized in Boston after seizure
It was initially suspected that the longtime Democratic senator from Massachusetts had had a stroke. By day's end, a spokeswoman said, Kennedy was 'conscious, talking, joking with family.'
WASHINGTON — Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, a Democratic Party icon and a towering figure on the American political and cultural landscape, was rushed to a hospital this morning after apparently suffering a seizure at his home on Cape Cod, Mass.
Stephanie Cutter, a spokeswoman for the longtime Democratic senator, said it does not appear that Kennedy had a stroke, as initially suspected. She added that he is undergoing tests at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston to determine the cause of the seizure.
The 76-year-old Kennedy, leader of a storied political dynasty, was rushed from the family compound at Hyannisport, Mass., to Cape Cod Hospital at 9 a.m. He was evaluated there, and then airlifted to the hospital in Boston.
A Democratic Party aide confirmed that Kennedy suffered what they first believed were "stroke-like symptoms." Kennedy suffered one seizure in Cape Cod and a second while aboard the helicopter flight to Massachusetts General, the Boston Globe reported.
However, by the end of the day, Cutter said, Kennedy was "conscious, talking, joking with family."
Physicians continued to evaluate his condition, calling off a scheduled news briefing concerning his condition.
Family members said they remained "guardedly optimistic" that he would recover soon, and hospital officials said he was resting comfortably. Relatives visited the hospital, as did his Massachusetts colleague, Sen. John F. Kerry.
"He is currently under evaluation," Kennedy's office in Washington, D.C., said in a statement.
Kennedy was first elected to the Senate in 1962 to fill the seat left open when his brother, John F. Kennedy, won the presidency, and has been a key player in U.S. politics ever since. Most recently, he figured prominently into this year's Democratic race between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama with his endorsement of Obama.
Obama, campaigning today in Eugene, Ore., praised Kennedy during an appearance at a hospital.
"As I have said many times before, Ted Kennedy is a giant in American political history," Obama said. "He has done more for the healthcare of others than just about anybody in history and so we are going to be rooting for him and I insist on being optimistic about how it's going to turn out."
Clinton also issued a statement, saying: "My thoughts and prayers are with Ted Kennedy and his family today. We all wish him well and a quick recovery."
