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Senator Edward Kennedy Diagnosed With Malignant Brain Tumor

Aired May 20, 2008 - 14:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: CNN breaking news. We're at the top of the hour. You're in the NEWSROOM with Don Lemon and Brianna Keilar.
Our breaking news this afternoon, Ted Kennedy has been diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor. He was taken to the hospital just this Saturday after suffering a seizure, taken to Massachusetts general hospital and news within the last hour that he has been diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor.

CNN's Dan Lothian is outside the hospital in Boston where the senator has been since Saturday.

What exactly, Dan, are doctors saying to you?

DAN LOTHIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, doctors are not saying anything in addition to that statement that was released. And you talked about that, how they have diagnosed that he does have a malignant tumor in the left part of his brain.

They said that the unusual course of action would be radiation and chemotherapy for treatment. But they pointed out in that statement that they would continue with further testing, determine what the course of action should be. And in that statement the doctors also saying that he remains in good spirits and, of course, full of energy.

Now, let's just rewind again to how this all started.

It started Saturday morning. The senator had gone for a walk with his dogs, returned home, and then a 9-1-1 call was made.

Ambulances picked him up from his home. An ambulance, rather, and took him to Cape Cod Hospital. And the report at the time was that he was suffering from what appeared to be stroke-like symptoms. And that was what we were operating under throughout much of the morning. He was later airlifted by helicopter here to Massachusetts General Hospital for further testing.

We pretty much went throughout the day without getting any additional information other than the fact that it didn't appear that he had gotten a stroke. Late in the evening, we did get a release from his primary care physician, and he pointed out and confirmed that he did not have a stroke, but instead had suffered a seizure, and that he would be undergoing further testing to try and determine what caused that seizure, and then figure out the best course of treatment for that seizure. What was unusual about this, as we went by each hour, and, of course, each day, there was a lot of speculation as to why, if only he had this single seizure, was he not released from the hospital, and also why the doctors did not release any additional information. We have not heard from his primary care doctors until today, from that first statement that was sent out.

And so today you heard a lot of speculation. People were talking about the fact that perhaps this was much more serious than initially thought.

Now, I also want to jump on something in the conversation that you were having with Candy earlier about, you know, how people look up to Senator Kennedy, and certainly there are a lot of divisions, political divisions, whether you're on the left or on the right. But we haven't had a chance to talk to folks around here since the announcement came out. But when the news first broke that he was ill, people were coming around us and asking us what was happening, and you heard things like, you know, "We're so sad that this is happening to him, because we really consider him an icon."

And one gentleman pointed out to me, telling me that, you know, he was really a champion for working class people. He really did a lot to help senior citizens. He did a lot in terms of health care issues.

And so these are no doubt the kinds of things that you will hear from folks as this story trickles out. A lot of people do respect him a lot and feel like he has done a lot for them.

LEMON: And Dan, I want to continue with that. You bring up some very good points there.

I was talking to Candy Crowley just a while ago, talking about how he championed civil rights legislation, the Family and Medical Leave Act, Americans with disabilities, all of these things. And then one person calling him -- John McCain called him the last lion in the Senate.

You were giving some color there at the hospital in talking, and of course you wear two hats here, Dan. You're at the hospital, but you're also very adept at covering political stories, as you do all the time.

I just want to talk to you about what was happening and then get you to respond to it. Some Democrats and Republicans were in their weekly closed policy lunches on Capitol Hill when the news broke. And here's what we're being told, and this is from our producers on the Hill.

They're saying, "Majority Leader Harry Reid announced the news to his Democratic colleagues. 'The wind was taken out of the room,' said one senator. 'There was stunned silence,' said another one."

"Capitol police officers and Senate staffers gathered around TVs just off the Senate floor and watched the breaking news on CNN. Kennedy friend John Kerry arrived late and entered a back door to the lunch. He looked drained, he declined to comment about the news, except to nod yes when asked if he had spoken to Kennedy's family."

Dick Durbin releasing a statement and spoke quietly on his cell phone there. Senator Kent Conrad predicted if anyone would overcome this illness, Kennedy would. And Frank Lautenberg from New Jersey said, "Ted Kennedy makes the Senate the place that it is and has for so many years."

LOTHIAN: That's right. And you're so right. I mean, and the well regards and the greetings that have been coming here to the hospital by phone over the past couple of days have been coming from both sides of the aisle.

In fact, yesterday, Senator Kennedy, at least a call was placed from President Bush to the hospital here. The president was trying to reach Senator Kennedy, but we were told that he was not available at the time, which again sort of raised some suspicions that he was not able to take the president's call.

So we were kind of speculating, perhaps he was in surgery, undergoing some kind of treatment at the time. Because if it was just something like he had gone to the rest room, for instance, he would have been able to come out and take the president's call. But certainly the president had reached out to Senator Kennedy and spoke with his wife, Vicki, who was the one that answered the phone.

So you're right. There are the political lines there on the Republican side, the Democratic side, but certainly a lot of respect for Senator Kennedy up on Capitol Hill and in this community as well.

LEMON: All right. Dan Lothian at the hospital where Senator Ted Kennedy is now, and we're told is resting comfortably.

Dan, thank you very much for that. And also, we're just getting word from our political people, Dan, and to our viewers that possibly Speaker Nancy Pelosi will come out to make a statement very shortly about this. And as soon as that happens, we'll bring it to you right here in the CNN NEWSROOM -- Brianna.

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN ANCHOR: And Don, Senator Ted Kennedy, of course, a liberal icon in Washington, all across the United States. We got some perspective earlier from our senior political correspondent, Candy Crowley. She talked about his career.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CANDY CROWLEY, CNN SR. POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, obviously, this is a senior statesman in the Democratic Party. He is the second longest-serving member of the Senate. And he's an icon.

He's a liberal icon. And he comes from a platinum name in politics. He's the youngest brother of John Kennedy and Bobby Kennedy.

Politically, you know, I'm not sure at this point anybody's even looking at that. I mean, this is not good news, clearly, but from what we can tell from the hospital reports, he's watching baseball games, as you mentioned, and talking with his family.

Nonetheless, he is a powerful, powerful figure in the Democratic Party. Probably the most effective legislator of the past century, really. There are very few at this point that could match Kennedy's record on a number of things -- health care, minimum wage. He's given credit for pushing so many of those things through the Senate.

So, again, he is -- you know, his record is very clear. But I'm sure right now, what most people in the Senate who know him very, very well, because he's been there so long, and they do look to him for advice, are looking at sort of the personal aspect of this.

But I will tell you that it's also -- it's not just Democrats, it's Republicans, because Kennedy also has a reputation of working for compromise. Has always said, listen, I'd rather get something than nothing. So he has reached across the aisle. He has a reputation for that.

So this is something that will hit both the Democrats as well as the Republicans.

KEILAR: So, as you said, Candy, he's a very powerful...

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: That conversation with our Candy Crowley just moments ago.

Mitch McConnell, who is the Senate minority leader, speaking now. Let's listen in.

(JOINED IN PROGRESS)

SEN. MITCH MCCONNELL (R), MINORITY LEADER: ... and sadness to all of our members.

With regard to this week in the Senate, the fundamental question before us is, are we going to get funds for the troops in Afghanistan and Iraq? It's a rather convoluted process, but what our concerns are, this week in the Senate, securing the funds requested by the president for our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.

LEMON: All right. Obviously the Senate minority leader speaking there. Earlier, I'm pretty sure he made some remarks about Ted Kennedy. But as you know, Ted Kennedy would probably want, being in the Senate for so long -- he would want business as usual, business to go on and politics to go on.

KEILAR: Well, sure. And what you're watching there is the stakeout after the policy lunches. Both the Democrats and the Republicans have their policy lunches, they kind of discuss what is on the table at that point, and then they come out and they give comments. So that's why you heard him talking there about policy.

LEMON: Yes, and obviously a very busy day here.

When you hear someone like Ted Kennedy, who John McCain said was one of the last lions in the Senate, and also from a political dynasty, when you get that news, obviously it is huge, it is breaking news. And over the years, the Kennedy family has made lots of friends with people in politics, inside and outside of politics. They have been in that business for so long.

And one friend that they made is Peter Fenn. And he is a Democratic strategist. He has known the family for years. I'm not sure if he has spoken to the family, but he joins us now by telephone.

Obviously this is a crushing blow to anyone who knows Ted Kennedy, and also to anyone who is in politics as well, Mr. Fenn.

PETER FENN, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: It's a terrible blow. It's very difficult, I think, for those who not only know him personally, but those of know as his work. And as Candy just said, is crossing the aisles to work with people of all political stripes.

But for those of us who have known him a long time, my father worked in the White House for John Kennedy. I worked in his 1962 campaign, his very first campaign to the United States Senate as a young boy. And this is -- it's awfully hard to take this kind of news. And all we hope for, of course, is that the senator will win this battle, as he's won so many others.

LEMON: Yes. And folks in the Senate just moments ago, and I'm sure you heard Candy Crowley speak about it, said if anyone can overcome this, it would be Ted Kennedy. Because he has lived with and dealt with so much, Mr. Fenn.

FENN: He has. And I remember again as a young boy listening to the reports of the plane crash in the early '60s where they thought that he would not make it and where he had to be hospitalized for months. And, of course, he pulled out of that to become, as everybody says, one of the giants of the United States Senate.

LEMON: Yes. And I'm not sure I'm hearing you there. And correct me if I'm wrong. Obviously you're shaken up. You're OK today?

FENN: Yes. I think a lot of people are shaken up. But we have to show the courage that he shows, I think, in the coming -- coming days and weeks.

LEMON: Yes. Have you spoken to other people who know Ted Kennedy? Again, I don't think you've spoken to the family today at all, but others who know Ted Kennedy, what are they saying to you, sir?

FENN: Well, I think a lot of people were shocked over the weekend to hear the news. But they -- I think everybody felt that he was going to be OK, you know?

Everybody's always thinking that -- that the worst isn't going to happen. And I think hopefully it won't happen. But I think today is a tough day for people, because obviously this is a very difficult diagnosis to take for -- as I say, for his friends, for obviously his very close family and very extended family. And for people around the world.

LEMON: What's next for you as someone who is a friend of the Kennedy family and specifically Ted Kennedy?

FENN: I think all we can do is to offer our hopes and prayers for him, and to -- to just hope that he pulls this out, just like he's pulled out so many other tough situations.

LEMON: All right.

Peter Fenn, who is a Democratic strategist, but more importantly is a friend, a longtime friend, to the Kennedy family and to Ted Kennedy.

Thank you, sir.

FENN: Thank you.

KEILAR: Senator Ted Kennedy, of course, a very powerful Democrat in Washington. A liberal icon, as we heard Candy Crowley call him.

We're actually awaiting at this point a press conference from Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi, as well as Senator John Kerry, Senator Christopher Dodd. But even though Ted Kennedy is a Democrat, he was known -- he is known for cooperating, really, with Republicans. So this news of his illness is reverberating with Democrats and Republicans as well.

We heard a short time ago from Mitch McConnell, Senate minority leader.

Let's listen to what he said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MCCONNELL: I'll say at the outset, it was a rather somber lunch today of Senate Republicans. We had a prayer for Senator Kennedy and for his family.

Our concerns go out to his wife, Vicki, and all the members of the Kennedy family who have experienced so much tragedy in their lives. That prayer included obviously hoping for the best and for a speedy recovery for our colleague, Senator Kennedy. And I know I speak for every Republican in the conference that this was a -- a development of a great concern and sadness to all of our members.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KEILAR: That's Senator Mitch McConnell, Senate minority leader, a Republican, obviously, talking about his thoughts being with Senator Ted Kennedy and the Kennedy family. Those were actually scheduled remarks that are normally made after the Republican policy lunch on days like this.

And let's talk now about Senator Kennedy's career. He has -- it's been marked by success as well as scandal. He is the second- longest serving member of the Senate behind Robert Byrd of West Virginia.

Let's bring in now our senior political analyst, Gloria Borger, for more on -- it's really a long and a storied political career, Gloria.

GLORIA BORGER, CNN SR. POLITICAL ANALYST: It really is. And in listening to everything everyone said this morning, and hearing Senator Mitch McConnell, you know, I think we have to remind our viewers that the Senate is a very small place. There are 100 members.

And when you talk to people in the Senate about Ted Kennedy -- and I remember doing this with former Senate majority leader Tom Daschle when I was doing a piece on Ted Kennedy. And he reminded me that when something goes wrong in the Senate, in your own family, the first person on the line was always Ted Kennedy to call a fellow colleague and say, how are you doing? How are you holding up? Is there anything I can do for you? What can I do?

And he said to me -- and this was after John Jr. had been killed in the airplane crash. He said to me, you know, Ted Kennedy always knows how to put his arms around us. But it's very hard sometimes for us to put our arms around Ted Kennedy, because he's always so busy thinking about how we're doing that it's very hard for us to be able to get inside there and be able to sort of console him.

And now I think they're -- they're all trying to do that, because there have been so many kindnesses over the years that we don't know about -- those private phone calls, those visits to children in the hospital, those visits to colleagues in the hospital, that you see this kind of outpouring on both sides of the aisle because, you know, he's not just a terrific legislator, he's also been a friend to most of these people, no matter whether they disagree on policy or not.

KEILAR: And I'm wondering, you said people say that it's difficult to put their arms around Ted Kennedy, to really give him some comfort. Is there a bit of a wall around him because he comes...

BORGER: Sure.

KEILAR: ... from such a prominent family?

BORGER: Sure.

KEILAR: And as well, is there a wall of staff around him?

BORGER: Well, there is. And also, don't forget, Ted Kennedy is the patriarch of a family that has endured so much of over the years.

And in a way, you know, this is the Kennedy that we've watched age. We didn't get to watch a lot of other Kennedys age. And so he has probably -- and I'm -- I can't speak for him, but clearly there have been so many times when people consoled him and tried to.

And, you know, it's very difficult, and only his family probably knows how to do that. But my point really is that he has always been there. Whenever you talk to other senators and they've been going through something, they always say, you know who the first call I got was from? It was from Ted Kennedy.

KEILAR: That's very interesting, Gloria. Thanks so much for shedding some light on that -- Don.

LEMON: Well, we've been waiting, as you reported, Brianna, to hear from Christopher Dodd, also John Kerry, and then House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to come out and give a press conference to talk about Ted Kennedy.

As you heard Gloria Borger saying, you know, this man is revered in Washington. And regardless of what side of the aisle you're on, obviously people respect him because he has been there so long, and he has fought the fight in many ways.

So we're waiting for a press conference from them to talk about all of this. Obviously, if we can get a live picture, this is the microphone. These are the microphones that they're going to step up to -- there she is right there, Nancy Pelosi.

Let's listen in.

REP. NANCY PELOSI (D-CA), HOUSE SPEAKER: Good afternoon.

Earlier today, I received a call from our colleague, Patrick Kennedy, about the news of his father's health. That news has been met throughout the country with great concern.

I have confidence, though, because Senator Kennedy has been a fighter all his life. He is a fighter. A fighter for our children, for our workers, for our seniors. He is a champion fighting for health care for all Americans. I know that that fighting spirit will hold him in good stead in the challenge that he faces now.

I know I speak for all of my colleagues when I say that our prayers and thoughts and good wishes are with Senator Kennedy, with his wife, Vicki, with our colleague Patrick, his son, and with the entire Kennedy family.

We're here this afternoon to talk about a visit that we made to Israel to observe the 60th anniversary of the establishment of the state of Israel. Being a member of Congress, we are afforded many opportunities and privileges. I can't think of any that surpasses the privilege of joining together in a bipartisan way to bring the good wishes of this Congress and congratulations of the American people to the people of Israel, again, on the establishment of the state of Israel 60 years ago.

I want to recognize our distinguished delegation that traveled on the trip. Our distinguished majority leader, Steny Hoyer... LEMON: OK. Nancy Pelosi starting this press event here talking about Ted Kennedy and saying that her prayers go out to the family and also to his wife, Vicki. And then as you heard with Mitch McConnell, they're on with their business, thinking about Ted Kennedy, but as he would probably want it, he wants the people's work to continue to go on. Nancy Pelosi ending there talking about Israel and the 60th anniversary of Israel as a state there.

Prayers and thoughts for Ted Kennedy. And we want to tell you this, because lots of people have very personal feelings and relationships with Ted Kennedy, and people take pictures with him and they have fond memories of him, and stories. And if you want to share them, you can share them at iReport.com or CNN.com/ireport, and we would love to get some of those very good feelings and thoughts and pictures out about Ted Kennedy on our air, as he is dealing with these troubled times in his life right now.

So if you feel the urge, go to ireport.com.

KEILAR: And we just heard Nancy Pelosi speaking. We've heard Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell speaking.

We're going to be hearing Senator Chris Dodd speaking. I believe we're also awaiting comments from Senator John Kerry, as well, who you see there on the right side of the screen. This is the normal briefing from Democrats in the Senate after their policy lunch. We saw Republicans start theirs by talking about Ted Kennedy.

Let's listen in to Democrats.

SEN. HARRY REID (D-NV), MAJORITY LEADER: We realize that the Senate really is a family. We, as a family, are tremendously concerned about Senator Kennedy, his health. He's a model of public service, and truly an American icon.

Anyone who knows Ted Kennedy knows that he's a fighter. He has a work ethic like no other and has risen to every challenge he's faced, and he's had plenty of challenges. And we're confident that he will rise to this one as well.

It's no surprise when I talked to Vicki this afternoon at 1:00 that she said he's walking today with a step -- bounce in his step he hasn't had in a long time. He's in really good spirits, has lots of energy.

He knows how we feel about him without our even telling him. And he knows that. And so we stand as a body and certainly a Democratic family with our affection, our love, and our prayers with Senator Ted Kennedy. We are confident of his recovery.

As we look back, we've seen the things he's gone through. Of course the thing I always remember is the stunning speech that goes down as one of the most remarkable in the history of our country, speaking at the funeral of his brother Bobby. I can remember that day so clearly. And now to be here serving with him really is something that's truly amazing. I have with me today his Senate colleague, of course, Senator Kerry, and frankly his best friend that he has in the Senate, a couple of pals. They have a reputation for being inseparable and have been since Senator Dodd came to the Senate, and then even before that. So we're going to hear first from Senator Dodd to say a word, and then...

SEN. CHRIS DODD (D), CONNECTICUT: Well, let me just thank...

(CROSSTALK)

DODD: Well, let me thank Senator Reid, first of all, for his gracious comments about our colleague. And just very confident. He's a strong guy, and has great heart. And we're confident he's going to be back here.

So we wish he and Vicki and the family well.

SEN. JOHN KERRY (D), MASSACHUSETTS: Well, 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 ever have to face such a situation once. And every one of us knows what a big heart this fellow has.

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, when he would call you and help arrange a discussion with a bunch of doctors to talk about a wife who was sick, or a child, or any number of things. Now everybody needs to do that on behalf of Ted. Everybody needs to pull for him and his family and remember that this guy is one unbelievable fighter.

Over the weekend I saw him. He's in a fighting mood. He is asking questions about what the choices are for him. He's deeply involved in making all the kinds of personal decisions that any of you would.

And I think one of the most important things here for all of us to try to do is remember that, even as this man, who is a living legend, who represents so much of our history is going through this, we all need to try to give the family privacy. We really need to try to do that.

And we need to recognize and respect the unbelievable tower of strength that he draws from Vicki, from each of his children, who have been with him over the weekend, from his unbelievably loving and caring family. And that family is a big extended family of Americans and of people all over the world.

So we're pulling for our pal. And I know that he is determined to fight this, because he wants to continue to fight for the people of Massachusetts, and he wants to continue to fight for the things he believes here in the United States Senate and in the country.

Thank you, all.

REID: We'll leave questions to another time. KEILAR: There you just heard the Democrats in the Senate holding what are normally scheduled comments after their policy lunch. Today, they did not talk policy, they were talking about Senator Ted Kennedy, their colleague and their friend.

We heard from Senator Christopher Dodd, who is a very good -- I guess you could say pal of Senator Kennedy. And he kept his comments very short. He was definitely getting choked up there, but he stressed that Senator Kennedy has a great heart, and obviously that he's backing Senator Kennedy in his recovery.

We also heard from Senator John Kerry, the junior senator from Massachusetts. Junior, obviously, to Senator Kennedy, and he said that Kennedy is determined to fight this so that he can continue to fight for what he believes in.

LEMON: Yes. And a very interesting moment there. Not often do you see those guys, those big guys, you know, and usually towers of strength, break down as they did. And as Christopher Dodd was leaving the mike, obviously had a very emotional moment there as well.

KEILAR: Sure.

LEMON: And Harry Reid did as well before John Kerry walked on.

KEILAR: It's as if you see Chris Dodd as -- not as a senator, so much as a friend of someone who is going through...

LEMON: Right.

KEILAR: I mean, so many of us know people who have been touched, unfortunately, by an illness or by cancer, and you could see he was there as a friend...

LEMON: Yes.

KEILAR: ... talking about his friend, Ted Kennedy.

LEMON: The very human side of politics, shall we say.

KEILAR: Sure.

LEMON: Also someone, Brianna, who is very familiar with the Kennedy family and with Ted Kennedy is Bob Mann. He's a former press secretary. He joins us now by telephone.

Sir, have you spoken to the family?

BOB MANN, FMR. PRESS SECRETARY FOR SENATOR KENNEDY: No, but I have talked to someone on the ground up there, and they -- we really don't know any more than what we learned from television. But I would agree with Senator Kerry. Senator Kennedy has met adversity before. To draw an analogy for Senator Reid, who's a former boxer, if you had a boxing match and adversity was in one corner and Ted Kennedy was in the other, I think I would bet my money on Ted Kennedy. He is beloved in my state of Texas. He's been down here many times. Five weeks ago, ironically, he endorsed Barack Obama for president on the campus of Texas State University of San Marcos of which Lyndon Johnson is a graduate.

And ironically, Ted Kennedy, before 3,000 screaming, adoring young people, endorsed a black man for president just 50 yards down the hill from where Lyndon Johnson, who enacted much of the Kennedy civil rights legislation, had gone to school in (INAUDIBLE) on that campus in San Marcos.

That was in late February. Senator Kennedy was in great shape. He was just full of energy. Students rushed to the stage. He worked the crowd, leaning over and signing autographs, and shaking hands, and delivered an appropriate speech.

But again, those of us who have a history in Texas, could not help but note the irony that 50 yards up the way was where Lyndon Johnson learned about civil rights and equality and intellectual pursuit. And here we were, 40, 50 years later with Ted Kennedy endorsing an African-American for president on the same campus where Lyndon Johnson -- who later joined with the Kennedys in terms of moving forward civil rights.

So we are hopeful that he goes forth and he has more vigor than any man I've ever known or any woman. And we shall see what comes next.

LEMON: And Bob, it's not surprising that Senator Ted Kennedy, if you look at it from -- in the main, from the big picture -- would support an African-American, considering his family's history when it comes to civil rights and for equal rights.

I want to talk to you though about -- since you know him and you're a former press secretary, some personal moments that you might be able to share with our viewers, because not many people probably knew Ted Kennedy or knows Ted Kennedy as intimately as you do, especially as a friend.

MANN: Well, I went to work for him in the 1980s, and I had never met him before and joined his staff, other that be a short interview. I think probably one of the people I owe for having that honor is Senator Chris Dodd, who I had known when he was in the House. And he and Senator Kennedy of course are extremely close. I worked with him and Senator Kerry some during those years.

I came back to Texas a number of times with Senator Kennedy. He loves the state. He's as big as Texas with that booming voice and that dynamic way of speaking. I shall never forget the time I took him in south Texas to a tiny border town, I think it was Rio Grande City, in a town of about 3,000 or 4,000 people. And I think something like 8,000 people showed up in the gymnasium. Then Texas land commissioner Gary Mauro introduced him and the response was just overwhelming.

There are many things with respect to adversity. He -- I had a knee injury once and I had only been with the staff for a short while. The first call I had when I got out of surgery was from Senator Kennedy. So John Kerry and Chris Dodd and Senator Reid were absolutely correct. He comes to know every member of his staff. He helps them when they have issues. He is of course extremely demanding, accustomed to the best work. And when you work for Ted Kennedy, everything else is easy. But part of that is because he makes you the best you can be.

And he practices exactly what -- he arrives there walking down the hall with him, he'll say -- he'd say, OK, Bob, what's cracking? What's cracking? Let's get cracking. And he would never slow down. He would still be doing stop-byes with former staff people late into the day. He was a gracious host at his home. He loved to kid people. But he treated the -- the rookie staff person with the same respect and included new people with senior policy people.

He is a great editor and a great writer himself. My first experience with -- with his strategic thinking, I had written some thank you letters for signature (ph) to people at a TV station. And it came back with the word "ugh" written on it. He said, I can't believe you're writing similar letters to three different people. So he had me individualize the letters.

He was vivid about wanting to stay in touch with his constituents in Massachusetts. I think so many senators when you become a national figure, sort of forget about the people back home. A week would not go by where Ted Kennedy would say, where's the news letter? And I would give him the copy. Then he'd say, when is it going out?

He had written me about 30 notes over a period of several years about the newsletter and my assistant has saved them for me and had them framed. And at my going away party in front of about 200 members of the press corps, he presented me with the sometimes nasty notes he'd written me about the newsletter.

LEMON: Well Bob -- Bob Mann, who is the former press secretary, we appreciate those very personal moments here. And of course -- he's still with us.

MANN: Well -- and I think he will be. Again, if adversity is in the other corner, I'd bet my money on Ted Kennedy. He's the most vibrant, the most honest, the most courageous man I've ever known.

LEMON: Bob Mann, former press secretary to Ted Kennedy.

We appreciate that. Thank you for joining us today -- in what must be a tough day for people who know Ted Kennedy personally. Thanks, again.

Coming up. Dr. Wendy Wright specializes in neurology and neurosurgery at Emory University and she's sitting right here to my left. She's going to join us to talk about treatment, and to talk about survival and anything you want to know about a brain tumor. She's going to tell us about it coming up, here in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PELOSI: Earlier today, I received a call from our colleague, Patrick Kennedy, about the news of his father's health. That news has been met throughout the country with great concern. I have confidence, though, because Senator Kennedy has been a fighter all his life. He is a fighter; a fighter for our children, for our workers, for our seniors. He is a champion fighting for health care for all Americans.

I know that that fighting spirit will hold him in goodstead in the challenge that he faces now. I know I speak for all of my colleagues when I say that our prayers and thoughts and good wishes are with Senator Kennedy, with his wife, Vicki, with our colleague Patrick, his son, and with the entire Kennedy family.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KEILAR: That was House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, obviously talking about she had heard from Patrick Kennedy, a Congressman from Rhode Island, the son of Senator Ted Kennedy. We've just learned here in the last hour or so that Ted Kennedy has a brain tumor. That news coming to us from Massachusetts General Hospital where he has been since Saturday when he suffered a seizure, the first sign that something was the matter there.

And, of course, even though Ted Kennedy is a Democrat, really a liberal icon, news of his illness is reverberating across the U.S., across Washington, with both Democrats and Republicans and that means also that we're getting reaction from the White House.

So let's go now to CNN's Ed Henry.

And Ed, you've been on the Hill. You've covered the Hill for quite a long time. I'm just wondering -- you've covered the Hill for quite a long time before going to the White House -- I'm just wondering what special memories you have of Kennedy when you were on the Hill.

ED HENRY, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well certainly listening to Chris Dodd -- I think that was one of the more emotional moments. I think a lot of people who have covered the Hill could hear in his voice that it was cracking.

These two leaders have been working together on legislation for a long time. But let's also not gloss over the fact that in the 1980s Chris Dodd and Ted Kennedy were both bachelors and there were a lot of negative headlines about some of their evenings out on the town, let's say, in Washington. That's part of the story, we shouldn't leave that out. But both of them got married later in life, and in recent years Dodd and Kennedy have both really sort of refocused their lives and there's been a lot written about that.

And when you heard Chris Dodd speaking emotionally, I think that really came through, what others had said before him, about the Senate being a small group -- Gloria Borger was making this point -- almost like a family. And I think as well, another side that people don't always see from covering that Capitol is that Ted Kennedy's sense of humor. I don't think this should be all morbid and just about the negative side of it. You can hear people speaking positively.

This is someone with a great sense of humor. Every year on the Hill, he throws a Christmas party that the press is invited to, other senators are invited to. And every year Ted Kennedy dresses up in a different costume. One year I remember he dressed up as King Kong. Another year, he dressed up as Austin Powers, because one of the "Austin Powers" movies was out. So you can only imagine Ted Kennedy trying to fit into an Austin powers costume and make all kinds of very silly jokes.

So there's a serious side to this man, but there's also, in terms of his legislation and his career, but he's somebody who, on the Hill -- it really is a family and you -- he's always in some difficult moments in the Senate, has tried to lighten things up a bit. And I bet he'd be the first one who would be reaching out to a colleague in a time like this, but at the same time, trying to make the best of the situation.

And finally, of course, President Bush, we're moments away, we think, from the president putting out a written statement. But earlier, Dana Perino told us, "The president was deeply saddened and will keep Senator Kennedy in his prayers."

The president has been getting updates from his staff about the condition. We know that yesterday Mr. Bush reached out to Vicki Kennedy, the senator's wife, to express his concern about the general situation. But we're now expecting another statement from the president about this latest development.

Obviously the significance being these two clans, the Kennedys, the Bushes, they've dominated American politics from different sides of the aisle for at least the past quarter of a century or more. And while they've disagreed on virtually every policy debate out there, it has never really gotten personal. And you'll remember at the beginning of the Bush administration, it was Ted Kennedy who really went to bat for this president to get his education reform law passed. And though Ted Kennedy has been a critic of the Iraq War and many other policies, it has never really gotten personal between these two men, Brianna.

KEILAR: Ed Henry for us at the White House.

Thanks, Ed.

HENRY: Thank you.

LEMON: All right. Well, Dr. Wendy Wright specializes in neurology and neurosurgery at Emory University Hospital right here in Atlanta and she joins us now here.

And let's just be honest about this, doctor, it is the most malignant brain tumor there is. DR. WENDY WRIGHT, ASST. PROF. NEUROLOGY/NEUROSURGERY, EMORY UNIV.: This is not the news that the family or any friends of Ted Kennedy wanted to hear. We're all very concerned in the medical community about this, as well.

LEMON: OK. All right. Also, the cold-hard facts here. The prognosis as far as what's the survival rate when it comes to this type of brain tumor?

WRIGHT: Right, well, malignant glioma actually spans a couple of different types of brain tumors. Glioma just means a tumor of the brain tissue, doesn't spread outside of the brain or skull. Malignant is then the part that you don't want to hear. It means that it's fast-growing and not generally curable with standard measures.

We try to control the tumor as best as possible. Here we see a picture of the brain and from what we're hearing, the senator's tumor is in the parietal lobe, which has some very important functions, especially on the left side. It can control movement on the right side of the body and actually can control some speech functions.

LEMON: But the --

WRIGHT: Prognosis wise, I know that's what you want to hear --

LEMON: Yes.

WRIGHT: Depending on which brain cells are involved, the prognosis can range anywhere from a couple of years, but unfortunately, more commonly all the way down to six to eight months.

LEMON: Six to eight months.

WRIGHT: Right.

LEMON: OK. Or a couple of years.

But with extended and aggressive treatment --

WRIGHT: Extended and aggressive treatment can provide a little bit of prolongation from that. And fortunately for the senator, he is being cared for in one of the best hospitals on the planet. So he's certainly got that going for him. And we wish the best for him.

LEMON: So we've got this model here and we're talking about the left parietal lobe.

WRIGHT: Left parietal lobe.

LEMON: And you said the concern about that is because you don't want to make it worse --

WRIGHT: Right. Common treatment options are going to include surgery where you can resect out part of the brain tumor. The problem with glioma is, when the surgeons go in there and try to work on this, it's nearly impossible to tell what is tumor and what is actual regular brain cells because this is a tumor of the brain cells. So oftentimes, you can't tell by looking what is actually tumor and what's normal.

So you -- the patients can actually have more damage caused by the surgery than they can by the cure. You don't want that to happen. So oftentimes, chemotherapy or radiation are offered as a choice, along with surgery or instead of surgery, if the surgeons -- his surgeons feel like it's going to be too dangerous.

LEMON: So would it be common to perform surgery right away?

WRIGHT: It's common that surgery is offered very, very early in the treatment course. As long as a person is not too sick to undergo surgery, that is a pretty common treatment.

LEMON: OK. I asked this of Dr. Sanjay Gupta just a little bit ago. Obviously this is sort of hypothetical because he's not your patient --

WRIGHT: Right.

LEMON: -- you haven't seen his charts, you don't know all of the history here. But if you were Ted Kennedy's doctor and just hearing what you heard, what would be next for him? Would it be surgery? How would you treat him? How would you go about this?

WRIGHT: It's -- the deciding factor is, if the tumor is in an area of brain and left parietal lobe is really what we call the high- risk real estate. It's just near a lot of centers that can affect the ability to move the right side of the body and possibly also the ability to speak and understand. For someone who is so high functioning as the senator is, a little bit of damage there is going to go a long way and really affect who he is and what type of quality of life he has.

So it's difficult to tell. Surgery, again, might just be too dangerous for him. It might really affect the time (ph) he has and the quality of life that he has left.

LEMON: Let's talk now about the parietal lobe and the symptoms here. And as we go across -- seizures, if you want to go and read these, speech --

WRIGHT: Sure. Sure.

Seizures are actually one of the most common -- one of the most common presentations. And in fact, when I was commenting on Saturday about what I wanted to hear next and what I was most concerned about, the tumor came up as the thing I didn't want to hear because that's one of the most common reasons for a person the senator's age to actually suddenly develop a seizure disorder.

LEMON: So you sort of thought in your -- in the back of your head that --

WRIGHT: I hoped that wasn't the case. But it's the first thing that a doctor is going to think about when they hear that someone who is 76 all a sudden comes up with a seizure.

LEMON: The next one we have -- speech disturbance.

WRIGHT: Speech disturbance -- because part of the speech center is housed in that area of the brain, and because of -- speech and language and writing and understanding are all right there. And it's like I said, it starts to get a little bit close to some of what we call the motor centers. Not usually right there, usually that's a little bit more forward in part of the brain. But they're very close by and the brain is extremely intricate, so that is something that you do think about.

LEMON: The last one we have is loss of the ability to write.

WRIGHT: Loss of ability to write -- and that's what I'm -- when this gentleman who has contributed so much to society, like his politics or not, you don't have to think about that, you just have to think about what he's added to society with his ability to communicate and his ability to express himself.

If you think about going in and removing a part of the brain that could potentially leave him with his -- with inability to communicate, that's devastating and that's why if he's not offered surgery, I'm sure that his doctors and he himself will have a really good reason not to do that. And that's because you don't want to delay or impede his ability to have that part of us that is so human.

LEMON: Dr. Wendy Wright. Thank you very much for joining us from Emory University --

WRIGHT: Thank you so much for having me.

LEMON: -- and she specializes in neurology and neurosurgery. Giving us, really, the facts and the basics when it comes to this type of brain tumor.

As she said sadly, usually a six to eight month prognosis, but treated aggressively, it could be a couple of years. Those are the facts. Those are the facts here, and we hate saying that. We hope he's OK. We hate to say that.

We have much, much more to come here in the CNN NEWSROOM, including our reaction from Washington on how this affects the political landscape, if at all. And much, much more from our Dr. Sanjay Gupta and Elizabeth Cohen.

You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KEILAR: We continue to follow breaking news here in the CNN NEWSROOM. Senator Ted Kennedy has been diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor. And, of course, Kennedy is a very prominent Democrat in Washington, one of the most significant endorsements that Barack Obama has garnered this political season.

And Wolf Blitzer is standing by for us. He interviewed Barack Obama.

What did he say, wolf?

WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Brianna, we spoke only a few moments ago. And among other things, we spoke about Senator Ted Kennedy, who as you point out, is one of the key supporters of Barack Obama in -- Barack Obama's search for the presidency. And I asked him for his reaction and he spoke emotionally about the Massachusetts senator.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. BARACK OBAMA (D-IL), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Well, it's heartbreaking. I had just spoken to Ted two days ago, right after the seizure, and he seemed in great spirits, he sounded terrific. I think the family was feeling more optimistic. Obviously, we're all shattered by the news today.

But, you know what? Ted Kennedy is a fighter. The reason he is the giant of the Senate, the reason that he has accomplished more than any of the others who are there, the reason that he has been able to help deliver voting rights and immigration rights and helped people who are vulnerable is because he fights. He fights for what he thinks is right. And we want to make sure that he's fighting this illness. And it's our job now to support him in the way that he's supported us for so many years.

He's not just a great senator, he is a great friend. He is beloved by me and beloved by my colleagues. And so we're going to do everything we can to support his family during this difficult time. And my thoughts and prayers are going to be with him.

BLITZER: Give us a final thought, Senator, on what Senator Kennedy means to you?

OBAMA: Well, you know, keep in mind that -- I think you can argue I would not be sitting here as a presidential candidate, had it not been for some of the battles that Ted Kennedy has fought. So not only is he a personal friend, not only has he been one of my most important supporters during the course of this campaign, but he's somebody who battled for voting rights and civil rights when I was a child. I stand on his shoulders.

And the fact that he's also a great friend, somebody who always has a kind word to say, always has good humor, even with his adversaries. You know, he's been, I think, a great model of what a senator can and should be. And I expect that he's going to fight as hard as he can to make sure that he's dealing with this illness.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: And like so many supporters and friends of Senator Kennedy, Senator Obama has been on a roller coaster of emotion since Saturday morning when he was rushed -- Senator Kennedy -- to a hospital. Initially there were reports of a stroke and then the seizure. People began to feel a little bit better. But now with word of a malignant tumor, Brianna, Senator Obama and so many other friends of Senator Kennedy are obviously very, very saddened.

We're going to have the full interview with Senator Obama coming up in "THE SITUATION ROOM," 4:00 p.m. Eastern, a little bit more than an hour from now.

KEILAR: And Wolf, tell us about what some of those friends are saying. Because I think especially here on CNN, in about the last ten or 15 minutes, the seriousness of this diagnosis is becoming apparent.

What are people telling you?

BLITZER: Well, Senator Kennedy has been around in Washington for so long. He's been so instrumental on a whole host of domestic issues, foreign policy issues, even some of the people on the other side, very conservative Republicans, he's worked to develop a very close relationship with many of them. They've cooperated on a lot of these issues. You're only going to hear really nice things about Senator Kennedy right now, given the gravity of this situation that he's going through.

We're going to be watching it and obviously we'll be getting medical reports from his physicians and others who are really knowledgeable about the specific details of this malignant brain tumor. But, Senator Kennedy, he has a lot to be proud of. He's got a huge record behind him. And we're going to all be praying for him as we go down the road.

KEILAR: Wolf, thanks for joining us.

And just want to let you know that you can watch Wolf's entire interview with Barack Obama, that's coming up in "THE SITUATION ROOM." That's at 4:00 p.m. Eastern. He'll be -- you'll see the interview with Barack Obama, you'll also see all of the day's coverage of the primaries in Kentucky and Oregon -- Don.

LEMON: Well just a short time ago we heard from White House spokesperson Dana Perino about what the president said. Now we're hearing directly from the president and the First Lady.

Joining us now from the White House, Ed Henry, to tell us exactly what the president and First Lady are saying about this -- Ed.

HENRY: That's right, Don.

It's pretty short and to the point, what we expected. The president saying, "Laura and I are concerned to learn of our friend Senator Kennedy's diagnosis. Ted Kennedy is a man of strength and powerful spirit. Our thoughts are with Senator Kennedy and his family during this difficult period. We join our fellow Americans in praying for his full recovery."

So there you have it from the president. Kind of what Dana Perino alluded to more than an hour ago. And it's just -- the point being that while they're adversaries, while no one has spoken out more forcefully against the war in Iraq, for example, than Ted Kennedy, it has not really gotten personal between these two men. The Bushes and Kennedys dominating American politics for the most part over the past quarter century or more.

And obviously they share that bond and understand what it's like to be in the (INAUDIBLE) lights, what it's like to be in the arena. And so while they've agreed on basically every -- almost every public policy issue out there during that past quarter of a century, or more, the fact of the matter is they've also come together on other things, like the president's signature education reform law, No Child Left Behind.

And so that's what you're seeing there, President Bush personally reaching out to the Kennedy family, Don.

LEMON: All right -- Ed Henry.

Thank you very much for that, Ed.

And many of our analysts here on CNN, and also some of our pundits, have ties to Ted Kennedy and know Ted Kennedy, have worked with him for a long time. We're going to get their reaction coming up in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KEILAR: I'm Brianna Keilar at CNN World Headquarters in Atlanta.

LEMON: And I'm Don Lemon. You're in the NEWSROOM and we're following breaking news.