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Senator Ted Kennedy Diagnosed With Malignant Brain Tumor; Searching for Survivors in China's Earthquake Zone
Aired May 20, 2008 - 15:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Brianna Keilar at CNN world Headquarters in Atlanta.
DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Don lemon. You're in the NEWSROOM.
And we're following breaking news: Senator Ted Kennedy diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor, that coming from the hospital which he went to this Saturday at about 1:00 p.m. Eastern.
Stunned and saddened -- emotions are running high in Washington and across the country as word spreads that Senator Edward Kennedy has a malignant brain tumor. His colleagues in the U.S. Senate, both Democrat and Republican, are reaching out to a man they say has always been there for them.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. JOHN KERRY (D), MASSACHUSETTS: ... 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 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.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: That from Washington just moments ago. Doctors made the diagnosis after Senator Kennedy suffered a seizure on Saturday at his home on Cape Cod.
Our Dan Lothian is outside the Boston hospital where the senator is being treated. Dan joins us now.
Dan, anything doctors are saying other than the statement that they released to us just a short time ago?
DAN LOTHIAN, CNN BOSTON BUREAU CHIEF: No, not yet, Don.
We have put in a request to see if doctors will come out and perhaps flesh out that release, give us a little bit more details as to his condition and perhaps what they're planning in terms of the treatment course.
But we have not heard back yet on that request. What I can tell you is what was in that release, and that doctors saying that the typical course of treatment that they're looking at is a combination of chemotherapy and radiation, although they're talking about conducting further tests to determine exactly what it is that they will do.
They did point out that the senator is in good spirits, and so -- and that he will probably be in the hospital for at least the next couple of days or so.
But, Don, I wanted to go back to something that we have been talking about since this story first broke. There were a lot of suspicions kind of swirling around when we had initially gotten the report, obviously, that he had gotten this seizure, but they had kept him in the hospital. That was sort of one of the national red flags talking to medical experts. They say that typically when someone does not have a history of seizures that after conducting sort of the initial testing, the blood tests, the scans and so forth, that they're released without staying overnight or released very shortly therefore.
And then the other red flag was that doctors released a statement initially on Saturday evening, but never said anything again until today, when they confirmed that indeed he does have this brain tumor -- Don.
LEMON: All right, Dan Lothian outside the hospital, where Senator Ted Kennedy was brought on Saturday -- Dan, thank you very much.
KEILAR: Let's talk now to Ted Sorensen. We have him on the phone, a biographer in fact of Ted Kennedy, wrote a book "A Life at the Edge of History."
And Senator Ted Kennedy has had a very long and storied career. He's been in the Senate now more than 40 years, one of the few senators who has been. Just talk to us about his legacy up until this point, Ted.
TED SORENSEN, AUTHOR, "A LIFE AT THE EDGE OF HISTORY": Senator Ted Kennedy's legacy in the United States Senate is comparable and consistent with the legacy of his entire family for generations.
Except for the Adams family at the beginning of the country's history and perhaps the Bush family more recently in the presidency, there's never been a family so devoted to the public service in this country and whose leaders, like John F. Kennedy, Robert F. Kennedy, Senator Ted Kennedy, and the children of all of those, have made an enormous contribution to make this a better country and a better world.
KEILAR: Talk to us, Ted, about the family, how they -- obviously they have experienced adversity. They have faced so many tragedies dealing with members of their family. How do they rally around at times like this?
SORENSEN: Well, you can be sure all the family will be praying for him. All the family that possibly can will be visiting with him.
And Ted loves to be with his family, and that will cheer him up. But I have visited him, with him in the past after he went through a horrible plane crash, after he went through a fatal, for others, auto accident, after he endured the assassinations of his brothers, and Ted himself is a man of great resilience strength. And I believe he will recover from this latest setback.
KEILAR: Talk to us about the torch that he carries, really, for his family, because John Kennedy and because Bobby Kennedy were assassinated. Obviously, he sort of filled the shoes of being the most prominent Kennedy in politics after that.
SORENSEN: Not only the most prominent, but the senior member of the family. And he looked after the widows and children of his two older brothers who were gone. But in addition to private obligations, he shouldered their public obligations and took up the torch for a liberal, progressive America.
KEILAR: Now, he is the youngest, right, of nine Kennedy children?
SORENSEN: No, I think his sister Jean might be a little younger. But, if she's listening, she will be glad I said that.
(LAUGHTER)
KEILAR: But he is one of the young -- one of the younger of the Kennedy children, it's fair to say?
SORENSEN: He certainly was the youngest brother.
KEILAR: And it's -- it's interesting, isn't it, how in a way he has become the patriarch of this family. But he was the youngest at least boy of the family.
SORENSEN: Yes, he was. And as you point out, he was first elected to the Senate in 1962, 46 years ago. That's quite a run.
And he's been a leader in the Senate ever since. I can't tell you how many senators have told me that just as their forbearers listened to Jack Kennedy when he got up to speak, now they all pay attention when Ted Kennedy gets up to speak.
KEILAR: What kind of politician is he, Ted?
SORENSEN: He is a natural politician, more exuberant on the public platform than either of his older brothers, more interested in the fine detail of political strategy and maneuvers. So, he's a true grandson of his grandfather, Honey Fitz, who was a mayor of Boston.
KEILAR: And when is the last time that you spoke with him or a member of the family? Do you expect to speak with them soon?
SORENSEN: Well, I'm not going to intrude on his privacy. It so happens that I saw him almost exactly a week or two ago.
Interestingly enough, it was in connection with a new project he has in line, which is to organize a center for the study of the Senate. And he invited me to attend that discussion. And I took that opportunity to give him an inscribed copy of my new book. And I -- just before I heard this terrible news, I received in the mail a beautiful thank-you letter from him.
KEILAR: Yes, something we have definitely heard about, him reaching out to people, being the first person to make a phone call to someone, so, I guess no surprise there that he sent you a thank-you note.
But Ted Sorensen, thanks for being with us -- Ted Sorensen, a Kennedy biographer.
LEMON: And we heard from Barack Obama just moments ago. Our Wolf Blitzer did an interview with him, and he spoke out about the senator. Of course, the senator has endorsed Barack Obama.
Now we're hearing from Barack Obama's opponent, Hillary Clinton releasing a statement just moments ago. And I will read it here.
It says: "Ted Kennedy's courage and resolve are unmatched, and they have made him one of the greatest legislators in Senate history. Our thoughts are with him and Vicki. And we are praying for a quick and full recovery."
And, of course, a little bit before that, John McCain also releasing a statement saying: "Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family and to him. We hope and pray that he will be able to treat it and that he will receive and experience a full recovery here" -- in part, partially John McCain's statement.
We're going to hear from John McCain in just a little bit. You will get to see his statement.
Now, just a little bit earlier, I told you our Wolf Blitzer conducted an interview with Barack Obama which will be played in full in "THE SITUATION ROOM." But he responded to this illness that Ted Kennedy is going through just moments ago. Take a listen.
(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 were 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 has 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 thought and prayers are going to be with him.
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: 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)
LEMON: Barack Obama in an interview with our very own Wolf Blitzer just a very short time ago. That full interview of course will be in "THE SITUATION ROOM" starting at 4:00 p.m. Eastern.
And just real quickly I want to tell you the White House is also responding to this. Just moments ago, the president and the first lady released a statement saying: "Laura and I are concerned to learn of our friend Senator Ted Kennedy's diagnosis. Ted Kennedy is a man of tremendous courage, remarkable 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" -- Brianna.
KEILAR: And emotions, they are just all over the place in Washington, running high there and across the country, as word spreading that Senator Ted Kennedy has a malignant brain tumor.
His colleagues in the U.S. Senate, both Democrats and Republicans, they are reaching out to a man they say has always been there for them.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. ARLEN SPECTER (R-PA), JUDICIARY COMMITTEE RANKING MEMBER: I heard the devastating news about Senator Kennedy's diagnosis with a malignant brain tumor.
I have been there. A few years back, I was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor and given three to six weeks to live. I note in the press release that it says -- quote -- "How well patients fair 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. I note that Senator Kennedy will be receiving chemotherapy and radiation. I know something about chemotherapy myself. I'm in the middle of it right now for Hodgkin's. But Senator Kennedy is a real fighter. We all know that. And I'm -- I'm betting on Senator Kennedy.
SEN. CHRISTOPHER DODD (D), CONNECTICUT: 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.
KERRY: 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.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KEILAR: And let's go now straight to the Senate floor, where Senator Byrd is actually in tears right now speaking about Ted Kennedy.
Let's listen.
(JOINED IN PROGRESS)
SEN. ROBERT BYRD (D), WEST VIRGINIA: Ted, my dear friend, I love you. And I miss you.
And Erma, my darling wife, Erma, would want to say, thank God for you, Ted. Thank God for you. KEILAR: You're listening there to Senator Robert Byrd of West Virginia talking very emotionally about his friend and colleague Ted Kennedy.
Ted Kennedy, of course, has been in the Senate for more than 40 years, since 1962, one of the few senators who has achieved that. And there on the right side of your screen, you're looking at the man who is the longest-serving member of the U.S. Senate and getting very emotional.
This is a day where, on Capitol Hill and in Washington, it's politics aside. Whether or not people agree or disagree with Ted Kennedy's policy stance, there's a tremendous amount of respect there. And you're hearing a lot of emotion coming from Democrats, as well as Republicans, as we heard just a couple moments ago.
LEMON: And if there is one thing, Brianna, that all of this -- and it is bad news, of course -- but it has brought out, is a very human side of Washington. When you're hearing these guys who have been around forever and that have been champions in many ways and really pillars of strength break down like that, you realize just what they're facing and that they are indeed human and they have emotions as well.
Let's make a turn here. We want to talk to Dr. Wendy Wright. She specializes in neurology and neurosurgery at Emory University Hospital here in Atlanta.
As we listen to this, and we hear all of the sadness here, many of these people know, because they have been around and they're facing illnesses themselves, they know the prognosis here. They know exactly what is going on. So, tell us, if you will, what is at stake, Doctor.
DR. WENDY WRIGHT, EMORY UNIVERSITY: Well, I think the reality that the senator has to face now is that this is a tumor that is malignant, as we have already talked about, that it's going to spread.
And, sadly, what I fear most for him is that he will continue to have a decline in his neurologic function. He's going to be at risk for more seizures and could in fact have an ongoing problem with new neurologic symptoms.
And some of the gentlemen we have heard speak already are facing their own medical problems, and have had experience with tumors and cancer. And they see a hard struggle for the senator. And I hope for him that he will get the finest in medical care and have an easier time at this than we're hoping for.
LEMON: Most malignant brain tumor...
(CROSSTALK)
WRIGHT: Yes, malignant glioma.
And like we were talking about a little bit earlier, there are couple different types of glioma. But the most malignant kind -- and we do not know what type of brain tumor exactly this is, other than to say malignant glioma, but unfortunately the most common kind is something we call glioblastoma multiforme.
We do not if that's what the senator has, but it's the most common kind. And that's the most common -- like I said, the most common brain tumor of all the brain tumors. It's the most common kind of malignant brain tumor and it's the worst-prognosis brain tumor. It's a tumor that has the shortest time of life.
LEMON: A couple of months.
WRIGHT: A couple of months.
LEMON: A couple months. OK.
WRIGHT: Six to eight months, usually.
LEMON: And then also if treated aggressively, though, it could be a couple of years.
(CROSSTALK)
LEMON: But usually, let's -- there are other factors here, age, prior health, what have you. So...
(CROSSTALK)
WRIGHT: Right. The senator is a gentleman of a slightly older age. He has some other medical problems that we know about. He's had this blocked artery that he's cleared up before. Usually, people that have blocked arteries in the neck often have heart disease and also have diseases in the brain, of the blood vessels of the brain.
So, he's a gentleman who already has some medical problems working against him, and treatments that we try to give for brain tumors, such as chemotherapy and radiation, can be very tough on the blood vessels of the brain, be tough on the liver, tough on the kidneys, what have you.
And all these things really come into play. He's not going to be able to face this illness like a gentleman in his 50s or in his 40s. And fortunately for him, he's a person who has had a lot of struggles. He's a person who's come through a lot of medical conditions with a great deal of fortitude. So, he has that on his side.
He has a very extensive family that can support him. So, he's got that on his side, and we hope for the best for him. But I think the reason everyone's hearts are breaking today for him is just because the people in the know really do understand the struggle that he has facing him.
LEMON: I think Brianna has a question for you.
KEILAR: He had a seizure on Saturday. With your area of expertise, obviously, as a doctor, you're hoping that this isn't what would be -- what the prognosis would be. But is it something that you -- that came to mind for you?
WRIGHT: It's one of the first things that entered my mind, just because of his age. A stroke or a brain tumor would be one of the first things that you would immediately think of. And for someone who immediately just out of the blue has a seizure for no obvious reason, brain tumor is the worst thing that you would fear.
It's common that a person with no other problems but a brain tumor has been undiagnosed, it's common that that's how they would present. In fact, a good majority of people, a seizure with no other system is going to be how they will come to the doctor with a brain tumor. So...
LEMON: OK. And real quickly, you talked about that. And we have some symptoms real quick that we want to run through really quickly. And the reason that you were concerned about this is because a seizure is a sign of this, you were saying, speech disturbances as well, loss of ability to write, all signs of this -- of the possibility that we're hearing today.
WRIGHT: Tumor, yes, in that specific area. That's exactly right.
LEMON: Dr. Wendy Wright, we thank you very much.
(CROSSTALK)
LEMON: And those are the symptoms up there that Dr. Wendy Wright had feared, because that that was a possibility, from what we're hearing today. Dr. Wendy Wright from Emory University Health Care, assistant professor of neurology and neurosurgery, we thank you very much.
WRIGHT: Thank you.
LEMON: And we're going to continue to follow this story about Ted Kennedy. Of course, sad news coming out of Washington today, as well as Massachusetts today. But we have other news as well.
China still recovering from a massive earthquake and Myanmar also recovering as well, thousands homeless, thousands dead. We will continue to update.
You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.
And we're following breaking news coming out of Washington, D.C., and also from Massachusetts. Senator Ted Kennedy has been diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor.
There was some concern that he may have suffered a stroke on Saturday when he had to be rushed to the hospital. A biopsy has confirmed, and doctors are telling us from Massachusetts General Hospital that senator Kennedy in fact does have a malignant brain tumor. He is resting comfortably at that hospital surrounded by his family there. And they're trying to plot the next course and exactly how they're going to treat him.
And we're being told from everyone that we have spoken to that surgery, Brianna, is probably the next step and the best option in this case. But, as this unfolds, we will continue to figure that out.
As we're awaiting word from many of the presidential candidates and from fellow senators and politicians, we want to share this with you. This is an I-report from one our viewers who sent it in to ireport.com or CNN.com/ireport.
And he said: "I was in Baltimore last year at a union gathering and Mr. Kennedy was a keynote speaker. I felt the tingle down my spine when I listened to his talk. It was just such a thrill. I walked up to the stage and introduced myself and asked for his autograph. All my family's prayers and best wishes are with Mr. Kennedy and his whole family. Knowing how hard the Kennedys have fought, I'm sure the fighter in him will get him through all these new challenges facing him."
And, of course, that same sentiment, Brianna, is being echoed by everyone who has spoken on our air today and saying that he is a fighter and they hope the best for him.
Let's listen now to Senator John McCain on the Election Express in Miami.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R-AZ), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: ... has a malignant brain tumor.
Obviously, our thoughts and prayers go out to his family and to him. We hope and pray that they will be able to treat it and that he will experience a full recovery.
I have said on numerous occasions, I have described Ted Kennedy as the last lion in the Senate. And -- thank you very much -- and I have held that view, because he remains the single most effective member of the Senate, if you want to get results. And he is not reluctant to share the credit.
And he -- when it fails, he's willing to take the blame. And that's why he's one of the most effective members of the Senate. And we will miss him for that and many other reasons.
Now I'm ready to answer your questions or comments.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: John McCain, the presumptive Republican nominee for president -- and I said the Election Express -- it is habit. It is the Straight Talk Express -- and that is John McCain's bus -- responding moments ago to Senator Ted Kennedy's illness. He is in Miami there. And just before he toured the La Casa del Preso, he made these comments about Ted Kennedy to reporters.
As we have been saying here, many of our analysts and also our legal pundits who appear on our air know Ted Kennedy very well. One of them is a superdelegate. Another has known Ted Kennedy for years, as he has worked in the Senate and in politics.
They're going to join us in just a little bit to share their impressions of this and tell us where they think this will lead for the political landscape, for the Kennedy family, also for the presidential election and what have you.
We're back in a moment with their comments.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: We're following breaking news today in THE CNN NEWSROOM.
Senator Ted Kennedy diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor. That coming about 1:00 p.m. Eastern from doctors at the hospital where he was taken on Saturday after he suffered a seizure. Doctors saying that they did some testing there and found out that that seizure was caused because he has a malignant brain tumor. He is resting comfortably at the hospital.
CNN has a reporter at the hospital. And, also, we're gauging the political fallout and -- the political response is probably a better way of putting it -- from Washington. We'll follow all of that, including -- including some people who knew Ted Kennedy very well. One of them is a superdelegate, one of them is a contributor here on CNN. We're going to get her response and as well as the rest of our panel in just a bit -- Brianna.
KEILAR: Don, scenes like this are getting to be more rare in China. Rescues of the living are giving way to recoveries of the dead. Chinese media now putting the death toll from last Monday's earthquake above 40,000 and tens of thousands of people are still missing. Seismologists are warning of powerful aftershocks. One warning sent about 2,000 college students to a basketball court, away from buildings, for their safety.
IReporter Joseph Fuschetto shot these pictures last night. He tells us that whenever someone feels an aftershock, there's just really this general panic.
And this is what happened seconds after an earthquake. This video was shot when the first big tremor struck last Monday. Just seconds before everything was normal. And you are witnessing here lives changing -- some of them forever -- panic, chaos, confusion all palpable through a cloud of dust.
ITN's Bill Neely takes us deeper into the abyss, including a primary school filled with children. We do want to warn you, though, some of these pictures are graphic and disturbing.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) BILL NEELY, ITN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This is Sichuan Primary and inside, the children are trapped. In an upper window, three boys -- one holding his head, another yelling. "There are more of us in here," he says. "More kids, over here."
But the rescuers have a problem -- all the exits are blocked and they have no ladder. They're trying to rip down the basketball tower. They scale the collapsed and dangerous roof instead. The first child is taken out and lowered down on ropes. She is unsteady, but uninjured. Then, somehow, a little boy gets out himself.
"My child is in there," he says. Distraught parents have begun arriving. One brings an ax. The children inside are crying out for their mothers. But it's slow and painful work. This girl has lost a foot. They've been trapped for nearly an hour. Now Beichuan's playgrounds are full of children -- but the rubble is, too.
"I need eight people," he says. Volunteer rescuers put up their hands -- many parents themselves. All around, the traumatized, the exhausted, the injured and the emotional. This is the mayor begging people to be patient.
On Yulong Street (ph), they are gathering food. This was Beichuan's best street. It's already now the street of the dead. And the shop owner has to order the living to share his food.
The pain here is distant to us, but searing for everyone here. This is the man who recorded those scenes. He cries often -- his father still missing. In his hour of filming, he says, the ground hardly stopped shaking.
(on-camera): Those terrible scenes, which are hard enough to watch, were lived through by these people. These are the survivors of Beichuan -- the lucky ones.
Though how can you possible call them that?
They are refugees in a camp. They've lost their homes. Most have lost loved ones. They've lost everything -- except for one thing. They will never lose the memory of that day.
(voice-over): When Beichuan was turned upside down, its day turned into night -- a city ground to dust, a people crushed. Bill Neely, News at 10:00, Beichuan.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KEILAR: There is mourning, as well, in Myanmar. Its ruling military rulers have ordered flags lowered to half staff for three days.
And our correspondent on the ground there says that's about the only sign of a society in mourning more than two weeks after Cyclone Nargis hit. The government estimates 134,000 people are dead or missing and many who survived the storm are simply trying to make it through one day after the next. In a lot of areas, relief supplies are few and far between. U.N. Secretary-General Bank Ki-Moon is hoping to ease their suffering. Our correspondent says he's expected to arrive in Myanmar tomorrow.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Really, his most important mission that he will have here in this country is to try to and get aide workers -- professional aide workers from the U.N., but also from other international organizations into this country.
And just to give you an indication of how pressing that mission is, the one thing that they really need in those disaster areas hardest hit by the storm is a professional distribution system of the aid that's getting in here. There is some aid coming into that area, but it only goes to the larger towns in that area. And it's then just simply not distributed to the people who really need it in those far away, in those rural areas.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KEILAR: U.N. helicopters loaded with relief supplies have just been given the green light by Myanmar's military junta to fly into some of those areas.
And we know that you may want to help. And at CNN.com, we've got a special page on the devastation in Myanmar and China. It is complete with links to aid agencies. These are reputable aid agencies that are organizing help for the region. This is a chance for you to impact your world. And you can let us be your guide.
LEMON: They have known Senator Ted Kennedy for decades, followed his career and his personal ups and downs. Democratic strategist Donna Brazile and journalist and author, Carl Bernstein, weigh in on Senator Kennedy's illness in THE 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. It is the most common type of brain tumor. It's a malignant glioma. And we've heard from medical experts, including our own Dr. Sanjay Gupta, that the size and the nature of the tumor really will determine exactly how life-threatening it is. But what we do know at this point, this is a very serious condition.
In Washington -- everyone in Washington, both Democrats and Republicans, reeling from the news that Ted Kennedy, a liberal icon, has been diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor. We're also getting reaction from the White House.
That is where we find CNN's Ed Henry -- Ed, what do you know?
ED HENRY, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Brianna, obviously these two men have fought bitterly on some issues, like Iraq, for example. But on education reform in 2001, they came together and formed a great compromise. So it's no surprise that Mr. Bush and his wife Laura put out a statement a short while ago saying: "Ted Kennedy is a man of tremendous courage, remarkable 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."
But what should not be missed is that this was not just a policy partnership that they put together in 2001. It really got personal. One of the ways that President Bush early, as a new president, that he really ingratiated himself with Ted Kennedy and reached across the aisle was that at one moment I remember hearing the story of President Bush bringing Ted Kennedy into the Oval Office in 2001 and asking him, do you recognize that desk here in the Oval Office that I'm using?
And, of course, it was a desk that John F. Kennedy had used as president. And Ted Kennedy came back to campaign headquarters -- and I was a reporter on the Hill at the time. I remember him telling reporters about how moving that was for him. It was a small gesture by the president, but it really resonated with Ted Kennedy.
Another time, in 2001, as they were negotiating on education reform, President Bush also invited the Kennedy family over here to the White House and the family theater to screen a movie called "Thirteen Days," which, as I recall, was about the Cuban missile crisis -- again, President Kennedy dealing with that crisis.
And, finally, as well in 2001, Mr. Bush signed in a law naming the Justice Department headquarters just a few blocks from here after Robert F. Kennedy, a former attorney general. But what's interesting about that is within hours of that very nice ceremony where the Bushes and kidneys, these two political dynasties, came together, it was noted at the time that Senator Kennedy was on the Senate floor beating up on the Bush Justice Department, within hours of this ceremony, over a policy issue and fighting the war on terror.
And it shows you there in that moment that while this is a man who has reached across the aisle and forged great compromise with Republicans, he has also been somebody who is liberal. He's a liberal lion and he obviously fights the good fight.
And so while the Bushes and the Kennedys have come together, they have also, obviously, had some great battles. But for the most part, it has not been personal. It's been focused on policy. And on the personal range, they have actually come together a bit -- Brianna.
KEILAR: And, of course, they have sparred, though, very much on, say, Iraq. But there is in Washington -- even though, I know, Ed, it doesn't seem like it at times -- a degree of decorum and respect even across the aisle.
HENRY: There is. Civility, comedy. And I remember it in covering the Hill, as well. One thing that shouldn't be missed is Ted Kennedy's sense of humor. A story -- a quick story from a few years ago.
One day on the Senate floor, there were some senators talking about how Senator Robert Byrd, 90 years old now, had a dog named Billy Byrd who was very sick. And Senator Chuck Schumer of New York wanted to wish him well. And Ted Kennedy went up to Chuck Schumer, as I heard the story, and said, you know, Chuck, Byrd is the chairman of the Appropriations Committee. He can help bring bacon home to New York. Go wish him well about the dog.
And Schumer said, what's the dog's name?
And Ted Kennedy said Fido.
And Schumer said, OK, great.
In fact, the dog's name was Billy Byrd. It was not Fido. But Ted Kennedy was trying to put Chuck Schumer in a difficult position in getting him embarrassed in front of Robert Byrd, who is a traditionalist.
Halfway over to Robert Byrd, Chuck Schumer realized Ted Kennedy was playing a practical joke, turned around and said, what's the real name?
Kennedy started roaring with laughter and said it's Billy Byrd.
And it gives you an idea, behind-the-scenes, that Ted Kennedy is someone who has had this very, very close relationship -- not just with people in his own party, but across the aisle, as I mentioned, with those stories with President Bush. He has forged the kind of bond that when he -- in this hour of need for him. That's you're seeing this outpouring from Democrats, as well as Republicans like President Bush -- Brianna.
KEILAR: Ed Henry at the White House.
Thanks.
LEMON: All right, very interesting stuff from Ed Henry, very interesting history.
And we want to continue with that history and talk about Ted Kennedy.
Let's bring in our political analyst, Carl Bernstein, and CNN political contributor, Donna Brazile.
Thanks to both of you for joining us today.
CARL BERNSTEIN, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Thank you.
LEMON: Donna, I will start with you. We'll do ladies first today.
I was reading some of what you said here in response to -- and I'm not sure if we sent you an e-mail or if you -- it was published somewhere. But you are obviously very saddened by this. You've known Ted Kennedy for quite a while. DONNA BRAZILE, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: There's no question. I first met Senator Kennedy back when I was 22. Coretta Scott King actually introduced me to Senator Kennedy. I was in Washington, D.C. interning, helping to make Martin Luther King's birthday a national holiday.
And she said, this is someone you should get to know. And I was just surprised that she would introduce me. And, of course, as a child growing up in the Deep South, Ted Kennedy was our senator, because we knew he was fighting for voting rights for all, fair housing for all, equal justice under the law.
Ted Kennedy has fought his entire life to give voice to those without a voice and, of course, to empower those who are poor. So we're going to fight with him. We're going to pray for him. And we're going to pray and ask God for a speedy recovery.
We still need this lion in the Senate to fight for all of.
LEMON: Yes. And, you know, like my mom would say, hey, nobody's gone yet. And we should speak very positively and not in such saddened tones, because Ted Kennedy is still very much alive and still with us here.
And you put it very eloquently, Donna, in your e-mail here. You said, "He is a champion, a warrior for human rights, civil rights, health care, education, gun control, gay rights, women's rights and decency for all people, including the disabled. He is a gracious man. My prayers are with him now."
Carl Bernstein, you have known Ted Kennedy and have worked around him, at least, covered him 40 years now.
BERNSTEIN: Actually, the same as Donna. I was 22 when I met him. And the way I met him was on Wednesdays, a group of us who were reporters, led by Mary McGrory of the "Washington Star," would take a group of kids swimming at Bobby Kennedy's estate at Hickory Hill. And these were orphans from a Catholic orphanage in Washington. And Ted was often there.
And his connection with these children was extraordinary, as he would take them into the pool, swim with them. And he just totally focused, you know, on being a human being trying to help people. And that's on one level. And then he did it on this huge level, and does it on a huge level, as a senator.
But he is really the essential element of continuity with aspects of the national past that no one else in this country represents.
LEMON: Yes.
BERNSTEIN: And so this outpouring is for many reasons, partly what John McCain said, the fact that Ted Kennedy is -- whether you're a Republican or a Democrat -- the most effective member of the U.S. Senate, but also a part of our national past in a way that, perhaps, no other member of that Senate is. LEMON: OK.
Carl Bernstein, thank you very much for that.
And as, you know, Ted Kennedy would -- he would probably want business as usual -- the people's business -- happening in Washington, even as he is in the hospital trying to recover from this. So let's talk now about the primaries that's happening.
I'm going to -- as you know, he endorsed Barack Obama.
So, Donna, I'll start with you. Why do people in Oregon love Barack Obama?
BRAZILE: Well, let me just say this. I think because Barack Obama represents the kind of change that the American people would like to see. Senator Obama will do very well tonight. Senator Clinton will also do equally well in Kentucky. This race is still two weeks away from being over. A hundred and three delegates at stake tonight. Eighty-six remaining delegates in the three remaining primaries. So this is a very exciting evening for Senator Obama and Senator Clinton. They will both leave tonight with some bragging rights.
LEMON: OK.
And, Carl, why does Kentucky love Clinton so much?
BERNSTEIN: She has come to represent, for many voters, a kind of working class hero -- a bit unlikely, perhaps, but she has moved her campaign publicly from the rather negative place that it was in to picturing herself as a champion of the difficulties faced by ordinary working people in this country. And to some degree, it succeeded. And at the same time, I think most people around her know that her campaign is going to end with Obama being the nominee, barring some hugely unexpected piece of information or event.
And she's also trying to figure out how to land this plane that is her candidacy in such a way as, perhaps, that she can become the vice presidential nominee of the party and regain some of the legacy that got tarnished in aspects of her campaign, particularly in the early stages.
LEMON: And she is moving on, moving on, moving on, despite what everyone is saying about her.
BRAZILE: She is resilient.
LEMON: OK. Yes.
Donna Brazile, Carl Bernstein, thank you very much.
BRAZILE: Thank you.
LEMON: And for the kind words, especially about Ted Kennedy.
A busy night for both of you. Thanks to both of you. And we want to tell you, our senior political correspondent, Candy Crowley, will weigh in on the situation. And we'll see if she has some new information for us.
You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.
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LEMON: All right. Time now to check in with CNN's Wolf Blitzer.
KEILAR: Yes. He's standing by in "THE SITUATION ROOM" to tell us what is coming up at the top of the hour -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Thanks very much, guys.
Barack Obama, he's here in "THE SITUATION ROOM". You're going to want to see my new interview with him. We spoke about a lot of subjects, including Senator Ted Kennedy. Obama is also looking to pass a delegate milestone on this primary day in Oregon and Kentucky. The interview -- that's coming up.
Emotion on Capitol Hill and around the country -- the nation reacting to the shocking news that Senator Kennedy has a malignant brain tumor. We'll update you on what we know.
And we'll also have the first exit polls out of Kentucky and Oregon. We'll have the issues the voters are telling us they're most concerned about.
All that and a lot more coming up right here in "THE SITUATION ROOM".
LEMON: Thanks, Wolf.
KEILAR: And at a time like this, when Senator Ted Kennedy has been diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor, it's one of those times where people reflect so much on his legacy and really what he's done. He's been in the Senate for more than 40 years.
Let's go ahead now and bring in Candy Crowley.
She's on the phone to talk with us about that -- Candy.
VOICE OF CANDY CROWLEY, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: You know, Brianna, it's really interesting. I mean, obviously, Teddy Kennedy, in his personal life, has been a controversial life, beginning very early on in his career, when he was involved in the accidental death of a young woman.
But since that time and beyond, he has become known as the most significant legislator, the most effective legislator, really, in the past century.
He settled down, remarried, had (INAUDIBLE) kids and certainly got his life in order some time ago. And what kind of sticks out to me, actually, just sort of the quintessential Kennedy moment in terms of that magic name, was I covered, some years ago, the race that Kennedy had against Mitt Romney, when Mitt Romney challenged Kennedy for his Senate seat in Massachusetts. And we were at a fair. And he was just -- Kennedy was just swarmed by people. And this little, I would say 6-, 7-year-old, went up to the senator and looked at him and said, "Are you Kennedy?"
And he looked back down. And he says, "Yes, I'm Kennedy."
And I thought wow! I mean this is so many generations away from Senator Kennedy and yet that name still kind of rings down through the generations.
KEILAR: It certainly does, Candy. Definitely.
Candy Crowley, our senior political correspondent.
We're going to have more on this story that we continue to follow. Senator Ted Kennedy, a liberal icon, diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor. We have more after the break.
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DODD: 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 Vicky and the family well.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KEILAR: That was Senator Christopher Dodd, a very close friend of Senator Ted Kennedy, breaking up as he spoke about Ted Kennedy being diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor.
LEMON: And one of the most heartfelt moments had to be Robert Byrd -- Senator Robert Byrd today, on the floor, really breaking down, talking about Ted Kennedy and how he wished him the best. And, of course, he and his wife, as well.
But there has been some emotional moments that we've been hearing from these guys who, as we say, are usually rock solid. And you never see any emotion unless they are fired up about some sort of legislation or what have you, or some sort of event. But today breaking down, showing a very human side.
We're going to toss it over now to our friend Wolf Blitzer, who has much more coverage ahead right here in "THE SITUATION ROOM."
Wolf, take it away.
