Kennedy Returns to the Hill

By Jay Newton-Small | @JNSmall | November 17, 2008 | +

Teddy Kennedy made a quiet return to Capitol Hill this morning, coming in to his offices in the Russell Office Building. The lion, who is suffering from a brain tumor, is working on healthcare legislation and is meeting tomorrow with Montana Senator Max Baucus, the chairman of the Senate Finance Committee who is holding his first hearing on a comprehensive frame work for universal healthcare Wednesday.

Related Topics: Uncategorized

@TIMEPolitics

Latest on Swampland

Closeup May 25, 2012

Political Picures of the Week, May 18-25

TIME’s photo editors bring you the best pictures of the past week from the Beltway and beyond.
From our Partners
Obama Administration Blocks Global Health Fund To Fight Disease In Developing NationsHuffPost Politics

The Cowardice of Colin PowellSlate
Ryan Crocker Says Cases Of Afghans Killing NATO Military Counterparts Can Be 'Personal'HuffPost Politics
2012 Election May 25, 2012

The Phony War: Obama and Romney Are Debating Character, Not Policy

More than five months from Election Day, the back-and-forth about Mitt Romney’s record at Bain already feels played out. Unfortunately, there’s good reason to expect the campaign continues in this vein indefinitely. Neither Barack Obama nor Mitt Romney are terribly interested in dwelling on policy platforms. Romney’s plan to slash spending and keep taxes low on the wealthy isn’t especially popular, at least not at any level of detail beyond a blithe promise to shrink the deficit. Meanwhile, Obama’s signature first-term achievements, like health care, the stimulus and Wall Street reform, are all unpopular or tricky to sell. (The Dodd-Frank bill is the most popular of these, but hyping it means offending wealthy donors.) So what we’re getting instead is a superficial duel about character–and, worse, one that’s based on the largely false premise that the better man can better “manage” the economy back to health.

Andy from MA

JNS is the link broken?
sgwhiteinfla

JNS
.
Might his return have something to do with the fact that Obama gave up his Senate seat yesterday which effectively puts the senate at even numbers if Lieberman votes with the Dems and Kennedy is there to vote? I am just wondering if it played into it because if Kennedy didn’t come back the Republicans would actually have a majority if my thinking on it is correct
Jay Newton-Small

sgwhiteinfla:
They wouldn’t lose their majority just because a senator isn’t present or voting. They *might* lose it if Lieberman leaves the caucus, though, tomorrow. Which — for all of a week — would give McConnell control of the Senate.

Andy: link works for me.
JNS
jarais

I know this is a morbid question, but what’s the prognosis on his brain tumor? From what I heard over the summer, it seemed bleak.
wvng

Video here:
sgwhiteinfla

JNS
.
I didnt mean like having a new majority leader. I meant more so for actual voting purposes in light of the fact that it seems the republicans are against the Big 3 bailout. If the vote goes straight party line even if Lieberman went with the Dems they would lose if Kennedy wasnt there to vote wouldnt they?
dunedweller

Right on Teddy – welcome back fightin’ Irish!
Jay Newton-Small

sgwhitefla:
Ah, then, yes — you’re right. Obama’s gone and Biden says he’s not planning to come back for votes so to get to 60 on an auto bailout is going to be challenging. They will need every vote — including Kennedy’s — that they can get.

jarais:
As to his health, I can’t say. He looked okay. A good friend’s stepfather was diagnosed with a similar tumor nearly a year ago and up until the last few weeks functioned fairly normally… His doctors said the descent is usually sudden and rapid and treatment up until that point (surgery, chemo and radiation) — while no picnic — didn’t prohibitively limit his lifestyle. But, each case is unique and I don’t know that anyone knows the inside details of Kennedy’s.
JNS