Kennedy completes chemo treatment so perhaps he could do the keynote

[my3boyz]

address? Wishful thinking on my part. I'm soooooooooooooo happy he is doing okay though.

<An upbeat U.S. Sen. Edward M. Kennedy completed his last day of radiation and chemotherapy treatment yesterday, according to an e-mail to friends and family from wife Vicki Kennedy.

“He remained strong and was able to stay on schedule throughout this shock-and-awe phase of the treatment and his doctors - and we - are enormously pleased with his progress,” Vicki said in an e-mailed update sent yesterday.

The senior senator was diagnosed with a cancerous brain tumor after suffering a seizure at his Cape home on May 17. He underwent surgery to remove the tumor and has been treated at Massachusetts General Hospital since.>

http://bostonherald.com/news/national/politics/general/view.bg?articleid=1109217

[napi21]

1. I'm really glad he's responding to the treatment. I don't mean to sound

gruesome or mean or anything, but do you suppose he's lost his beautiful white hair? He looked very tired, but fine when he went to the Senate a week or so ago, but I have to believe that he's also very proud of his hair, especially serving with all those old bald guys in the Senate!

[Laura PourMeADrink]

3. It's hard to imagine him without his hair, isn't it. That

was a beautiful thing Kerry said. I must be living under a rock - I
don't think I knew Kerry had cancer.

[democrattotheend]

5. I didn't know that either

I'm surprised it was never mentioned during the 2004 campaign. That was a nice e-mail Kerry sent out the other day.

[CTyankee]

7. My understanding is that Kerry underwent surgery to get himself cancer free before the campaign in

04. Precisely because the healthissue would be such a biggie.

Is Kennedy's cancer at a very bad stage or is there any hope of a recovery?

[karynnj]

11. From Kerry's talk at Livestrong in 2006, I think it was more related

to the fact that his dad died a very painful death from the same type of cancer. This talkk was the most personal one I ever heard from Kerry - even more than the one on faith at Pepperdine. Teresa was amazing in catching there could be a problem before his doctor did. http://www.johnkerry.com/multimedia/entry/livestrong/

From the news articles, Kennedy's is a far more difficult cancer to treat. He also was nowhere near as healthy or young as Kerry. I hope that his therapy will buy him many more years.

[my3boyz]

15. From what I heard when Kennedy was first diagnosed is that

they can never get it all when it is brain cancer. :( Some drs on the shows said that in a good case scenario he could live a couple of years. I hope they are wrong though.

[karynnj]

9. It was big news in early 2003

He had a press conference to speak about it and spoke of chosing to have surgery - which he had very soon after - in February, 2003. His cancer was caught very early - because Teresa questioned the trend in one of his blood tests, which was increasing even though it was within limits. Both kerrys took it very seriously and acted aggressively to fight it. He was cancer free when he ran and still is. His prognosis from the beginning was better than Kennedy's

It did hurt him a bit in 2004. Drudge used a photo from when Kerry was recuperating and compared it to the much healthier Kerry a year later and claimed it was due to Botox.

It is nice that he is doing this in honor of Kennedy.

[elehhhhna]

16. wha? was it prostate cancer? i missed that whole story.

[blm]

18. He had the surgery in Feb2003. Still undergoing treatment he looked beat on the trail

By early 2004 he was looking much better, and that is when the RW lie machine (and some asshats on the left) spread the rumor that he had botox treatment, comparing photos of him during the months he was on the primary trail while undergoing treatment with photos of him during post treatment where he looked much better.

The corpmedia let the spin sit completely ignoring that Kerry had just beat cancer.

[MBS]

21. as I remember, he was diagnosed with prostate cancer around

Christmastime in 2002, just before he announced his candidacy, and he had treatment in Jan or Feb. It was reported in the national press but Kerry did not talk about it a lot; he seems to be not one to milk his problems for sympathy, etc. From what I read, the cancer was caught early (and thanks to Teresa's sharp eye; his PSA numbers were apparently borderline, but she insisted he get checked further), and his prognosis was/is quite hopeful.

Anyway, for those who might have wondered why Sen. Kerry might have been low-energy at that point in the early-2003 part of the primary campaign, well.. . there's your answer. To me, it's amazing that he did as much as he did during that time.

His speech to the Lance Armstrong group was very moving. Highly recommended:

[MBS]

22. here are some clips of Kerry's speech

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SAPxXOnJtoE (clip 1, about his dad)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4R6luocTpuc&feature=related (clip 2, about his own prostate
diagnosis; outcome of physical anticipating his presidential run)

honest and bracing and (at least part 2) even funny stuff.

[AtomicKitten]

2. It would be most poignant indeed if he is up to it.

[elehhhhna]

4. If he can't handle the whole thing, perhaps he intro Caroline.

I'd LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVE to see her deliver it.

[MonkeyFunk]

10. I admire the heck out of her

but she's a rather poor public speaker. There are many better choices for keynote.

[karynnj]

13. I liked her past speeches

I wonder if they might have Kennedy speak followed by Kerry - both excellent speakers and their endorsement speeches both set up many themes of why Obama should be the nominee. I'm not sure if those would be the keynote speeches - they could be the first day speeches - as Clinton was at both Gore's and Kerry's.

[MonkeyFunk]

14. Yeah

the keynote is often reserved for an up-and-comer. Kennedy's being talked about giving it this year for sentimental reasons.

[dansolo]

20. I'd like a little wider representation that just Kerry and the Kennedy's

I understand how much Kerry and the Kennedy's have done for Obama, but let's be realistic here. None of them will be giving the keynote address. The last thing that Obama needs is for the MSM to blather on about the northeastern liberals dominating the convention.

[karynnj]

23. I did say that I doubted that would be the keynote

but I do think they are among the party elders - just as Kerry gave Gore and Carter speeches. In fact, Kerry was the first to give Carter a speech since he lost.

I do think if you look back to Kerry's and Kennedy's endorsement speeches you may see why I mentioned them. Unlike the Clinton speeches at both the Gore and Kerry conventions, the endorsement was all about Obama - instead of over half about the speaker. They made very compelling cases.

The other thing is that Kerry is one of these most respected foreign policy leaders in the Democratic party. Even before 2004, he was one of the people who always were on talk shows representing the party - just as Biden was. (Compared to Biden, Kerry is by far the more eloquent and better speech giver - and I think especially after hearing Obama last week, that he is closer to Kerry's positions than Biden's.)

[Laura PourMeADrink]

19. I agree 100%. I even thought her O endorsement was slightly

flat. I mean I know she meant it - but it could have
been so much more powerful. I think it is just
her reserved style, like her mom. Can't imagine
her ever getting really excited one way or another.

[BlooInBloo]

6. Would prolly be my choice, if he's even in the ballpark of able....

There's apparently not many left in him, after all. :(

[otohara]

8. I Love Ted Kennedy

That would be most excellent IMO - if he's up to it.

[Better Believe It]

12. Kennedy Should Go To Cuba For Possible Treatment

I'm serious.

Check out the post "World's First Lung Cancer Treatment Vaccine Approved In Cuba !!!" at:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x3682275

One of the articles linked in the post reports:

"Meanwhile, Tania Crombet, director of clinical investigations at Havana’s Molecular Immunology Center, stressed that Cuban scientists are researching the use of CIMAVAX EGF to treat other tumors as it has already proved its efficiency in the treatment of lung, head and neck, and brain neoplasias as well as breast, prostate, uterus, ovary and pancreas cancer."

So it appears they may be testing this vaccine to treat brain cancer.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

17. Very interesting - reminds me of how the Cubans cured the

9-11 people in Moore's documentary