Ted Kennedy Turns 77

In the mind's eye, Sen. Edward Kennedy of Massachusetts is still in the prime of his life, like his brothers, who were murdered in their 40s and will remain forever young.

Some of us remember the young man who so eloquently eulogized Bobby Kennedy in 1968 — or whose national ambitions were dashed a year later when his car plunged into the waters of Chappaquiddick and a young woman died.

Others remember the Ted Kennedy of three decades ago, who made his only bid for the Democratic presidential nomination when he challenged incumbent President Jimmy Carter and fell short, even though he won 10 primaries. That summer, at the convention, Kennedy delivered perhaps the most memorable speech a non-nominee has given in modern times and hinted that he would seek the nomination again, although he never did.

And the memory of that 1980 convention appearance may always be linked, fairly or unfairly, with the memory of Kennedy refusing to shake Carter's hand.

With those memories vivid in our minds, it still comes as a shock when we see Kennedy today — an elderly man whose dark brown hair has turned completely white. His tenure in the Senate is now longer than the span of his brother Bobby's entire life — and just about as long as John's.

And it is especially stunning when one realizes it has been more than nine months since Kennedy was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor. People who are diagnosed with such a medical condition generally live for about a year, perhaps a little longer. But, in spite of the fact that he suffered a seizure at the presidential inaugural luncheon last month, he seems to be doing quite well.

"Hold the eulogies," writes Mark Leibovich of the New York Times.

What has been true of others has never been true of Ted Kennedy. He may live longer than many expect — long enough to achieve his goal of leaving a lasting imprint on the nation's health care system.

Happy birthday, senator. And many, many more.

The Latest on Senator Kennedy

Ted Kennedy has a malignant brain tumor.

The 76-year-old senator from Massachusetts will remain in the hospital for a few more days -- at least -- while doctors try to get more information on his condition.

His doctors issued a statement today, declaring that the normal treatment is "combinations of various forms of radiation and chemotherapy."

Before the doctors can decide on the senator's course of treatment and the prognosis for his recovery, they have to find out the size and the exact location of the tumor.

And the National Cancer Institute mostly reported the figures on the condition, which tell us the averages about this kind of brain tumor, who is likely to be afflicted with it and what the normal prognosis is (typically, it isn't good).

But Sen. Kennedy's life has hardly been average.

He was the youngest of nine children. Before he reached the age of 18, his oldest brother had been killed in a war and his second-oldest brother had been injured in that same war. His oldest sister was mentally retarded and his second-oldest sister died in an airplane crash when he was in high school.

His brothers John and Robert were assassinated.

And today, Kennedy and two of his sisters are all that's left of the family.

He's been in the Senate since John was president, which makes him one of only a handful of men who have spent more than 40 years in that chamber.

And it's ironic that this news should come out at this time. In a little more than two weeks, we will observe the 40th anniversary of the assassination of his brother Bobby.

Whatever one thinks of Ted Kennedy and his politics, wish him well in this battle. It's one that the statistics say he won't win.