Ever since the news blast went out Saturday afternoon, reporting Sen. Edward Kennedy, had been rushed to a hospital with stroke-like symptoms; thoughts immediately centered on the end of the Kennedy dynasty.
        Later in the day, fears were eased, somewhat, when doctors issued a statement saying the senator was awake, talking with family members and watching the Red Sox game. They told us the Hyannisport, Mass. resident, had suffered a seizure and not a stroke as originally believed, but his condition was still serious, exactly how serious was yet to be determined.
        On Tuesday, we all found out just how serious. The younger brother of John and Bobby Kennedy has been diagnosed with a cancerous brain tumor, identified as a malignant glioma, the most common form of brain cancer with chances of survival looking grim.
        The Associated Press quoted the chairman of neurosurgery at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles as saying that as a general rule for someone as old as Senator Kennedy, 76, without ``surgical resection’’ survival  is usually less than a year
        According to the National Cancer Institute, of the 18,000 primary malignant brain tumors diagnosed each year in the United States, more than half are malignant gliomas.
        News of Senator Kennedy’s worsening condition set off shockwaves through Capitol Hill, most trying to keep their chins up, saying how the Kennedy’s are fighters to the very end, but the jolting news is beginning to turn into the cruel reality that his days are growing dimmer with each passing hour.
        And while deep concern and prayers continues to pour out to the Kennedy family, in particular his wife Victoria Ann "Reggie, Edward Jr.; U. S. congressman Patrick, and Kara during this difficult period, many are beginning to reflect on what impact Kennedy’s absence will mean when his towering presence in the halls of the U.S. senate as standard bearer of the poor, underrepresented, with special focus on civil rights legislation and the health care needs of the uninsured will no longer be present.
        Who will step to the plate?
        According to Dennis Hale, professor of Political Science at Boston College, ``assuming that Sen. Kennedy does not recover and has to retire from the Senate, there is a small army of eager Democrats waiting to replace him…..I think the most likely candidates are Cong. Ed Markey and Cong. Michael Capuano.  Hale believes that will then ``activate an even larger army of eager Democrats hoping to move up from the state legislature or city government to the U. S. Congress.  Of those currently serving in the Senate, it seems that Sen. Clinton would be the likeliest to inherit Sen. Kennedy’s role as senior Democrat.’’
        So just as Hillary Clinton in her quest for the Democratic nomination is beginning feel the walls closing in on her, despite her win in the Kentucky primary last night; according to the New York Times calculation,  Mr. Obama now has 1,915 of the 2,026 pledged delegates and superdelegates needed to secure the nomination; meaning, he only needs 25 more from the superdelegates to claim the nomination, an important milestone that might finally force Mrs. Clinton from the race; at which time she could set her sights on laying claim to her new role as protector of the working poor and strong sponsor of health care reform should Sen. Kennedy retire his seat.
        Becoming the new leader of the Senate might fall short of her main objective, but it’s a role she can learn to live with.
        -Bill Lucey
         billlucey@bellsouth.net