Sen. Ted Kennedy hospitalized in Boston after seizure

Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, a Democratic Party icon and a towering figure on the American political and cultural landscape, was rushed to a hospital this morning after apparently suffering a seizure at his home on Cape Cod, Mass.

Stephanie Cutter, a spokeswoman for the longtime Democratic senator, said it does not appear that Kennedy had a stroke, as initially suspected. She added that he is undergoing tests at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston to determine the cause of the seizure.

The 76-year-old Kennedy, leader of a storied political dynasty, was rushed from the family compound at Hyannisport, Mass., to Cape Cod Hospital at 9 a.m. He was evaluated there, and then airlifted to the hospital in Boston.

A Democratic Party aide confirmed that Kennedy suffered what they first believed were “stroke-like symptoms.” Kennedy suffered one seizure in Cape Cod and a second while aboard the helicopter flight to Massachusetts General, the Boston Globe reported.

However, by the end of the day, Cutter said, Kennedy was “conscious, talking, joking with family.”

Physicians continued to evaluate his condition, calling off a scheduled news briefing concerning his condition.

Family members said they remained “guardedly optimistic” that he would recover soon, and hospital officials said he was resting comfortably. Relatives visited the hospital, as did his Massachusetts colleague, Sen. John F. Kerry.

“He is currently under evaluation,” Kennedy’s office in Washington, D.C., said in a statement.

Kennedy was first elected to the Senate in 1962 to fill the seat left open when his brother, John F. Kennedy, won the presidency, and has been a key player in U.S. politics ever since. Most recently, he figured prominently into this year’s Democratic race between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama with his endorsement of Obama.

Obama, campaigning today in Eugene, Ore., praised Kennedy during an appearance at a hospital.

“As I have said many times before, Ted Kennedy is a giant in American political history,” Obama said. “He has done more for the healthcare of others than just about anybody in history and so we are going to be rooting for him and I insist on being optimistic about how it’s going to turn out.”

Clinton also issued a statement, saying: “My thoughts and prayers are with Ted Kennedy and his family today. We all wish him well and a quick recovery.”

On the Republican side, presumptive presidential nominee Sen. John McCain of Arizona issued his own statement.

“Sen. Kennedy’s role in the U.S. Senate cannot be overstated,” McCain said. “He is a legendary lawmaker, and I have the highest respect for him. When we have worked together, he has been a skillful, fair and generous partner.”

Kennedy underwent surgery in October to clear his carotid artery in an attempt to prevent a future stroke, and his colleagues and family members said he recovered well and soon returned to work.

He also has suffered from years of chronic back pain, dating to a plane crash in 1964.

Two of Ted Kennedy’s brothers, President Kennedy and New York Sen. Robert F. Kennedy, were assassinated during the 1960s. His oldest brother, Joseph Jr., died in World War II.

Ted Kennedy has remained a tireless campaigner on social issues, such as increases in the minimum wage and improvements in healthcare. He ran for president in 1980, but was defeated in the Democratic primary campaign by then-incumbent President Carter.

He suffered a deep blow to his reputation when he drove off a bridge in 1969, plunging into a river channel between Chappaquiddick Island and Martha’s Vineyard. The senator escaped, but his companion, campaign aide Mary Jo Kopechne, drowned. He pleaded guilty to leaving the scene of an accident and was given a two-month suspended jail sentence.

After the Chappaquiddick incident and the loss to Carter, Kennedy turned his attention to building his senatorial resume. He is one of only six senators in U.S. history to serve in that body for more than 40 years. He now chairs the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee.

Kennedy has spent much of this year campaigning for Obama, providing the Illinois senator with valuable political counsel and credibility among basic Democratic support groups, such as organized labor and Latinos. He campaigned for Obama across the West, including in California, Arizona and New Mexico.

Kennedy’s appearances have drawn huge crowds, and the Kennedy name undoubtedly boosted Obama with many Latino households. Still, Latino voters continued to prefer his rival, Clinton, and Obama did not win the popular vote in California.

At the time of his seizure, Kennedy was preparing to host the annual Best Buddies Challenge, a charity fund-raiser for people suffering from intellectual disabilities that was started by his nephew, Anthony Kennedy Shriver.

Hundreds were expected to participate in the event, which started with a 100-mile bicycle ride from the Kennedy Library in Boston to Hyannisport.

 richard.serrano@latimes.com

Times staff writer Tom Hamburger in Washington contributed to this report.