WASHINGTON - Sen. Barbara A. Mikulski calls Sen. Edward M. Kennedy "one of the Galahads."
When the Maryland Democrat arrived in the Senate two decades ago, Kennedy was ready to show her the ways of the upper chamber, to help her win a seat on the powerful Appropriations Committee, to team up with her on several measures to improve women's health.
Yesterday, Mikulski called news of his cancer diagnosis "wrenching -- like a punch in the heart."
"Senator Kennedy is one of my oldest friends in Congress," Mikulski, who wiped tears from her eyes yesterday as she entered the Senate chamber to vote, said through a spokeswoman. "He's always been there when I needed him - I'm there for him now."
Senators were somber yesterday as word spread that the seizure Kennedy suffered over the weekend had been caused by a malignant brain tumor. While colleagues on both sides of the aisle called the Massachusetts Democrat a fighter, the prevailing mood was one of worry.
"It's times like this that you realize -- we realize -- that the Senate really is a family," Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid told reporters. "We, as a family, are tremendously concerned about Senator Kennedy."
"He remains the single most effective member of the Senate if you want to get results," said Sen. John McCain of Arizona, the presumptive Republican nominee for president. "He is not reluctant to share the credit. And he, when it fails, he's willing to take the blame."
Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois, for whom Kennedy has campaigned, called news of Kennedy's diagnosis "heartbreaking."
"Obviously, this is grim news," the Democratic presidential candidate told MSNBC. "The one thing I know about Ted Kennedy, though, he's a fighter. He's been fighting for over 40 years in the Senate on behalf of people in need. He's going to fight hard to battle this illness."
Obama described seeking Kennedy out when he arrived in Washington.
"I think it's fair to say that I might not be in the Senate had it not been for him because of the battles that he fought for voting rights and civil rights early in his career and then later on in his career," he said. "And so, you know, I immediately asked to meet with him. And not only did he understand how legislation passed, not only did he understand all the people in the Senate and give me advice on those fronts, but he also just turned out to be a wonderful person."
