Kennedy Collapses, Byrd Wheeled Out
of Presidential Luncheon

Massachusetts senator Edward Kennedy suffered a seizure at a 200-person luncheon honoring President Barack Obama. Paramedics arrived at the scene and escorted him out of the room.

According to Fox News, Teresa Heinz Kerry, wife of fellow Massachusetts senator John Kerry, helped Kennedy into a reclining chair. Last summer the senator was diagnosed with a brain tumor. Reverend Daniel Coughlin, who gave the benediction at the end of the luncheon, said Kennedy responded well to treatment and is being taken to the hospital.

Obama said, "I would be lying to you if I did not say that right now a part of me is with him. And I think that's true for all of us. This is a joyous time. But it's also a sobering time. And my prayers are with him and his family and [Kennedy's wife] Vicki."

Meanwhile, West Virginia senator Robert Byrd, 91, was also removed from the luncheon. The Los Angeles Times reports that the Senate's longest-serving member was so overwhelmed by the scene that he asked to be removed by wheelchair. Byrd's frail health lead some reporters to believe that he was also ailing physically.

The event, which ended at about 3 p.m. EST, took place at Sanctuary Hall in the U.S. Capitol. (Michelle Garcia, Advocate.com)