Ted Kennedy has a malignant brain tumor.

Sorry no image on this post, WordPress has been really flaky lately.

So I saw this morning that Senator Ted Kennedy’s recent seizure and collapse has been determined to be tied to a malignant brain tumor. Tragic news, to say the least.

The figure of Teddy has been somewhat of a mixed blessing for the left. On one hand, it’s hard to find a more outspoken and fearless champion of everything we liberals stand for. Pretty much every speech he’s made has been prime fodder for liberal-blog video clips. His rant on the Senate Floor over the rush to confirm Samuel Alito was amongst my favorites.

On the other hand, outside of Hillary Clinton there’s no Congressman that the right loves to use as an Antichrist more than Ted Kennedy. Mention the name and there’s a good chance a nearby conservative will say “Chappaquiddick” like they’ve got Tourrette’s Syndrome. He’s one of those guys where no matter what he says, the right will take the opposite position. Ted Kennedy could make the “don’t set adorable puppies on fire” bill, and the right will vote against it.

Of course, maybe that’s a good thing. They love their super-conservatives that “strike fear into the hearts of the left”, perhaps Teddy was one of our warriors of that ilk. Tireless crusader of liberal causes and never one to crumble when pressed. The younger Democrats in Congress could learn from the guy.

Hopefully, though, this will be a time when that falls away. Much like when Tony Snow got cancer, this is not a time to look at things through a political lens. That can wait until he gets back, or he succumbs to his illness and we’ve had time to heal.

I have to admit though, I’m not optimistic that this can remain clean.