# Sen. Ted Kennedy and Sen. Byrd collapse at inaugural luncheon **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [January 20, 2009, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sen-ted-kennedy-and-sen-byrd-collapse-at-inaugural-luncheon/482197 "2009-01-20T20:11:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2009, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sen-ted-kennedy-and-sen-byrd-collapse-at-inaugural-luncheon/482197/1 "2009-01-20T20:11:35Z")
This is all over the networks right now, but [this newspaper article](http://hamptonroads.com/2009/01/kennedy-and-byrd-collapse-inaugural-luncheon-washington) is all I can find through Google News at the moment. Apparently Sen. Kennedy collapsed and went into extended convulsions at the inaugural luncheon. He’s been taken to an ambulance and is on his way to the hospital. Sen. Byrd was distraught because of Kennedy’s collapse and also required medical attention. I don’t pray, but the senator will be much on my mind through the rest of the day. (I wasn’t sure where this should go, but GD seemed most appropriate since it’s about a political figure…move if you must, mods…) ---
**Author:** ![FriarTed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/friarted/32/1052_2.png) [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2009, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sen-ted-kennedy-and-sen-byrd-collapse-at-inaugural-luncheon/482197/2 "2009-01-20T20:15:27Z")
Well, I do, so I hope this is OK here. Lord, be with your servants Edward Kennedy and Robert Byrd. Restore them to health. Guide and guard them as they recover. Bring them through to continue their work until they are ready to be welcomed into Your Home. Amen. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2009, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sen-ted-kennedy-and-sen-byrd-collapse-at-inaugural-luncheon/482197/3 "2009-01-20T20:15:59Z")
Ummm…yes? I’m not quite sure where the debate is here. ---
**Author:** ![Gfactor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9de053/32.png) [@Gfactor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gfactor)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2009, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sen-ted-kennedy-and-sen-byrd-collapse-at-inaugural-luncheon/482197/4 "2009-01-20T20:17:56Z")
Moved from Great Debates to Mundane Pointless Stuff I Must Share. **Gfactor** for the Dope ---
**Author:** ![Palo\_Verde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/65b543/32.png) [@Palo\_Verde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Palo_Verde)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2009, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sen-ted-kennedy-and-sen-byrd-collapse-at-inaugural-luncheon/482197/5 "2009-01-20T20:20:01Z")
> [@FriarTed](#): > > Well, I do, so I hope this is OK here. > > Lord, be with your servants Edward Kennedy and Robert Byrd. Restore them to health. Guide and guard them as they recover. Bring them through to continue their work until they are ready to be welcomed into Your Home. Amen. Very nicely and appropriately done. ---
**Author:** ![fifty-six](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@fifty-six](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fifty-six)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2009, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sen-ted-kennedy-and-sen-byrd-collapse-at-inaugural-luncheon/482197/6 "2009-01-20T20:28:03Z")
Didn’t William Henry Harrison die after spending to much time out in the cold. And that menu at the luncheon did not seem all that healthy. No leafy greens not even any asparagus. Just gout heavy food and loads of wine. Good job on knocking off the Senators. There now it can stay in Great Debates. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2009, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sen-ted-kennedy-and-sen-byrd-collapse-at-inaugural-luncheon/482197/7 "2009-01-20T20:29:44Z")
Little late, **fifty-six**. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2009, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sen-ted-kennedy-and-sen-byrd-collapse-at-inaugural-luncheon/482197/8 "2009-01-20T20:33:11Z")
> [@Gfactor](#): > > Moved from Great Debates to Mundane Pointless Stuff I Must Share. > > **Gfactor** > for the Dope I was back and forth on it. It’s just not mundane or pointless. But it’s not a debate, either. We really need a “general” forum that’s not so fliply titled… ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2009, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sen-ted-kennedy-and-sen-byrd-collapse-at-inaugural-luncheon/482197/9 "2009-01-20T20:33:40Z")
> [@fifty-six](#): > > Good job on knocking off the Senators. I think I’ve been reading too much George RR Martin, because I also was thinking this. I hope they’re all right. Edit: **jayjay** , [I just had the same thought, inspired by this thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=502731). Daniel ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2009, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sen-ted-kennedy-and-sen-byrd-collapse-at-inaugural-luncheon/482197/10 "2009-01-20T20:36:03Z")
> [@jayjay](#): > > I was back and forth on it. It’s just not mundane or pointless. But it’s not a debate, either. We really need a “general” forum that’s not so fliply titled… Discussion of Items of Less than Infinite but Still Measureable Importance, or DILISMI for short. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2009, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sen-ted-kennedy-and-sen-byrd-collapse-at-inaugural-luncheon/482197/11 "2009-01-20T20:38:58Z")
> [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](#): > > I think I’ve been reading too much George RR Martin, because I also was thinking this. > > I hope they’re all right. > > Edit: **jayjay** , [I just had the same thought, inspired by this thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=502731). > > Daniel I just seconded your OP…thanks for posting that. ---
**Author:** ![TWDuke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e495f1/32.png) [@TWDuke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TWDuke)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2009, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sen-ted-kennedy-and-sen-byrd-collapse-at-inaugural-luncheon/482197/12 "2009-01-20T20:43:28Z")
Reports of Senator Byrd’s collapse may have been exaggerated. > **[Sen. Byrd "fine" after luncheon incident - aide](https://www.reuters.com/article/marketsNews/idUSWBT01044520090120)** > > U.S. Sen. Robert Byrd is "fine" after having been removed from an inaugural luncheon for President Barack Obama after a fellow senator, Edward Kennedy, collapsed, an aide said. ---
**Author:** ![rocking\_chair](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rocking_chair/32/2918_2.png) [@rocking\_chair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rocking_chair)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2009, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sen-ted-kennedy-and-sen-byrd-collapse-at-inaugural-luncheon/482197/13 "2009-01-21T00:23:21Z")
reports are that sen. kennedy’s incident was brought on by fatigue. hopefully he will make it to see pres. obama sign a healthcare bill. i also hope we don’t hear another, “teddy, i love you, teddy” speech from sen. byrd. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2009, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sen-ted-kennedy-and-sen-byrd-collapse-at-inaugural-luncheon/482197/14 "2009-01-21T01:00:31Z")
> [@jayjay](#): > > I was back and forth on it. It’s just not mundane or pointless. But it’s not a debate, either. We really need a “general” forum that’s not so fliply titled… Fliply. I like that word. It’s almost onomatopoetic. ---
**Author:** ![Leiko](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Leiko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leiko)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2009, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sen-ted-kennedy-and-sen-byrd-collapse-at-inaugural-luncheon/482197/15 "2009-01-21T04:51:17Z")
> [@fifty-six](#): > > Didn’t William Henry Harrison die after spending to much time out in the cold. > > And that menu at the luncheon did not seem all that healthy. No leafy greens not even any asparagus. Just gout heavy food and loads of wine. Good job on knocking off the Senators. > There now it can stay in Great Debates. There was asparagus: one of the sides was “winter vegetables” including asparagus, brussel sprouts, carrots, and wax beans. The other was molasses whipped sweet potatoes, which sounds more unhealthy in name than it does when you read the recipe. For some reason the winter vegetables appear on the recipe [PDF](http://inaugural.senate.gov/documents/doc-2009-recipes.pdf) but not the menu on the Inaugural page. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2009, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sen-ted-kennedy-and-sen-byrd-collapse-at-inaugural-luncheon/482197/16 "2009-01-21T04:59:47Z")
Inching closer to some points in the Death Pool… C’mon, I’m sure I’m not the only one who picked Teddy. ---
**Author:** ![Zoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a4c791/32.png) [@Zoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zoe)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2009, 8:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sen-ted-kennedy-and-sen-byrd-collapse-at-inaugural-luncheon/482197/17 "2009-01-21T08:01:43Z")
> [@](#): > > **Little Nemo** : I’m not quite sure where the debate is here. The prayer was not unanimous? ---
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2009, 12:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sen-ted-kennedy-and-sen-byrd-collapse-at-inaugural-luncheon/482197/18 "2009-01-21T12:46:21Z")
I mean, Byrd is senile, and Kennedy is finished. Of course, as a member of the royal family, he thinks he owns his seat. And his staff of hacks wants to stay in washington. But i digress, kennedy needs to go. This bumbling old fool had blocked: -wind energy -nuclear energy -importation of cheap electricity from Quebec He also thinks he knows best for working class Americans (from a guy who’s never worked a day in his life). Ted, please leave!