Senator Kennedy is currently undergoing surgery at Duke University Medical Center:

"Sen. Edward M. Kennedy was at Duke University Medical Center on Monday for a risky six-hour surgery for his cancerous brain tumor, and faces chemotherapy and radiation treatment following the procedure."

More below the fold:

promoted with title editing by DemFromCT

Senator Ted Kennedy will undergo brain surgery this morning at Duke University Medical Center for the treatment of his recently diagnosed brain tumor.

Statement of Sen. Edward M. Kennedy

DURHAM, NC — U.S. Senator Edward M. Kennedy this morning released the following statement:

"I am deeply grateful to the people of Massachusetts and to my friends, colleagues and so many others across the country and around the world who have expressed their support and good wishes as I tackle this new and unexpected health challenge. I am humbled by the outpouring and am strengthened by your prayers and kindness. Over the past several days, Vicki and I, along with my outstanding team of doctors at Massachusetts General Hospital, have consulted with experts from around the country and have decided that the best course of action for my brain tumor is targeted surgery followed by chemotherapy and radiation.

By a wide margen Moezeldin Elmostafa, a Sudanese immigrant with a green card was chosen the 2008 Readers Digest Hero of the Year.

You remember the 2006 Duke University Lacrosse team case. The Players were cleared, DA Nifong got disbarred and one of the key witnesses was Taxicab driver Moezeldin Elmostafa, a Sudanese immigrant with a green card.  Even when faced with the intimidation of criminal charges, Moezeldin refused to be intimidated by the police and testified in favor of the Duke students.

Harvard finally has a female president. She is Drew Gilpin Faust and replaces Lawrence Summers who had a short tenure in large part because he raised critical questions about the academic output of some of the university’s most esteemed African-American faculty members (Cornell West to be specific, who among other things put out a Rap record)) and, perhaps more transgressively, speculated about the genetic differences between males and females when it comes to scientific achievement. With that one, it was only a matter of days before the Harvard board would need to find a sinecure for him. Which they did.

Peter Feaver wrote a hysterical op-ed against MoveOn's anti-Petraeus ad, hyperbolically titled "MoveOn's McCarthy Moment".  The Boston Globe identified Feaver this way:

http://news.yahoo.com/...

http://news.yahoo.com/...

I understand that DA Niphong broke the law and his assumption of guilt on those boys was wrong.

I understand also he has lost his right to practice law.

What I don't understand is on the other side.....

So much sense and nonsense have been written recently about Don Imus, the Duke Rape Case, and Alberto Gonzales and the USA Scandal.  

While raking leaves in a gentle spring mist, I was struck by the seemingly accidental concurrence of these three important stories, relating to these intersections of race and privilege in contemporary American society.  

AS USUAL, the MSM is circulating a lot of misinformation and wingnut talking points.

There is, however, a common thread linking these important and seemingly disparate events:

In the aftermath of the Don Imus firing, Smashed Frog finds it extremely ironic that Nancy Grace remains on the air.

As if the online verbal assault which symbolically pushed young mom Melinda Duckett over the edge was not enough, the clearing of the three Duke University students must now be evidence enough for CNN.

Grace has become too much of a legal liability for the network to keep her on air.

Fire Nancy Grace...NOW.

this will be brief and really to just put out an idle thought. I have no presumption about the players' guilt and assume they are innocent.
however, i wonder what the result would have been if the accused were black or hispanic; if they were not children of the well-connected; if they were not athletes; if it were a predominantly black university and the accuser was white?
my guess - immediate trial, conviction or plea bargain. certainly no charges would have been filed against the da involved. probably bush's federal attorney would have been involved, limbaugh would have had orgasms attacking the accused, etc, etc, etc,

Yesterday I saw some very disturbing comments in dKos diaries, and some disturbing diaries as well.  These were presented, primarily, on the subjects of Don Imus and the three Duke lacrosse players accused of rape.

Follow me below the jump, and I'll explain.

Yesterday we asked whether Durham District Attorney Mike Nifong exploited a mentally unstable unstable woman for political gain in the Duke lacrosse rape case, citing the accuser's history of psychological issues.

A profile of the woman published in today's Raleigh (N.C.) News & Observer shows the situation was even worse than we realized:

Every once in a while, there is a democrat we don’t even want to claim. Such is the case with Michael Byron "Mike" Nifong, District Attorney for Durham County, North Carolina.

When news first broke of the 3 Duke Lacrosse players and the allegations of rape, I was too inclined to believe the charges and let my biases get in the way.  Although I preached innocent until proven guilty I did not initially practice it.  

Knowing how so many lacrosse players from my old high school and college were just some of the biggest jerks you could ever meet, it wouldn't have surprised me if these 3 players were guilty.  They fit the profile like a tee.

First Look: Duke Rape Case (CBS News)

© copyright 2007 Betsy L. Angert

Intentionally, I have avoided the hype, the hypocrisy, and the hysteria surrounding the Duke Lacrosse players and the woman frequently described as a "stripper." I did not wish to discuss my disgust for I feared my own rage.  Revenge, for me, is never sweet.  Racism, is a bitter pill.  However, the taste of it stays with me in every passing moment.  Finally, I can stay silent no more.  I must flush out what I believe is folly.  The "case is closed."

When sick in bed with the flu, the only thing worse than the hacking cough is daytime TV. Unable to read or do e-mails because of the fever, what else is there to do but turn to the tube? That describes me during the past four days. But wasn’t I lucky that there was so much Breaking News.

I’ve never been a Don Imus devotee. In fact, I can’t recall the last time I listened to any portion of his show. I’ve never met the man and I know next to nothing about his character or his motivations other than what I’ve garnered during this rancor over his racially charged remarks.

So what do I know? I know that people on both sides of the political divide have sought to take advantage of the situation. While that isn’t necessarily wrong, it is indicative of a much larger problem in our society. In the broadest sense, it’s the oversimplification of us versus them...good versus bad.

Until this morning, I can't remember the last time I saw a diary about the ongoing saga of the Duke rape case, a story that was once/briefly of such interest interest here on DKos.  And, make no mistake about it, it was ongoing.  Just as stories continue after the the MSM has lost interest, they continue without any attention from DKos, too.

Anyway, all charges were dismissed.  Links to the coverage by the local media and a few musings on the flip...