Ted Kennedy Upset Caroline Used Cancer as Excuse

Ted Kennedy and his aides are livid that his niece Caroline is citing his health problems among reasons for her withdrawing from consideration for Hillary Clinton’s Senate seat, Time reports. Associates say the Massachusetts senator is doing well and fully committed to his goal of passing universal health-care legislation—and Caroline’s move can only hurt that effort.

“It looks horrible,” said one aide to Sen. Kennedy. “It makes him look like he is at death’s door. … Using him as an excuse, as though things were on the downward spiral, is not going to be OK with him.” In addition, new reports suggest Kennedy withdrew her bid only after learning that New York Gov. David Paterson had decided against selecting her. (More Caroline Kennedy Schlossberg stories.)