TEDDY JO REFUSES TO TAKE A GET WELL CALL FROM BUSH

AP:

Sen. Edward M. Kennedy's hospitalization after a seizure stretched to a third day Monday, raising questions about the severity of his illness.

The senator's office announced that he is not expected to return to Washington this week, and a spokeswoman said the Massachusetts Democrat had not been available to take a call from President Bush earlier in the day.

"Take care of my friend," the president told Vicki Kennedy, who answered the call from the White House to Massachusetts General Hospital, according to Kennedy spokeswoman Stephanie Cutter. ...

BUT...

... Over the weekend, Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., visited his colleague, but he declined public comment about his condition.

Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois, the leading Democratic presidential contender, told reporters he was surprised by Kennedy's vigor during a phone call Saturday.

HE TOOK CALLS FROM KERRY.

AND OBAMA.

HMMM...

AND TEDDY WAS EVEN WELL ENOUGH TO PLACE A CALL TO DODD...

Sen. Christopher Dodd, D-Conn., said Kennedy's voice "couldn't have been stronger" when he called Sunday.

"My cell phone rang and I picked it up and here was this voice that sounded terribly familiar to me talking about how those nurses were picking on him up in that hospital. It had me laughing," Dodd told reporters.

"His voice was robust and strong and full of that laughter we've all heard a million times. He sounded great."

(WHY'D HE CALL DODD? COULD IT BE BECAUSE DODD IS AN OLD DRINKING BUDDY OF TEDDY'S? PROBABLY.)

BUT... TEDDY JO WASN'T WELL ENOUGH TO TAKE A CALL FROM THE POTUS.

WHAT AN AS**OLE.

MAYBE TEDDY JO WAS AFRAID HE'D GET A LECTURE FROM BUSH ABOUT LAYING OFF TE SAUCE? (BUSH IS A RECOVERING ALCOHOLIC HIMSELF. A SUCCESSFUL ONE!)

I NOTE THIS BECAUSE I SUSPECT THAT TEDDY'S CONDITION IS BOOZE-RELATED.