http://www.irishcentral.com/opinion/col/kellyscorner/I-wish-Id-known-it-would-be-the-last-time-I-would-see-Ted-Kennedy-56078512.htmlTwo weeks before he would suffer his first collapse Senator Ted Kennedy asked me to find him a chair.
It was April 30, 2008, and Kennedy was hemmed in behind the buffet table at the Speaker, Nancy Pelosi's office.
The Speaker was hosting a luncheon in honor of outgoing Taoiseach Bertie Ahern - who had just addressed the joint session of Congress - and the room was stuffed with Irish American big wigs and wannabes.
The lion amongst them all was Kennedy. But he looked grey in the face, and was clearly in some distress.
"I need a chair," he said, to no-one in particular. Spying me looking at him, he said "Would you mind bringing me a chair?"
I cast around wildly and grabbed a spare chair before a well-endowed Irish American Hyacinth Bucket type could take it from under me.
"I'm saving it for someone," she said snootily. "Well it better be for Senator Edward Kennedy or else I'm taking it," I said.
In as dignified manner as possible, I wrestled the chair away from her and brought it back to the Senator
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