Kennedy/Byrd

there are conflicting reports on a medical emergency that occurred during the presidential luncheon.

cnn is reporting the following:

Sen. Ted Kennedy, D-Massachusetts, collapsed Tuesday afternoon during a luncheon held for President Barack Obama in the Capitol's Statuary Hall.

Paramedics were called to the scene at 2:35 p.m. ET.

Kennedy, who appeared to be suffering from a seizure, was transported to a hospital.

"Senator Kennedy had a seizure" which "lasted a while," a Republican House member told CNN.

The member said Kennedy was still experiencing seizures when he was put in a wheelchair and taken out through the Rayburn room, located to the side of Statuary Hall.

Kennedy, 76, was first elected to the Senate in 1962.

The source did not know whether President Obama saw it happening because "there was still a lot of talking" and the program was still going on - the incident happened at the end of lunch.

This source was sitting at table in front of Kennedy and said Kennedy was sitting with former Vice President Walter Mondale and Senator Daniel Inouye.

but msnbc is also reporting that senator robert byrd has suffered some sort of emergency:

Byrd fell ill and was escorted out. The nature of his ailment was not immediately known. Byrd is the longest-serving senator in history.

Byrd, 91, was hospitalized March 5 for tests after a reaction to antibiotics. A week earlier he was hospitalized at Walter Reed Army Medical Center after a fall at home.

will update if i hear anything later today.

e.