Kennedy's absence has Reid seeking votes

Senator Edward M. Kennedy, battling brain cancer, returned to Washington this week for key votes on the stimulus package.

But he is going back to Florida, where he has been resting after suffering a seizure on Inauguration Day, CNN is reporting this afternoon.

And that is prompting Harry Reid, the top Democrat in the Senate, to troll for another moderate Republican or two to vote for the compromise version of the stimulus on Friday, just to be safe.

With Kennedy's vote and those of three Republicans, the Senate passed the plan with 61 votes -- just one more than necessary. CNN says that Reid is worried that final passage could be made problematic if a Democrat is ill or otherwise absent on Friday.