White House: Obama has not spoken to Kennedy about succession letter

By Susan Milligan, Globe Staff

WASHINGTON -- President Obama has not spoken to Senator Edward M. Kennedy about his letter to Massachusetts leaders urging them to change state law to provide for a quicker replacement should he leave his seat, White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said today.

"He has not talked to Senator Kennedy about this. The last time they spoke was several weeks ago about health care. I have not had the chance to talk to him this morning about Senator Kennedy's letter.''

Obama has counted on Kennedy as a key ally on his health care overhaul push, but the senator's battle with brain cancer has taken him out of the fray on Capitol Hill in recent weeks. With Democrats controlling 60 votes -- the bare minimum to overcome a potential Republican filibuster -- Kennedy's vote could end up being crucial.

Gibbs also said that when Obama vacations on Martha's Vineyard starting Sunday, it's "not in the plans that I know'' for Obama to visit Kennedy.

UPDATE: Gibbs told reporters this afternoon that the last time that Obama talked to Kennedy was on June 2, for about seven or eight minutes "to discuss where we were and the progress that was being made on health care."

At his daily briefing, Gibbs also said that the president talked to Kennedy's wife, Vicki, after he delivered a personal letter from the senator to the pope last month.