An inspiration ...

The widow of Sen. Edward M. Kennedy told Oprah Winfrey in an interview broadcast Wednesday that even as her husband knew he was dying of brain cancer, he had been “in training” to make sure he had enough strength to attend President Obama’s inauguration. In the most extensive interview since her husband’s death in August, Vicki Kennedy said she wouldn’t try to run for her husband’s former U. S. Senate seat and described how he battled brain cancer—but she would not talk about the last thing he said to her before dying.

“I think I’ll just keep that one to myself,” she told Winfrey on “The Oprah Winfrey Show.”

During the hour-long interview that was taped Friday, she described her husband’s seizure in May 2008, which led to his diagnosis of the brain cancer that ended his life at the age of 77.

“We went from thinking he had lost his life, to thinking that he’d had a stroke, to thinking that he wouldn’t speak to thinking that he was OK, to then finding out that he might have a brain tumor all in the span of about three hours,” she said.

She also told Winfrey about how her husband kept working on his book after his diagnosis and even was calling colleagues in the Senate to talk about strategy to push through legislation as he was traveling to Duke University Medical Center in Durham, N. C., to undergo brain surgery.

“It was an inspiration, really, to watch how Teddy grappled with such a grave diagnosis and always looked forward with hope,” she said.

Palin takes a pause ...

Sarah Palin is taking a Thanksgiving break from her book tour to spend time with family members in Washington for a 5K run to benefit the Red Cross.

Palin detailed her plans Wednesday on Twitter.

Heather Filbin with the Benton-Franklin Chapter of the American Red Cross said about 25 Palin relatives had registered for the annual Turkey Trot at Kennewick’s Columbia Park.

Palin plans to have dinner at the home of her aunt Katie Johnson.

She intends to resume her book tour Sunday, signing copies of “Going Rogue” at a book store in Richland.

Dobbs for president? ...

Former CNN anchor Lou Dobbs is seriously considering running for U. S. Senate in New Jersey as “an intermediary step” that could lead to a run for the White House.

Dobbs told former Sen. Fred Thompson’s radio program on Monday that he had been urged to run for president and would talk to some people about it.

His spokesman is playing down the idea. Robert Dilenschneider tells The New York Times Wednesday a run for president is a “long way off.” The spokesman says there would have to be an “intermediary step,” such as the seat held by Sen. Robert Menendez, a Democrat.

Menendez is the Senate’s only Hispanic member and a strong advocate for immigrant rights. He’s up for reelection in 2012.

Dobbs, who owns a farm in rural northwest New Jersey, has criticized immigration policies.