As The Saga Spins, So Does Kennedy
For those who have been living in a Taliban cave for the last 24 hours, Representative Patrick Kennedy, nephew of Senator Ted Kennedy, was involved in a car accident early Thursday morning around three a.m. The police report stipulates the following:
The reporting officer checked off a box indicating that Kennedy was under the influence of alcohol and that the politician's ability was "impaired." Kennedy, 39, has denied that alcohol was involved in the 2:45 AM accident, claiming instead that he was left disoriented by a reaction to the prescription drugs Ambien, a sleep aid, and Phenergan, an antihistamine. Both drugs carry warnings that alcohol, taken in conjunction with the medications, may increase drowsiness and dizziness. Following the accident, Kennedy was driven home by police, who did not administer any field sobriety tests to the six-term congressman.
The reporting officers noted that he was under the influence. Yet, as we read to the end, we see that the officers on scene (these being the sergeants who dismissed the initial officers on scene) opted to not issue the tests, but instead take him home. This goes beyond Congressional immunity, as stipulated in the Constitution (Article I, Section 6, Clause 1). This is, as the "kids" called it, and everyone basically on the center-right blogosphere, "preferential treatment." Every average citizen knows that they would never be extended such treatment by the police if the circumstances were similar.
Today, Patrick Kennedy acknowledged the accident, and announced he was going into a rehab clinic:
Rep. Patrick Kennedy said Friday he was entering treatment for addiction to prescription pain medication, a decision made after a highly publicized car crash near the Capitol that he said he cannot recall.
Kennedy, D-R.I., said he plans to seek treatment at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., immediately.
He announced his decision to reporters at a Capitol Hill news conference. He walked in alone, gripped the lectern, cleared his throat and began haltingly.
Kennedy, who has struggled with addiction and depression, said he had checked into the Mayo Clinic over the Christmas holidays and returned to Congress "reinvigorated and healthy."
"Of course, in every recovery, each day has its ups and downs, but I have been strong, focused and productive since my return," Kennedy said in a statement obtained by The Associated Press.
The congressman said he became concerned about his condition after the Thursday morning car accident.
"I simply do not remember getting out of bed, being pulled over by the police, or being cited for three driving infractions," Kennedy said. "That's not how I want to live my life. And that's not how I want to represent the people of Rhode Island."
As he was leaving the room, Kennedy was asked whether he might resign, and he shook his head no. "I need to stay in the fight," he said.
Now, a couple of bloggers have made a note about this. First, Dan Riehl notes an accident just a little over two weeks ago by Rep. Kennedy that went virtually unnoticed. Second, and this is gaining a lot of steam in the blogosphere, is this simple idea. Rush Limbaugh, a bane to many liberals, recently plead guilty to "doctor shopping" in Florida. He must continue to maintain his treatment, pay a $30,000 fine, and may never own a firearm. The liberals went nuts, and I have seen my fair share of "pill-popper" insults from the likes of the unhinged left. Yet, here we have Rep. Patrick Kennedy who admits to the same thing, and thus far has been handled with kid gloves by the press. When Mr. Limbaugh's case emerged, the press leaped on him; it was an old-fashioned case of dogpiling on a despised rival. So, I find it a bit disingenuous by the liberals, except in one case.
This will floor most of our readers:
Patrick Kennedy's in a lot of pain; I feel sympathy.
But if he can't remember even getting into his car, if he was in rehab over Christmas, if there's an allegation he'd been drinking before the accident -- well maybe he needs to resign.
Here's the problem folks: most Americans who aren't partisans truly believe the democrats and The Republicans are "all the same" and that the power-elite takes care of its own.
Democrats can talk about Abramoff and Cunningham and the Republicans' toothless ethics bill, but so long as the People see us as just the "other side of the coin", they have little reason to go to the polls to vote for Dems.
Now we've got Congressman William Jefferson who despite allegations of bribery won't resign, and Patrick Kennedy who announces he's "going to vote" and so dodges a Breathalyzer test, and now will go into rehab rather than resign.
This gives all the justification in the world to independents who will say that the Dems are "just as bad" and that "all of them are corrupt".
The Democratic Party needs to show it's different, that it's not a club of the elite taking care of the elite.
Much as I feel for Congressman Kennedy, it's time for him for his own good and for the good of the Party, to resign with dignity.
No, that didn't come from Rush, or Sean Hannity. It didn't come from Michelle Malkin or Hugh Hewitt. That came from Markos Zuniga, AKA DailyKos, himself. Now, we need to give credit is due even though he doesn't deserve it most of the time. But this is where you have to admire certain people on the liberal side. There are the few "diamonds in the rough" that are just as hard on their party as we are on ours. So, kudos to DailyKos in calling for responsible behavior and accountability from Rep. Patrick Kennedy.
However, there's another thing that disturbs me a bit. Rep. Kennedy's statements:
Kennedy's full written statement:
"Last Tuesday, the Attending Physician of the United States Congress treated me for Gastroenteritis. The Attending Physician prescribed Phenergan, an anti-nausea medication, which in addition to treating Gastroenteritis, I now know can cause drowsiness and sedation.
Following the last series of votes on Wednesday evening, I returned to my home on Capitol Hill and took the prescribed amount of Phenergan and Ambien, which was also prescribed by the Attending Physician some time ago and I occasionally take to fall asleep.
Some time around 2:45am, I drove the few blocks to the Capitol Complex believing I needed to vote. Apparently, I was disoriented from the medication. At that time, I was involved in a one-car incident in which my car hit the security barrier at the corner of 1st and C St., SE. At no time before the incident did I consume any alcohol.
At the time of the accident, I was instructed to park my car and was driven home by the United States Capitol Police. At no time did I ask for any special consideration, I simply complied with what the officers asked me to do.
I have the utmost respect for the United States Capitol Police and the job they do to keep Members of Congress and the Capitol Complex safe.
I have contacted the Chief of Capitol Police and offered to meet with police representatives at their earliest convenience as I intend to cooperate fully with any investigation they choose to undertake."
Funny that he can give a full, detailed statement, yet earlier (above, and I'll cite it again) he admits to reporters he doesn't remember what happened:
"I simply do not remember getting out of bed, being pulled over by the police, or being cited for three driving infractions," Kennedy said. "That's not how I want to live my life. And that's not how I want to represent the people of Rhode Island."
Inconsistency abounds here, and I'm wondering if it has something to do with a near complete non-coverage of the car accident from two weeks ago, in conjunction with this, and his admission of addiction to pain killers. The question is how long has this been going on? And Michelle Malkin takes notice of a reader's e-mail that has plenty of questions:
Reader RB e-mails:
Well, at least the "addiction" (aka, an "It's not my fault and I won't be responsible for my actions" excuse) may explain why he was going to the CVS on 15 Apr when he had an accident. Unanswered questions:
Who has prescribed drugs for Pat? When? For what? How many?
Was he "on drugs" when he had the 15 Apr 06 accident?
Why hasn't the media picked up on the 15 Apr 06 accident?
Two accidents in two weeks under similar circumstances - how much does it take for Pat to get a clue?
Did the physician(s) review his current prescriptions for possible interactions? Did they brief Pat on the effects? Were the medications properly labeled? Can Pat even read?
Yes, Rep. Kennedy. You have some more questions to answer, and among them is how long has this been a problem? Is this the first time that it's come to light? and, have you ever sought out professional treatment before this? Of course those questions won't be answered right away. He'll go through his treatment, be lauded as a hero by the press when he does (there'll be fighting over who gets that first exclusive), and he'll answer some of these questions amidst some tears (real, or Voinovich inspired? Inquiring minds want to know). But little will happen to him.
I do support Mr. Zuniga's call for his resignation. At this point, getting help is the first step, and you can't be doing that while juggling a Congressional schedule. Even Rush stepped aside for a brief time while he went through his rehab program. But then again, Rush owns his show. The Kennedy's may think they own that seat, but they don't. Rep. Kennedy, please do the dignified thing, and step down.
Mistress Pundit
For those who have been living in a Taliban cave for the last 24 hours, Representative Patrick Kennedy, nephew of Senator Ted Kennedy, was involved in a car accident early Thursday morning around three a.m. The police report stipulates the following:
The reporting officer checked off a box indicating that Kennedy was under the influence of alcohol and that the politician's ability was "impaired." Kennedy, 39, has denied that alcohol was involved in the 2:45 AM accident, claiming instead that he was left disoriented by a reaction to the prescription drugs Ambien, a sleep aid, and Phenergan, an antihistamine. Both drugs carry warnings that alcohol, taken in conjunction with the medications, may increase drowsiness and dizziness. Following the accident, Kennedy was driven home by police, who did not administer any field sobriety tests to the six-term congressman.
The reporting officers noted that he was under the influence. Yet, as we read to the end, we see that the officers on scene (these being the sergeants who dismissed the initial officers on scene) opted to not issue the tests, but instead take him home. This goes beyond Congressional immunity, as stipulated in the Constitution (Article I, Section 6, Clause 1). This is, as the "kids" called it, and everyone basically on the center-right blogosphere, "preferential treatment." Every average citizen knows that they would never be extended such treatment by the police if the circumstances were similar.
Today, Patrick Kennedy acknowledged the accident, and announced he was going into a rehab clinic:
Rep. Patrick Kennedy said Friday he was entering treatment for addiction to prescription pain medication, a decision made after a highly publicized car crash near the Capitol that he said he cannot recall.
Kennedy, D-R.I., said he plans to seek treatment at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., immediately.
He announced his decision to reporters at a Capitol Hill news conference. He walked in alone, gripped the lectern, cleared his throat and began haltingly.
Kennedy, who has struggled with addiction and depression, said he had checked into the Mayo Clinic over the Christmas holidays and returned to Congress "reinvigorated and healthy."
"Of course, in every recovery, each day has its ups and downs, but I have been strong, focused and productive since my return," Kennedy said in a statement obtained by The Associated Press.
The congressman said he became concerned about his condition after the Thursday morning car accident.
"I simply do not remember getting out of bed, being pulled over by the police, or being cited for three driving infractions," Kennedy said. "That's not how I want to live my life. And that's not how I want to represent the people of Rhode Island."
As he was leaving the room, Kennedy was asked whether he might resign, and he shook his head no. "I need to stay in the fight," he said.
Now, a couple of bloggers have made a note about this. First, Dan Riehl notes an accident just a little over two weeks ago by Rep. Kennedy that went virtually unnoticed. Second, and this is gaining a lot of steam in the blogosphere, is this simple idea. Rush Limbaugh, a bane to many liberals, recently plead guilty to "doctor shopping" in Florida. He must continue to maintain his treatment, pay a $30,000 fine, and may never own a firearm. The liberals went nuts, and I have seen my fair share of "pill-popper" insults from the likes of the unhinged left. Yet, here we have Rep. Patrick Kennedy who admits to the same thing, and thus far has been handled with kid gloves by the press. When Mr. Limbaugh's case emerged, the press leaped on him; it was an old-fashioned case of dogpiling on a despised rival. So, I find it a bit disingenuous by the liberals, except in one case.
This will floor most of our readers:
Patrick Kennedy's in a lot of pain; I feel sympathy.
But if he can't remember even getting into his car, if he was in rehab over Christmas, if there's an allegation he'd been drinking before the accident -- well maybe he needs to resign.
Here's the problem folks: most Americans who aren't partisans truly believe the democrats and The Republicans are "all the same" and that the power-elite takes care of its own.
Democrats can talk about Abramoff and Cunningham and the Republicans' toothless ethics bill, but so long as the People see us as just the "other side of the coin", they have little reason to go to the polls to vote for Dems.
Now we've got Congressman William Jefferson who despite allegations of bribery won't resign, and Patrick Kennedy who announces he's "going to vote" and so dodges a Breathalyzer test, and now will go into rehab rather than resign.
This gives all the justification in the world to independents who will say that the Dems are "just as bad" and that "all of them are corrupt".
The Democratic Party needs to show it's different, that it's not a club of the elite taking care of the elite.
Much as I feel for Congressman Kennedy, it's time for him for his own good and for the good of the Party, to resign with dignity.
No, that didn't come from Rush, or Sean Hannity. It didn't come from Michelle Malkin or Hugh Hewitt. That came from Markos Zuniga, AKA DailyKos, himself. Now, we need to give credit is due even though he doesn't deserve it most of the time. But this is where you have to admire certain people on the liberal side. There are the few "diamonds in the rough" that are just as hard on their party as we are on ours. So, kudos to DailyKos in calling for responsible behavior and accountability from Rep. Patrick Kennedy.
However, there's another thing that disturbs me a bit. Rep. Kennedy's statements:
Kennedy's full written statement:
"Last Tuesday, the Attending Physician of the United States Congress treated me for Gastroenteritis. The Attending Physician prescribed Phenergan, an anti-nausea medication, which in addition to treating Gastroenteritis, I now know can cause drowsiness and sedation.
Following the last series of votes on Wednesday evening, I returned to my home on Capitol Hill and took the prescribed amount of Phenergan and Ambien, which was also prescribed by the Attending Physician some time ago and I occasionally take to fall asleep.
Some time around 2:45am, I drove the few blocks to the Capitol Complex believing I needed to vote. Apparently, I was disoriented from the medication. At that time, I was involved in a one-car incident in which my car hit the security barrier at the corner of 1st and C St., SE. At no time before the incident did I consume any alcohol.
At the time of the accident, I was instructed to park my car and was driven home by the United States Capitol Police. At no time did I ask for any special consideration, I simply complied with what the officers asked me to do.
I have the utmost respect for the United States Capitol Police and the job they do to keep Members of Congress and the Capitol Complex safe.
I have contacted the Chief of Capitol Police and offered to meet with police representatives at their earliest convenience as I intend to cooperate fully with any investigation they choose to undertake."
Funny that he can give a full, detailed statement, yet earlier (above, and I'll cite it again) he admits to reporters he doesn't remember what happened:
"I simply do not remember getting out of bed, being pulled over by the police, or being cited for three driving infractions," Kennedy said. "That's not how I want to live my life. And that's not how I want to represent the people of Rhode Island."
Inconsistency abounds here, and I'm wondering if it has something to do with a near complete non-coverage of the car accident from two weeks ago, in conjunction with this, and his admission of addiction to pain killers. The question is how long has this been going on? And Michelle Malkin takes notice of a reader's e-mail that has plenty of questions:
Reader RB e-mails:
Well, at least the "addiction" (aka, an "It's not my fault and I won't be responsible for my actions" excuse) may explain why he was going to the CVS on 15 Apr when he had an accident. Unanswered questions:
Who has prescribed drugs for Pat? When? For what? How many?
Was he "on drugs" when he had the 15 Apr 06 accident?
Why hasn't the media picked up on the 15 Apr 06 accident?
Two accidents in two weeks under similar circumstances - how much does it take for Pat to get a clue?
Did the physician(s) review his current prescriptions for possible interactions? Did they brief Pat on the effects? Were the medications properly labeled? Can Pat even read?
Yes, Rep. Kennedy. You have some more questions to answer, and among them is how long has this been a problem? Is this the first time that it's come to light? and, have you ever sought out professional treatment before this? Of course those questions won't be answered right away. He'll go through his treatment, be lauded as a hero by the press when he does (there'll be fighting over who gets that first exclusive), and he'll answer some of these questions amidst some tears (real, or Voinovich inspired? Inquiring minds want to know). But little will happen to him.
I do support Mr. Zuniga's call for his resignation. At this point, getting help is the first step, and you can't be doing that while juggling a Congressional schedule. Even Rush stepped aside for a brief time while he went through his rehab program. But then again, Rush owns his show. The Kennedy's may think they own that seat, but they don't. Rep. Kennedy, please do the dignified thing, and step down.
Mistress Pundit
posted by Syd And Vaughn | 4:57 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home