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| Home Front: Politix |
| Kennedy Krash Kount |
| 2006-05-05 |
| Police labor union officials asked acting Chief Christopher McGaffin this afternoon to allow a Capitol Police officer to complete his investigation into an early-morning car crash involving Rep. Patrick Kennedy (D-R.I.), son of Sen. Ted Kennedy. ROLL CALL reports: According to a letter sent by Officer Greg Baird, acting chairman of the USCP FOP, the wreck took place at approximately 2:45 a.m. Thursday when Kennedy's car, operating with its running lights turned off, narrowly missed colliding with a Capitol Police cruiser and smashed into a security barricade at First and C streets Southeast. That's called an 'attention getter' “The driver exited the vehicle and he was observed to be staggering,” Baird’s letter states. Officers approached the driver, who “declared to them he was a Congressman and was late to a vote. The House had adjourned nearly three hours before this incident. It was Congressman Patrick J. Kennedy from Rhode Island.” "(Hic) You know who i am? (Hic)." Baird wrote that Capitol Police Patrol Division units, who are trained in driving under the influence cases, were not allowed to perform basic field sobriety tests on the Congressman. Instead, two sergeants, who also responded to the accident, proceeded to confer with the Capitol Police watch commander on duty and then “ordered all of the Patrol Division Units to leave the scene and that they were taking over.” "Don't you know who he is?" A source tells the DRUDGE REPORT: "It was apparent that the driver was intoxicated (stumbling) and claimed he was in a hurry to make a vote. "When it became apparent who it was, instead of processing a normal DWI, the watch commander had the Patrol units clear the scene. The commander allowed other building officials drive Kennedy home." This morning's incident comes just over two weeks after Kennedy was involved in a car accident in Rhode Island. "I was involved in a traffic accident last night at First and C Street SE near the U.S. Capitol," Kennedy said in a written statement released by his office. "I consumed no alcohol prior to the incident. I will fully cooperate with the Capitol Police in whatever investigation they choose to undertake." Developing... "Democratic politians have always been a real close family but lately some of my kin folks have disowned a few others and me i guess its because i kinda changed my direction i guess i went and broke the family tradition they get on me wanna know Pat why do you drink? (Pat) why do you roll cars? Why must you live out the bar tabs that you wrote? over and over everybody made my prediction so if i get stoned I'm just carryin' on an old family tradition" |
| Posted by:Steve |
| #31 I put my 2cents in at the OClub |
| Posted by: Frank G 2006-05-05 20:09 |
| #30 We need AutoBartender's educated take on this sorry and sordid episode. After all, he took the TAMS course before he was allowed to serve at the 'Club. |
| Posted by: Alaska Paul 2006-05-05 19:29 |
| #29 See. He's a "hero". Painkiller addiction == heroism, if last name eq. "Kennedy". Painkiller addiction == criminal hypocrisy, if last name eq. "Limbaugh". |
| Posted by: Robert Crawford 2006-05-05 17:38 |
| #28 Reporters are going after his bar tab and may have it comingout soon. That should be interesting. |
| Posted by: OldSpook 2006-05-05 17:29 |
| #27 A little off on the timing, but... Rep. Patrick Kennedy to Enter Drug Rehab The congressman's father, Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., issued a statement saying he was proud of his son for admitting his problem and taking steps to correct it. "He has taken full responsibility for events that occurred ... and he will continue to cooperate fully with any investigation," the elder Kennedy said. The younger Kennedy said he hoped that his "openness today and in the past, and my acknowledgment that I need help, will give others the courage to get help if they need it." See. He's a "hero". Wonder if Teddy let him borrow the neck brace for the press conference? |
| Posted by: tu3031 2006-05-05 16:57 |
| #26 The Democrat Party, all corruption, all the time. Wake up, Road Island, you too, Massachusetts, Georgia, Lousiania, California, New Jersey......... |
| Posted by: wxjames 2006-05-05 15:05 |
| #25 Told Y'all yesterday, making a truthful statement "I have consumed NO Alcohol" and lying through his teeth at the same time is a prerquisite to be elected. |
| Posted by: Redneck Jim 2006-05-05 14:20 |
| #24 Well, lotp, all I can say is after watching these people my whole life is that they always have an excuse. Always. It's never their fault. Ever. |
| Posted by: tu3031 2006-05-05 14:12 |
| #23 LOTP - the Capital Police/Dad will prevent us from ever knowing that, eh? Until then, I judge him a lying drunk, same as his father |
| Posted by: Frank G 2006-05-05 14:06 |
| #22 OK so was there any actual vote he was 'late' for? This should be easily verifiable. If not can he be charged for lying on an accident report? Would that be a felony? |
| Posted by: CrazyFool 2006-05-05 13:37 |
| #21 Doc Steve, I could almost guarentee you that misuse of "sleep medication" has absolutely nothing to do with this case. That is unless Ambien is a new ingredient in Long Island Ice Tea I'm not sure the assumption that he was drunk is correct. IIRC he has been diagnosed as bipolar. Lots of bipolar people function quite well once diagnosed and the right treatment regimen is found. Until then, many self-medicate with alcohol. I'm wondering if he hasn't been developing drug interactions between his bipolar meds and the Ambien. If he had ANY alcohol in addition, it could cause symptoms / problems ... and do so days after the drink. I'm no fan of the Kennedys, but if this is what's happening, or if he's cycling deeper into a mood / judgement disorder, then even his repulsive father has my sympathy. It's a tough thing to watch your kid wrestle with. |
| Posted by: lotp 2006-05-05 13:21 |
| #20 Maybe the family can get a group discount at a local driving school. |
| Posted by: Intrinsicpilot 2006-05-05 13:01 |
| #19 The teevee showed his car post-crash, it (green 'Stang, thankyewverymuch) had a small ding in the front bumper. |
| Posted by: Seafarious 2006-05-05 12:42 |
| #18 Kennedy relased a statement saying he was taking Ambien Doesn't matter, as far as I know. He was still driving while impaired. |
| Posted by: Rob Crawford 2006-05-05 12:38 |
| #17 I'm glad he just hurt his car instead of a innocent woman in the car. |
| Posted by: DarthVader 2006-05-05 12:30 |
| #16 I always wash down my Ambien with a couple JD's/Rocks before driving home....what an asshole. |
| Posted by: Frank G 2006-05-05 12:22 |
| #15 Doc Steve, I could almost guarentee you that misuse of "sleep medication" has absolutely nothing to do with this case. That is unless Ambien is a new ingredient in Long Island Ice Tea. |
| Posted by: tu3031 2006-05-05 12:14 |
| #14 God didn't invent alcohol so the Irish wouldn't rule the world; just so the Kennedys wouldn't. |
| Posted by: mcsegeek1 2006-05-05 12:09 |
| #13 We in the sleep medicine biz have seen a few patients killed/injured after taking sleep medication and then going for a drive. One patient I talked to (no crash so far for him) said, "doc, I know it takes time to start working, so I figured I had time to drive home." ARRRRRGGGHHH! It's stuff like this that makes me crazy. |
| Posted by: Steve White 2006-05-05 11:37 |
| #12 "declared to them he was a Congressman and was late to a vote...Kennedy relased a statement saying he was taking Ambien" What is the most important information I should know about Ambien? • Use caution when driving, operating machinery, or performing other hazardous activities. Ambien will cause drowsiness and may cause dizziness. If you experience drowsiness or dizziness, avoid these activities. Ambien should be taken just before bedtime. You may experience some carryover effects the next day. (Source Drugs.com) *However, drowsiness and dizziness are not considerd a side effect when voting Democrat. |
| Posted by: DepotGuy 2006-05-05 11:32 |
| #11 Fire the police commanders, and cut us a check for our part of their retirement benes. Corrupt police should spend their old age in a cardboard box, under a bridge. |
| Posted by: wxjames 2006-05-05 10:49 |
| #10 Probably futile, but anyone running against him in RI? |
| Posted by: Thugum Ebbeagum4115 2006-05-05 10:38 |
| #9 Malkin has links to the report of another accident, just two weeks ago. A reader looked at the accident report and contrasted the writing of Kennedy and the other driver. Other driver -- controlled handwriting, trying to be clear and detailed. Kennedy -- incomprehensible scrawl. Also, his "late to a vote" line is probably an attempt to invoke Constitutional immunity. Congress critters have to break some pretty serious laws before they can be arrested if they're on their way to a vote. I figure his uncle drilled that line into his head; heck, it's probably a genetic thing for Kennedys. |
| Posted by: Rob Crawford 2006-05-05 10:26 |
| #8 I look forward to the loud firing of these police commanders, and their being charged with deriliction of duty. I also look forward to a hefty check from the tooth fairy next time I get a root canal. |
| Posted by: Anonymoose 2006-05-05 10:26 |
| #7 Kennedy says he consumed no alcohol but Drudge has this headline: "But 'He was drinking a little bit,' said the woman, who works at the Hawk & Dove..." http://news.bostonherald.com/localRegional/view.bg?articleid=137995&format=text I hear the best time to go driving is after you take your sleep medication. |
| Posted by: danking_70 2006-05-05 10:22 |
| #6 DWI is not a felony since the police let him leave the scene with THEM and he didn't hurt anyone. |
| Posted by: Greamp Elmavinter1163 2006-05-05 10:11 |
| #5 You know where this is heading. Once it blows up in his face in about a week, which is about the timeline on a Kennedy coverup, he will have the tearful press conference to announce that he is entering rehab to "confront his demons" to, of course, the vigorous applause of the adoring media. And in a couple of years, we'll do it all over again... |
| Posted by: tu3031 2006-05-05 09:28 |
| #4 Good thing they were able to stop him before he got to the...............bridge! |
| Posted by: Boesoeker 2006-05-05 09:25 |
| #3 Patrick Kennedy's Capitol Hill car crash in the early hours of Thursday morning was the second vehicular mishap suffered by the Rhode Island Democrat in three weeks. Appearing on ABC Radio's Mark Levin Show last night, WRKO Boston radio host Howie Carr detailed the earlier accident, which went unnoted outside of the local press in Providence, Rhode Island. "The accident wasn't reported in the newspapers until almost a week after it happened," Carr complained in his own Boston Herald column last week. "The story ended up in the D section of the Providence Journal, under the East Bay Sports Bulletin Board and a big story headlined, 'Two arrested after Newport tagging spree,'" he said. On April 15 Kennedy was driving a Ford Crown Victoria on Turnpike Avenue in Portsmouth, R.I. when he made an abrupt left turn into the path of an oncoming Nissan. "By Kennedy standards, it was a fender-bender," Carr noted. No one drowned. That we know of. According to the police report, there was no indication that Kennedy was driving under the influence, with his physical condition described as "appearing normal." "Well, by Kennedy standards." Kennedy's handwriting after the accident, however, didn't appear normal, Carr told Levin, explaining that in Rhode Island police require drivers to write their own accident statement. "It looks like it was written by a chimpanzee, or a 2-year-old," Carr said, speculating that it could been caused by "medications" Kennedy was taking. "Bartender, another round of medication!" After the second crash, Kennedy relased a statement saying he was taking Ambien, a drug linked to disoriented behavior in press reports. |
| Posted by: Steve 2006-05-05 09:18 |
| #2 A very Washington kerfuffle indeed. Cynthia McKinney must be having kittens. |
| Posted by: Seafarious 2006-05-05 09:13 |
| #1 Police union spokesman says the cops smelled alcohol on Kennedy. Would a DWI felony prevent Kennedy from running president, or even congress? |
| Posted by: ed 2006-05-05 09:09 |