The Warring States of NPF - A Kennedy enters Rehab.

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A Kennedy enters Rehab.

http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/05/...ent/index.html

Quote:

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- U.S. Rep. Patrick Kennedy said Friday that he will enter a drug rehabilitation program after crashing his car on Capitol Hill a day earlier.

"I know that I need help," he said at an afternoon press conference, detailing what he called a long-term struggle with addiction.

"I struggle every day with this disease, as do millions of Americans," he said.

He said he had been in the Mayo Clinic during the congressional recess at Christmas and returned "reinvigorated and healthy."

Kennedy, 39, said that he had no recollection of the events surrounding the crash into a barricade on Capitol Hill early Thursday.

Police labor union officials said earlier that officers were told not to give the Rhode Island Democrat a sobriety test after his traffic mishap.

Superiors told the officers instead to drive Kennedy home after the accident early Thursday, according to Greg Baird, acting chairman of the U.S. Capitol Police union, who called for an inquiry.

The Capitol Police said Friday that it's investigating the accident, the procedures followed and whether the evidence would support traffic charges.

Kennedy, son of Sen. Ted Kennedy, said Thursday he was apparently disoriented by prescription medication when he crashed his car.

The lawmaker said police drove him home afterward but that he did not "ask for any special consideration."

Asked if he thought he got preferential treatment, Kennedy said, "That's up for the police to decide, and I'm going to cooperate fully with them."

Police reported seeing Kennedy's car swerve before the crash.

The police report, seen by CNN, includes an observation that Kennedy appeared to have been drinking and his ability was impaired.

"At no time before the incident did I consume any alcohol," Kennedy said in a statement Thursday.

The report shows Kennedy was cited for three infractions -- failure to keep a proper lane, unreasonable speed and failure to give full time and attention to the operation of a vehicle.

According to the report, Sgt. Kenneth Weaver said he saw Kennedy's vehicle "traveling at a high rate of speed in a construction zone and also swerving into the wrong lane of travel" with its lights off.

Weaver said Kennedy's vehicle hit a curb and swerved back into the wrong lane. He said he was driving east and used "evasive maneuvers in order to avoid a collision" with Kennedy's car.

The officer said he turned around and pursued Kennedy, whose car did not stop but did slow, "finally stopping after colliding head-on with a vehicle barrier."

The report said that when Weaver approached Kennedy he noticed that his "eyes were red and watery, speech was slightly slurred, and upon exiting his vehicle, his balance was unsure."

Officers at the scene said he appeared intoxicated, law enforcement and congressional officials said.

Baird said when two sergeants arrived at the accident scene after the initial two officers, they conferred with the watch lieutenant on duty.

Afterward, the sergeants told the other officers to drive Kennedy home. His car had been damaged, police said.

"I think he was extended a courtesy by virtue of his position," union President Lou Cannon told CNN. Cannon was not at the scene of the crash.

Capitol Police declined CNN's request for an interview Friday.
Lawmaker says medications caused him to be 'disoriented'

In a statement issued late Thursday after the initial media reports of the mishap, Kennedy said that he had returned home after final votes in the House of Representatives around midnight Wednesday and taken "the prescribed amount" of sleep aid Ambien and an anti-nausea drug.

The lawmaker identified that drug as Phenergan, "which in addition to treating gastroenteritis, I now know can cause drowsiness and sedation."

"Sometime around 2:45 a.m., I drove the few blocks to the Capitol complex believing I needed to vote," he said. "Apparently, I was disoriented from the medication."

wow. a kennedy enters rehab. raise your hand if you seriously didn't see this one coming! :D but seriously, i hope he gets help.

I donno. On one hand it is...interesting? And while serious, it is "just" drug abuse. What I mean is, the Kennedies are human beings like anyone else, and I'd be surprised if they didn't have a little bit of this in their lives (well, it's already kind of obvious).

I donno. Saying "A kennedy enters rehab" kind of makes it sound like they're gods reluctant to affirm their ultimate mortality or something. Donno. I kind of see it like celebrity marriages. Potentially highly impactful, often probably not.

I. Hate. The. Kennedy. Family.

No, really, I do. They're some pretty bad people, and because of their stupid political power and money, they get away with shit that normal people wouldn't walk away from.

But you might as well say I hate a lot of politicians in general. On prinicipal. Ick.

The same could be said of the Bush family dynasty. But of course, that's one of any number of problems with Washington, its mostly money which determines who gets in, not politics. So the rich people float to the top. The problem with rich people is that they usually like to stay rich, and thus tend to be easily influenced by the all mighty dollar (not always true, but usually).

Although, despite this, I think its unfair to lambaste an entire family, just on their namesake.

SWB

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sky Warrior Bob

Although, despite this, I think its unfair to lambaste an entire family, just on their namesake.

Except that almost the entire family has pretty much brought this reputation on themselves. Seriously, they are one messed up family whether or not you agree with their politics.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lockeownzj00

I donno. On one hand it is...interesting? And while serious, it is "just" drug abuse. What I mean is, the Kennedies are human beings like anyone else, and I'd be surprised if they didn't have a little bit of this in their lives (well, it's already kind of obvious).

I find it interesting to compre this comment with the attacks on Rush Limbaugh because of his drug addiction. Which he admitted to once caught, like Kennedy. Which he went to rehab for, like Kennedy. I know you didn't personally attack Limbaugh over this in that thread, Lockeownzj00, but in general, I think the excuses made for people who's politics we like and the attacks over the same stuff for people who's politics we hate make for a huge double standard.

It's sickening that nobody is calling down the police officer for not running a breathalizer or doing any drug testing or anything at all. You can be damned sure that if it were one of Bush's daughters, this would be headline news for the next month and a half. Hurrah for an unbiased media!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Muffin Mage

http://abcnews.go.com/WNT/story?id=1929094&page=1

Quote:

May 5, 2006 � Capitol Police have taken disciplinary action in relation to the handling of the response to Rep. Patrick Kennedy's car accident, acting Capitol Police Chief Christopher McGaffin said.

McGaffin said the incident was improperly delayed due to "poor judgment" on the part of police managers and that a field sobriety test should have been administered to Kennedy after his car hit a barrier near the Capitol at 2:45 a.m. on Thursday.

you were saying?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ryanderman

I fail to see the distinction in the treatment. Rush was getting his drugs illegally, and it took his being caught which forced him into rehab. Yeah, there's a little bit of vindictiveness behind the desire to see to it that Rush recieved justice, but he broke the law which always means a person has to face some sort of retribution. (And he did, he had to pay a fine & say off illegal drugs. Oh, and get a mug shot. Not much to complain about, especially considering it could've been worse.)

As for Patrick, its kinda hard to get too worked up just yet. For all we know, he might just be going into rehab for alcohol abuse, then again it could be something more serious. But until more facts are known, its hard to condemn a man for seeking help.

Yes, he should have been tested for drugs, just like a certain VP should have been tested. I'm just glad in this case, the police are being reprimanded. Despite whether I feel sympathy for Patrick or not, I don't think that means he should get away from the rule of law.

When it comes to drugs, its always a tricky thing. When a person gets caught, the public almost always scorns them. However, if the person seeks rehab before that can happen, usually the public is more sympathetic.

SWB

Quote:

Originally Posted by Althane

???

Wouldn't it be a lot more useful to find out a way to make money rather than covet someone else's?

Quote:

Originally Posted by JC123

???

Wouldn't it be a lot more useful to find out a way to make money rather than covet someone else's?

Ideally, everyone should be equal under the law of the land. Do you propose that instead of bitching about injustice, he grab power and acquire wealth to escape justice himself? If so, why?