Kennedy Scrambling as Story Begins to Get Out of Hand

Sensing a PR disaster in the making, Rep. Patrick Kennedy (son of Teddy *hiccup* Kennedy) has now come up with a convenient excuse for last night's impaired driving:

Rep. Patrick Kennedy crashed his car near the Capitol early Thursday, and a police official said he appeared intoxicated. Kennedy said he had taken sleep medication and a prescription anti-nausea drug that can cause drowsiness.

Kennedy, D-R.I., addressed the issue after a spate of news reports. His initial statement said, "I consumed no alcohol prior to the incident."

Later, however, he issued a longer statement saying the attending physician for Congress had prescribed Phenergan on Tuesday to treat Kennedy's gastroenteritis, an inflammation of the stomach and intestines.

Kennedy said he returned to his Capitol Hill home on Wednesday evening after a final series of votes in Congress and took "prescribed" amounts of Phenergan and Ambien, another prescribed drug that he occasionally takes to fall asleep.

"Some time around 2:45 a.m., I drove the few blocks to the Capitol Complex believing I needed to vote," his second statement said. "Apparently, I was disoriented from the medication."

Kennedy appeared to be intoxicated when he crashed his Ford Mustang into a barrier on Capitol Hill early Thursday morning, said Louis P. Cannon, president of the Washington chapter of the Fraternal Order of Police.

The Bad Hair Blog gives us a possible reason why Kennedy insisted to the officers thta he was late for a vote:

Late to a vote? One would think that answer showed he was drunk, but he was claiming something else: More like claiming diplomatic Constitutional immunity.
United States Constitution,

Section 6. The Senators and Representatives shall receive a compensation for their services, to be ascertained by law, and paid out of the treasury of the United States. They shall in all cases, except treason, felony and breach of the peace, be privileged from arrest during their attendance at the session of their respective Houses, and in going to and returning from the same; and for any speech or debate in either House, they shall not be questioned in any other place.

Patrick claims he no alcohol prior to the incident.

And if he did, it sure didn't affect his memory of the Constitution.

Of course, thanks to the decision of the Capitol Police supervisors, we'll never really know what happened since they did not do a breathalyzer test. If Kennedy really hadn't been drinking, he's going to wish he insisted on a test. With his family history, it's only natural to assume he'd raised his elbow a few times before getting in the car.

UPDATE: Waitress reports Kennedy had been drinking.

U.S. Rep. Patrick Kennedy insisted yesterday that he had consumed “no alcohol” before he slammed his Mustang convertible into a concrete barrier near his office, but a hostess at a popular Capitol Hill watering hole told the Herald she saw him drinking in the hours before the crash.

“He was drinking a little bit,” said the woman, who works at the Hawk & Dove and would not give her name.

Leaving his office late last night, Kennedy refused to say whether he’d been to the Hawk & Dove the night before.

UPDATE 2 - Scrappleface suggests that Miranda rights should be replaced with Kennedy rights:

The following is a draft excerpt of the new Kennedy Rights:

1. You have the right to remain silent and refuse to answer questions. Do you understand? If so, stagger randomly.
2. Anything you do say will be ignored and quickly forgotten, because you’re not yourself right now. Do you understand? If so, let your chin drop suddenly to your chest?
3. You have the right to consult a public relations firm before speaking to the police, and to have your PR spokesman present during questioning now or in the future. Do you understand? If so, say: ‘My umbersmand.’
4. If you cannot afford a public relations firm, one will be appointed for you before any questioning if you wish. Do you understand? If so, allow your eyeballs to roll back in their sockets.
5. Knowing and understanding your rights as I have explained them to you, are you willing to answer my questions without a public relations expert present? If you say ‘Yes’ or ‘No’, or make any sound at all, or say nothing, we will respect your right to remain silent and we’ll give you a ride home.

UPDATE 3: The American Thinker wonders how Rep. Cynthia McKinney will react to the favoritism showed to Kennedy. Could be entertaining.

UPDATE 4: Cinco de Mayo (Clinic)


Tags: Patrick Kennedy, Ambien, Mayo Clinic, Drunk Driving, Capitol Police