Updated
Breaking news from Roll Call (subscription required):
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.).
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.
“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.”
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.”
Baird said he had been advised that after the officers departed, Capitol Police “House Division officials” gave Kennedy a ride home.Kennedy’s office did not respond to repeated requests for comment.
He said he was going to a vote at 2:45am? He must have really downed quite a few adult beverages if he thought the cops would buy that one. And what is going on with these Democrats thinking that they don’t need to pay the consequences for their behavior?
There’s more at WUSA:
9 News has learned U.S. Capitol police officers are concerned about the handling of an accident involving Congressman Patrick Kennedy (D-Rhode Island) about 3 a.m. this morning.
Rep. Kennedy was reportedly behind the wheel of a green Ford Mustang when it crashed into a security barrier at 1st and “C” streets Southeast.
There are no reports of injuries. A Boston TV station is reporting Kennedy told officers he was late for a vote. We are told police drove him home after conferring with higher-ups in the department. So far, Kennedy HAS NOT been charged. A spokesman for his office told CNN that alcohol was NOT involved.
The head of the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 1, Lou Cannon, told 9 News that he’s concerned that Kennedy may have received special treatment and this could be a case where “rank has its privilege.”
Cannon also told 9 News that officers noticed the car swerving, looking as if it was going to make a U-turn.
9 News reporter Stacey Cohan spoke to Kennedy’s press secretary at his congressional office in Rhode Island, who said she is looking into the situation, but does not have any information right now.
Congressman Patrick Kennedy is Ted Kennedy’s son. He is currently serving his sixth term as the Democratic Congressman from Rhode Island. He sits on the powerful House Appropriations Committee.
At least no one was hurt when this Kennedy was driving.
Update: Drudge has his siren flashing on this one:
Officers Claim Brass Interfered in Investigation of Rep. Kennedy Incident, ROLL CALL reports.
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.
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.
A Capitol Police bulletin issued this afternoon stated that the department is investigating a “traffic violation that occurred in the early morning hours on May 4” at that location, ROLL CALL’s John McArdle reports.
“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.”
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.”
This morning’s incident comes just over two weeks after Kennedy was involved in a car accident in Rhode Island.
Was that accident covered up too?
Update II: Here are copies of the police report Kennedy’s previous accident. Hat tip: Michelle
Update III: I guess there’s more than one way for a Kennedy to get hammered.
Update IV: Rep. Kennedy issued a statement in which he said he consumed no alcohol before the accident:
“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.”
Kennedy appeared to be intoxicated when he crashed his car into a barrier on Capitol Hill early Thursday morning, said Louis P. Cannon, president of the Washington chapter of the Fraternal Order of Police.
Cannon, who was not there, said the officers involved in the accident were instructed by an official “above the rank of patrolman” to take Kennedy home.
No sobriety tests were conducted at the scene.
I guess we’ll never know because the Capitol police who were on the scene were sent packing before they could administer a sobriety or breathalyzer test. So how does Rep. Kennedy explain the staggering the officers said they witnessed?
Update V: Rep. Kennedy issued a new, longer statement in which he said he was impaired because he took sleep medication:
WASHINGTON – Rep. Patrick Kennedy (news, bio, voting record) 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.”
I don’t know which is worse: getting sloshed and then driving or deliberately mixing two sleep inducing medications and driving. Either way, this guy should be arrested for driving while stupid.
Update VI: Take a look at the post at Flopping Aces. He lists all the Democrats who have created problems for themselves as well as the recent incidents that Rep. Kennedy has been involved in. Add it all up and we have one out of control Democratic Party.
Update VII: Fausta at BadHairBlog speculates why Rep. Kennedy may have told the police that he was on his way to a vote at 2:45 am:
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;
Patrick claims he had no alcohol prior to the incident.
And if he did, it sure didn’t affect his memory of the Constitution.
Great catch, Fausta.
Update VIII: Here’s a shot of Kennedy with a drink in hand, and one with a dancing cop…
Michelle Malkin, Greg at The Political Pitbull, A Blog for All, and Ace of Spades are following this as well.
I could not understand that level of incoherency and so did not respond, i mean where do you begin?
“George Bush doesn’t care about black people”
Patrick Kennedy also has been diagnosed as having bipolar disorder.
I don’t believe any descendent of Joseph Kennedy should be allowed to fly an airplane, drive a car or vote.
Or hold political office!
[totally disregarding he who shall not be named]
the Ambien/Phenergan story is believable (though not necessarily true, an immediate urine and blood drug screen now might help verify the story), however:
1) if true he was still DUII, and guilty as hell
2) with his past medical history, I’d like to know what doctor wrote him an Ambien script and
a) if the Medical Board is going to review prescribing practices of the doc(s) and
b) if the DA is going to do a Rush Limbaugh investigation of Kennedy’s scripts for the last 3 years.
3) if he’s let off for DUII with his story accepted as true, my original post still holds.
If we’re going to get all hot and bothered about
less than 3000 US warfighters’ deaths – folks who volunteered to take the risk and paid the price – we should look proportionally at the roughly 20,000 who die annually within our borders due to impaired drivers. An this instance, a DUII – fully admitted – being favorably and improperly shielded from prosecution, is at least as horrible a crime as any alleged by our MB posters of our administration.
Looking at the handwriting on the incident report from the previous RI accident, pharmacologic OR psychiatric impairment is possible. We might be looking at a manic episode here. Even the recent infection could have brought one on (and impaired judgement on how to use his prescribed medications). Or a drug interaction (who knows what he may or may not be taking for bipolar). If he’s bona-fide psych impaired, he needs to be relieved of his elected office. If he’s driving drug impaired, he needs to be charged DUII. Either way, he does not exhibit behavior that ought to be tolerated in an elected official, and certainly not protected/shielded by the Capitol Police.
Call the DA in Florida that had Limbaugh’s case, and let him have at it, if only to prove his obvious good faith.
Hold it, didn’t the USA vote in 2004 to re-elect the “2nd degree murderer,” Mak? Did they beam that mind control ray they keep hitting you with, and force us to vote for Bush-Cheney? Creep.
“Field Negro hate himself!”
All of this talk of “protected by the Capitol police”… I strongly suspect that this protection” is bipartisan, not that anyone has suggested otherwise, and this “courtesy” is extended to member of both political parties.
So I’m sure you chaps will be equally outraged when this courtesy is extended to a Republican at some point in the future… not!
And yes, I agree that it may have been Kennedy’s illness that is behind all of this — either his medication or his condition. Makes the courtesy extended by the Capitol Police sargent all that more understandable. (after looking at Kennedy’s handwriting on the previous accident report I am even more convinced).
I am going to go out on a limb here, but I think Mak is retired from the Department of Motor Vehicles, or the State Education Department, or probably more likely the State Community College.
In other words, the last bastions of common sense in society.
It would seem elementary, Watson, that someone who is too incoherent to write might also be too bad off to drive. Something about slamming into a barrier tends to confirm that hypothesis.
One must take some personal responsibility – even the dear congressman – albeit handicapped by his upbringing. The “I’m sorry madam, but your brain surgery failed due to my psychotic episode” line always falls a bit short.
Just once I would like to have one of these clowns admit that: “I was so blitzed on ________ (fill in the blank: drugs, booze… glue) that I didn’t know what day it was much less what time”.
And for those who insist that this is insulin or epilepsy, I can only wish you an early diagnosis and successful treatment.
And he works with children, maybe like Slick Willie works with interns. Two dim-wits are now on the list of people that should not be trusted around, much less involved with children.
Kim, this will be the very first instance in my life that I have ever said anything in defense of a Kennedy, but I believe the “drink” in his hand is a glass of ice water. Rare occurrence indeed.
In Kennedy Defense Theory, this is referred to as “riding out the storm”. They know that in Massachusetts politics, as long as you’re not convicted, you can get away with a lot of things, including manslauter, impaired driving, and more. That’s been going on literally for decades. A week from now, nobody’s gonna remember. At least they don’t have to worry about the press stirring the pot.
I look forward to the elder Kennedy’s retirement. What a despicable man.
Gee, whatever happened to the Cynthia McKinney case? Has it dropped off the radar already?
Let’s understand this for what it is. Kennedy admitted he takes sleeping pills before he votes on important issues.
There was a simple way to clear all this up. Kennedy should have submitted to a BAT when the incident occured. Maybe he wasn’t drunk. maybe the Capitol Police sergeants were doing something they would do for any Congressman. We’ll never know because of the way the situation was handled. That’s what makes everyine immediately scream, “Cover-up.”
Can You imagine if this had been one of the Bush twins that had this special treatment? what would the lefts reaction be? hmmmmm
Posted by: virgo1 at May 4, 2006 07:44 PM
Hmmmm is right. In fact, it already happened. President (of Chivas Regal) Bush was nailed for drunk driving and got a slap on the wrist. Then, he was busted for cocaine possession and got off scott free. So exactly what are you morons gripping about? It happens with people is positions of power (right and left) all the time.
Now, can we say 32% approval rating?
Why do Republicans hate the United States so much?
“George Bush doesn’t care about black people”
Bush has admitted and atoned for his past sins. He might be a good example to counter the Kennedy way of [not]dealing with your sins. But not an appropriate argument to wash away the sins of the Kennedy clan.
One way or another, Patrick is impaired. And the Capitol Police are enabling him rather than helping him. Maybe we should send Cynthia McKinney over there to knock some sense into the supervisors that blocked the lower ranked officers from doing their job.
Hey, see, you got your little emotional boost, didn’t ya? What did I tell ya?
I especially like the “See, this proves that all Dems are evil” posts. It’s that hyper-polarized, trick-memory, political party thing; now everybody looks stupid, and not just the Republicans.
You’re all a bunch of dunces, which is what I’ve been saying all along: A Splendid Time is Guaranteed for All. Politics is broke.
Yeah, Kennedy: he is guilty, guilty, guilty! On to the next thing.
Bush has admitted and atoned for his past sins. He might be a good example to counter the Kennedy way of [not]dealing with your sins.
Posted By Epador
I see that Epador is as impaired as the Kennedy and Bush clans. George Bush never attoned for his past sins – he won’t even admit to being an alcoholic, or admit to deserting the air national guard during the Vietnam war.
Epador, why do you and all Republicans hate the United States so much?
Dont sleeping tablets generally put You to sleep? not get You in the mood to go out for a 2:45am cruise in the stang? I think He was making a Gin & Bourbon run for pops.
Please, folk, let us calm down, I beg you all.
It may well be that the Capitol police actually did him a dis-service by NOT performing the standard DWI field tests.
I have a relative who has taken meds in the same drug family as Ambien. For that reason, I did lots of research on them. Ambien really can do and has done what this Kennedy has claimed.
Among the recorded side effects are:
– allergic reaction including difficulty breathing
– hallucinations
– abnormal behavior
– severe confusion
From:
http://sleepdisorders.about.com/od/medication/a/ambieneffects.htm
Generally, folk who take drugs in this and several related families must avoid driving cars, etc. Here, if he is to be believed, he timed his med properly for after all driving, etc.
VietVet the chia pet
The cops and courts were a lot more lenient on drunk driving during the 60s then today.
This guy didnt even get a slap on the wrist? 2 accidents in a week? give me a break.
“field negro doesnt care about white people”
Shades of Vincent Foster. You’ve got to have the “right people” in charge of the investigation don’t ya know.
http://news.bostonherald.com/localRegional/view.bg?articleid=137995
WASHINGTON -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.
She had better fear for Her life if the Kennedys find out who She is? drinking it up at the pub! i wonder if the cameras/tapes in the Bar will be viewed or will they be swept away like the rose law firm billing records or McKinney tape. there is no criminal investigation so keep daddy swimmer away from the tapes.
Gee dad my Gin blossoms are better than yours!!!
No son You just handle Your liquor better!!
He said he consumed no alcohol but a waitress witnessed him drinking just before the crash.
Why am I not surprised?
For those who are quoting from the small print issued in medicine bottles, I wish you good luck, and I will have no more to say to you.
For others, with a brain, one cannot escape the sequence of events:
1) He was apprehended after crashing the car, disoriented, and appeared drunk. To avoid the breath test, he played the “I’m going to vote” get out of jail card, thereby avoiding the immediate problem.
2) The next day we have another problem. Why would anyone say they are on the way to vote, when there is no vote at 3 AM, except to avoid the test? This is a PR problem at the least, and possibly a legal one as well.
3) Enter the drug reaction, bad medicine, psychic break, insulin, epilepsy, etc. excuses – anything to avoid the painfully obvious. This is the only way to explain the “I’m going to vote” statement without admitting to anything illegal – thus the disorientation by medicine line.
4) This is so farfetched as to almost defy reason. However, it is only necessary to fool the feeble minded, Republicans will not vote for him anyway.
Folks, I’m as hardcore a conservative as anybody and I have no use for Kennedys in general, but Ambien really can send you out into the night, half asleep and disoriented. And I’m not going to buy the waitress account unless she’s willing to go on the record. Yes, the words “car crash” and “kennedy” in the same sentence cause snickers for most people but let’s wait for the facts before jumping all over him. He can’t help who his uncle is.
True, poor guy.
Which, as noted above, is still DUI, is still dangerous to innocent people, and at least should still be grounds for arrest.
Although the police officer calls his appearace normal (probably normal for a Kennedy), his handwriting and words do not appear to be the work of a sober Congressman
While I never enjoy defending a Kennedy, this only counts when you compare his day to day handwriting.
He may always have poor writing and bad grammar.
I have an application form from his uncle John when he joined the Knights of Columbus before he became a senator (was a reporter for INS).. and I can barely read the thing.
Ah the vultures are merrily circling. Wow, you not only have a Democrat but a Kennedy as a fresh victim. How fortunate to have a non-news item to take the attention off of your incompetent boob in the White House. Gee, I guess it’s OK for Jeb Bush’s daughter, who was in possession of crack, to have Daddy Jeb whisk her off to rehab with minimal jail time, or for Limbaugh to get off with a slap on the wrist, or for Cheney to be protected from any breathalyzer tests with a 14 hour gap before speaking to the police but God forbid let a DEMOCRAT have an accident! Whip out the BBQ sauce Reichies! Feast to your hearts delight! Make all the snotty assumptions cause ya’ have a victim. Who cares about getting the facts first, that’s for someone with a brain. Let’s convict on false assumptions just like you did with the Vince Foster case. Who cares if Hilary was found innocent of any involvement. After all she’s been convicted in the Conservative Court of Ignorance and Hate! Of course if Kennedy were a Republican then you’d be circling the wagons to protect and excuse his behavior. How about that Porter Goss? Something about prostitutes? Pedophiles in Homeland Security. Forced prostitution and forced abortions for the women workers in Saipan thanks to Mr. Delay. Oh but tsk, tsk, let’s not talk about the Republican dirty laundry. No, we can’t do that. It might show just how disgustingly corrupt you “moral values” conservatives are. Better to pick at the splinter in your bretherns’ eye than remove the beam from your own.
You idiot !how can We get the facts when the police covered them up? moron.
Elect Kerry for mayor of New OrLeans! fire “Field Nagin”
If Paddy hadn’t been the offspring of Tedward, his ass would be in jail as we type.
Politicians, of ANY party, ANY race, should *never* get a slap on the wrist. Ever. Face the music like the rest of us mere peasants.
It’s gonna be ok. my dear
i think Patrick Kennedy is not guilty of anything.Leave the gut along for cripsakes.