Posted on 05/04/2006 4:48:15 PM PDT by Aussie Dasher
Rep. Patrick Kennedy crashed his car near the Capitol early Thursday, and a police official said he appeared intoxicated. Kennedy said he had had no alcohol before the accident.
Kennedy, D-R.I., addressed the issue after a spate of news reports.
"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.
A letter written by a Capitol Police officer to Acting Chief Christopher McGaffin said Kennedy appeared to be staggering when he left the vehicle after the crash about 3 a.m. The letter was first reported by Roll Call, a Capitol Hill newspaper.
Kennedy said he was late for a vote, officer Greg Baird said in the letter to McGaffin. Baird is acting chairman of the Capitol Hill chapter of the FOP police union. The last vote of the night had occurred almost six hours earlier.
Kennedy, the son of Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, D-Mass., and his staff declined to discuss any further details of the accident. The congressman took part in House votes Thursday.
Capitol Police did not immediately return phone calls for comment. They issued a one-line statement saying they were investigating a traffic violation that occurred early in the morning at that location. Baird wrote McGaffin that two sergeants who responded to the accident conferred with the watch commander and were ordered to leave the scene.
He said that after the officers left, Capitol Police officials gave Kennedy a ride home.
Kennedy spent time at a drug rehabilitation clinic before he went to Providence College. He has been open about mental health issues, including being diagnosed with bipolar disorder.
And Mom
Alcoholism is a family disease...
The fruit doesn't fall far from the bridge . . .
At least he wasn't near a body of water!
The report is that an officer witnessed the incident. He was weaving and smashing into stuff. After the accident the officer wasn't allowed to test him for sobriety and he was whisked away by superiors of the officers. The damage control crew are out there calling it an unfortunate incident. They're trying to make it sound like he is a dedicate Representative who was just trying to get to a House Vote (at 2:45 AM). All swill slop for the Kennedy Klan Kult (KKK).
Wasn't there a rock group called "The Drunk Kennedys"?
I wasn't drunk, the f*&kn barrier was drunk.
I think it actually was "The Dead Kennedys", but your suggestion should be taken up immediately!
There are laws for most of us and there are the rules for the Kennedys. Rumor has it the latter are somewhat less strict.
Dead Kennedys
I wonder if there is any video of the incident. I would love to see that.
One law for us....NONE for the Kennedy's.....Disusting.
A Kennedy sober at 2:45 am. Come on, who is going to believe that. :)
"They're trying to make it sound like he is a dedicate Representative who was just trying to get to a House Vote (at 2:45 AM)."
I read elsewhere that Congresspeople cannot be arrested coming or going to congress. It is an immunity. Old days enemies were detained before votes by trickery.
The suggestion was that Kennedy made up this claim not for a cover story why he was out late, but to invoke a right from arrest.
Hey, he's a Kennedy! They woulda had a vote just for him!
(No sobriety tests were conducted at the scene.)
Who said nobody's above the law? Apparently the Kennedys don't have to deal with the same laws as other Americans. Disgraceful and as far as I'm concerned, unacceptable. As citizens we should not accept this. We need to hold these police officers accountable.
Ya think!?
*guffaw*
The are separate rules for the McNinnys and Sandy Burglars of the world too. The Capitol police sure have their hands full with our scofflaw "lawmakers" these days, don't they?
Ah! That explains a lot.
"Sec. 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."
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.