Reply to a reader comment on the Kennedy affair

A reader commented on the Kennedy affair saying: Sounds pretty dumb to me too!!! And this is an elected official. Patrick seems to have gotten all the right genes from the family pool. Who else would take that sort of medicine and hit the road?? Can this coverup be corrected, or will it play out like history and he be given a free ride like the others??

Reply: I imagine that both his being a Kennedy and his congressional status played a role in his lenient treatment. To answer your question, if it had been a Republican Senator or Rep., I think you'd see much more scrutiny from the media including calls for resignation, fitness-to-serve questions raised, prescription abuse accusations, and all the routine attacks the Left trots out when a Conservative stumbles.

As far as the medicine goes, I've never taken Phenergen but I have taken Ambien frequently over the years and I've never experienced anything like what Kennedy described his state of mind was after taking it. I heard a report on Fox News Saturday morning, which gave credence to the idea that the combination of Phenergen (a narcotic) and Ambien together would be more dramatic and mind altering. Apparently it is well known that Phenergen potentiates the effects of Ambien as well as other drugs.

Three points to make: 1. No responsible physician would prescribe the narcotic Phenergen without a strict warning to not take it with any sleeping medication. 2. No responsible physician would prescribe the narcotic Phenergen to a recovering drug addict. 3. No responsible adult would take the narcotic Phenergen, the powerful sleeping medication Ambien, in addition to consuming alcohol in quantity...what an idiot. Like I said in the original post...a chip off the old block evidently.

Conclusions: 1. Patrick Kennedy was probably doctor shopping for narcotics by claiming nausea symptoms...a crime.
2. PT was driving under the influence...a crime. What difference does it make what combination of substances it was? 3. PT will receive a complete and sympathetic pass from the left wing media because he's a Liberal...a pass which would not be extended to a conservative. 4. The main stream media will fawn over PT like he's a hero for being open about his addiction despite the fact that he endangered the lives of DC police. 5. If I were Cynthia McKinney, I would be demanding the same leniency from the media and capitol police that PT is receiving. 6. When congresswoman McKinney realizes this, she'll cry racism and elitism because she didn't get a pass like the rich, white, male received. 7. I wish PT all the luck in the world toward kicking his problems...that's a tough place in which to be.

Finally, I think PT will get off relatively lightly because nobody was hurt and because he's a sympathetic figure...neither was the case with Teddy. He got off lightly because he had slick lawyers and because the nation still clung to the memory of his brother.