Rep. Patrick Kennedy to enter rehab for prescription drug addiction
I’m playing catch up on some of the stories that have caught the attention of the blogosphere this week so forgive me if some of what I blog about tonight seems like old news.
As you’ve no doubt heard by now, Rep. Patrick Kennedy (D-RI) got into a one-man traffic accident in which he crashed his car into a Capitol Hill traffic barrier around 3:00 a.m. Thursday. He says he doesn’t remember details of the incident, but also said, “I do know enough to know that I need to seek expert help.”
From what I’ve read, Rep. Kennedy has said he had taken some prescription pills (Phenergen and Ambien). Having just gone through about a week and a half of taking Promethazine on an as-needed basis (and I needed it a lot), which is the generic of Phenergen (and sometimes in harmony with another generic drug that causes drowsiness – Hydrocodone) I can testify personally as to the drowsiness associated with Phenergen. It takes about 45 minutes for both to take affect, and I confess to taking the generic Phenergen right as I left for work about a week and a half ago to go ahead and get it started in my system so when I got home it’d be on its way to doing its thing. I wouldn’t, however, take both the “as needed” drowsy-drugs (that’s what I call them) when I got behind the wheel because taking them both together, as I’ve found out, cuts down on the amount of time they start working on the pain and nausea associated with the stomach problems I have, problems of which it sounds like Kennedy has some variation. It’s easy enough for me to sit here and say that Kennedy shouldn’t have gotten behind the wheel of his car, but it sounds like, from the combined effects of what he was taking, he may not have known exactly what he was doing at the time. Thankfully, there were no injuries as a result of this. I’m glad he’s entering into rehab – hopefully it will help.
What I haven’t liked seeing is some of the barely restrained glee I’ve seen a few on my side of the aisle express over what happened. I’m with Bill Crawford at All Things Conservative on his request for how people on the left and right should conduct themselves on this issue. And if you’re on the left and trying to excuse the issue with cries of “bbbbbut Rush!” shame on you.
Over the two or three years I (and many of you) have watched, read, and listened with disgust at what some liberals have said about Rush Limbaugh’s addiction to prescription pain killers. It really goes beyond all human decency to take joy over someone’s addiction to painkillers as though the people doing the laughing have dreamed of something like that happening to their political enemies for years and years. I encourage conservatives not to engage in a “payback” of sorts here. Note: to liberals who think it was ok to laugh at Rush for his supposed “hypocrisy” on the issue of drug use, think again. It’s only funny to you. Maybe when you get caught doing something you’ve preached against (oh, like “LYING!!!!!!!” for example) then perhaps then you’ll understand while laughing at someone’s supposed “hypocrisy” isn’t always such a great idea.
What I *am* curious about on this story is whether or not Rep. Kennedy received favorable treatment from the Capitol Hill police. Betsy Newmark speculated about that here, and others have joined in on the speculation.
The question of the day, though, comes from ST reader Karl at Leaning Straight Up:
How will they blame THIS on Bush?
The usual suspects with think of something, I’m sure!
(Hat tip for the All Things Conservative link: Michelle Malkin)
Others writing about this: Captain Ed, PunditGuy, Political Pit Bull, Right Voices, Riehl World View, GOP Bloggers, James Joyner, Roger L. Simon