Where the hell was the chauffeur when US Representative Patrick Kennedy needed him?
Although P&J respect and support the political work of our friend Patrick, he continues to be his own worst enemy. He has represented the Biggest Little very well in Congress, raised lots o’ Democratic bucks, taken on unpopular yet ethical stands, and his refusal to run for the Senate — because he realized the value of his House Appropriations Committee seat — brings home the bacon for his constituents.
Then, of course, he goes off and tussles with a female airport security guard in LA, strands a date in a sailboat, and does other stupid things that make you slap your forehead in disbelief.
One has to give Patrick credit for being very open about his personal weaknesses. Although we all have our barking spiders, we sure don’t want to see them put on a bulletin board for public consumption. Yet that is what Patrick has done. He was very upfront about his prep school indulgence in marching powder. He opened up about his manic depression, offering a beacon for others to shed shame and seek treatment. His decision to go into rehab following the latest fiasco is a good one, and even if he was drinking on the night of his now-notorious late-night visit to the Capitol, does it really matter whether his problem was prescription drugs or alcohol?
Patrick has also faced the demons brought upon him by his mother and father. Think taking over your mother’s estate, because liquor has rendered her incapable, is fun? Or forever hearing remarks about Chappaquiddick? Let’s not forget having to live in the Kennedy fishbowl, and how two of Patrick’s uncles, who were leading this country into a new era, were murdered in their prime.
Still, it is fair to wonder, as does P&J’s kitchen conservative cabinet, how anyone who has the world by the proverbials can act the way Patrick has, professionally and personally.
Phillipe went live on MSNBC last weekend to discuss Patrick’s plight. A big question was: what this will do to his political future, and how do the people of Little Rhody feel about his behavior? P. noted that Patrick has served the locals very well, and that his constituents recognize this. In a state with one degree of separation, most people realize that no one is perfect, and they respect how our representative has taken his medicine, however bitter. Phillipe also pointed out an old anecdote. When Patrick goes campaigning, the chances are — since we are heavily Democratic and have the highest percentage per capita of Roman Catholics — that three-quarters of the houses he visits will have two pictures on the living room wall: Jesus and JFK. Case closed.
The state GOP, of course, is hardly bubbling over with a formidable competitor.
Patrick’s latest Republican challenger is Edmund Leather (who he?), a former Foreign Service bureaucrat from East Providence. (No, the Foreign Service wasn’t in East Prov, despite the possibilities.) Leather, a total unknown, has received attention only because he is pulling an Art Lake, at age 67, and refusing to reveal his age. Good move, viejo. Way to improve your credibility.
Connect the dots
P&J see the method behind the madness of Dubya’s nominating General Michael Hayden as CIA director.
