A chip off the old blockhead

Howard Kurtz shocked us all last month with an unkind word or two about Teddy Kennedy's little boy, Patches:

It's hard to imagine that Patrick Kennedy would have gotten elected to Congress a dozen years ago without his last name.

It's equally hard to imagine that the media would be going wild about his late-night car crash and prescription drug addiction if he weren't a Kennedy.

The only lingering mystery is why national news organizations didn't pounce earlier on the Rhode Island Democrat's long history of alcohol and drug abuse, depression and a series of downright embarrassing incidents.

The answer in large measure is that Kennedy hasn't been a very important House member.

But he's a wingnut favorite just like dear old Dad. There was some some good news for the Republic over the Memorial Day weekend though - 'Kennedy Sobriety Checkpoint' Big Success:

Today, a non-profit group, Public Advocate, announced their "Kennedy Sobriety Checkpoint" has been a success. Checkpoints on Capitol Hill in Washington to protect citizens against Senator Edward "Ted" Kennedy (D-Ma.) or Congressman Patrick Kennedy (D-R.I.) resulted in no impaired drivers named Congressman or Senator Kennedy being stopped this weekend.
...
Volunteers wear bright orange or yellow vests, yellow construction hats, and carry traffic cones, and traffic directional signs (stop, slow down, go) and posters that identify them as the "Kennedy Sobriety Checkpoint" and with a message that states "If your name is Kennedy, Get out of the Car."

They should add "With your hands up."

All of which brings us to the latest in the Patches saga - Treat me like I'm black, sez Teddy's son:

Fresh from rehab, Rep. Patrick Kennedy said yesterday he wants to be treated like an African-American from Washington if and when he gets charged for crashing his car on Capitol Hill.

Denying that he was drunk and or that he asked the Capitol Police for preferential treatment, Kennedy, a Rhode Island congressman, said he's prepared "in terms of bookings, in terms of mug shots, fingerprints, whatever they might have me do."

None of which have been done yet?

It's still not clear whether Kennedy will be called to account for smashing his Ford Mustang into a barrier near the Capitol building at 2:45 a.m. on May 4. He was driving without headlights and nearly collided with a police cruiser.

"The attorney general is still reviewing the events of that night," said Traci Hughes, a spokeswoman for the D.C. attorney general's office. "I can assure you that if any charges are brought in this case, he will be treated the same as anyone else in similar circumstances."

The son of Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-Mass.) was given a ride home after the wreck by Capitol Police and charged with three minor traffic violations. But he wasn't given a sobriety test, angering some police who complained he was getting kid-glove treatment.

Offhand, I would say he was being treated like an African-American from DC - Vernon Jordan.

Photo credit: FormerACLUMember