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Patrick Kennedy Joins the Ranks of those in Congress who Deem Themselves to be Above the Law

Update (11:30 cst): Rush is reporting that someone got a hold of Kennedy’s bar tab from last night. Perhaps he was sleep drinking as well as sleep driving! At the moment this is pure hearsay so keep your eyes and ears open.

Are You Sober Mr. Kennedy? I am getting sick of reading stories about elected officials who live by a different set of rules than the regular people who put them into office. One has to wonder if there is any hope for a country that is lead by people who suffer little consequence for breaking the law.

Yesterday we learned that Rhode Island Rep. Patrick Kennedy, son of Ted Kennedy, was involved in a 3:00 a.m. car crash that appears to have involved alcohol. Unfortunately, as is often the case with the Kennedy family, we will never know just how drunk the congressman was because the cops who were almost hit by a swerving Kennedy were not allowed to perform field sobriety tests.

A stunning revelation by police labor union officials indicates that Capital Hill police were ordered to leave the scene by two Sergeants under the direction of the watch commander. Kennedy was then given a courtesy ride home by building officials.

Kennedy’s initial excuse is premised on a lie. He claims that he was speeding, swerving and driving without lights because he was late for an important vote in the House. The important caveat to this excuse is that no member of the House or Senate can be stopped and charged by police while on their way to make a vote. The only problem was that the House had adjourned 3 hours earlier.

It seems that Kennedy went to the Cynthia McKinney school of bogus excuses. His story is evolving, much like the McKinney cop slugging incident did. Now he claims he was taking sleeping pills.

The Kennedy incident also has a tinge of hypocrisy considering that he was one of those politicians who imposed Federal guidelines linked to dollars for local DWI enforcement. Random road blocks, breathalyzer tests and DUI education for the rest of us; a cover up and courtesy ride home for Kennedy.

But we are used to Congressmen who live by a double standard. How can we forget Chuck Schumer, the peoples advocate against identity theft.

Moments after Schumer proposed a bill to create an Office of Identity Theft we learned that a staffer in the DSCC stole the social security number of Lt. Governor Michael Steele who just happens to be a black Republican candidate for the U.S Senate. The theft of Steele’s social security number was part of a political attack designed to steal his personal credit reports and discredit him.

The staffer will not do time and Chuck Schumer will return to the halls of Congress with a smug smile as he shrugs off the incident.

I am beginning to see a trend here. Lip service rules the day while back room wheeling and dealing serves to pave a road of riches, power and fame that leads right to the doors of those who made a pledge to serve the people. Instead they serve themselves.

But I see a silver lining to this cloud of corruption that is hanging over Congress. These people no longer live in the shadow of protection afforded by their old guards in the mainstream media. The light is on as they say.

The lesson here is that a good many of our elected officials are taking advantage of the public trust while creating a ruling class of family and friends who have too much influence on American policy. This is not the way it is supposed to be.

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