Patrick J. Kennedy

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Patrick Joseph Kennedy was also the name of Joseph P. Kennedy Sr.'s father.
For other persons named Patrick Kennedy, see Patrick Kennedy (disambiguation).
Patrick Kennedy
Patrick J. Kennedy
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Rhode Island's 1st district
Incumbent
Assumed office 
January 4, 1995–
Preceded by Ronald Machtley
Succeeded by Incumbent
Born July 14, 1967 (age 39)
Brighton, Massachusetts
Political party Democratic
Spouse single
Religion Roman Catholic

Patrick Joseph Kennedy (born July 14, 1967 in Brighton, Massachusetts) is the son of Senator Ted Kennedy and Joan Bennett Kennedy, as well as the nephew of former President John F. Kennedy.  A Democrat, he serves in the United States House of Representatives, representing the first district of Rhode Island (map).  

Contents

[edit] Career

Patrick J. Kennedy became the youngest member of the Kennedy political family to hold elected office in 1988, when he won election to the Rhode Island State Assembly at age 21.

In November 1994, Patrick defeated Republican Ronald Machtley for the first district on the United States House of Representatives, and continues to hold this office. He was the only Democrat in the 1994 election to take a congressional seat that had just been held by a Republican.  Kennedy currently serves on the House Appropriations Committee's Subcommittees on Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education; and on Science, State, Justice and Commerce.  From 1999 to 2001, he served as Chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.  

Kennedy twice considered running against liberal Republican Senator Lincoln Chafee, in 2000 and 2006.  (The other Senate seat in Rhode Island is held by fellow Democrat Jack Reed; Kennedy is unlikely to challenge that seat while Reed holds it.) In the 2000 Senate recruiting phase, Kennedy gave serious thought to challenging Chafee, but House Minority Leader Dick Gephardt moved Kennedy to the important House Appropriations Committee, a high profile assignment that led Kennedy to pass up the Senate opportunity for 2000.  

On his House web page, Kennedy denied that he would make a bid for the Senate in the mid-term elections, but on March 28, 2005 it was reported that Kennedy was considering running again.  The persistent speculation ended March 30 with Kennedy's announcement that he would not run for the US Senate, but would seek reelection to the House.

Should Kennedy be elected to the Senate whilst his father, Edward , remains representing Massachusetts, the two would become just the second father and son to serve concurrently, after Henry Dodge (Wisconsin) and Augustus C. Dodge (Iowa).

In 2000, he told an audience of constituents that he had been diagnosed with clinical depression.[1]

He is unmarried and resides in Portsmouth, Rhode Island.

He graduated from Phillips Andover and earned a B.S.  from Providence College in 1991.  [1]

In 2005 Kennedy and LL Cool J made a surprise visit to Shea High School in Pawtucket, Rhode Island.  They made a speech about the future and academics.  They later signed autographs for students and faculty.

[edit] Controversies

  • Kennedy has acknowledged being treated for cocaine use during his teenage years.[2] and sought treatment for an OxyContin addiction in 2006.[3]
  • In 2000, Kennedy was accused of pushing a security guard at LAX.  City prosecutors ultimately decided not to bring criminal charges against him and he paid an undisclosed civil settlement to the alleged victim almost two years later.[4]
  • In 2000, Atlantic Navigation Company of Mystic, CT, claimed that a boat they rented to Kennedy was found abandoned off Martha's Vineyard and required $28,000 to repair.[5]
  • In 2003, drew fire from his critics when he jokingly said that "I have never worked a fucking day in my life."[7]

[edit] May 2006 Capitol Hill accident

Kennedy's written narrative of the motor vehicle accident in April, 2006

On May 4, 2006, Kennedy crashed his 1997 Ford Mustang convertible into a barricade on Capitol Hill at 2:45AM.   He had been operating his vehicle with the lights off in the early morning darkness.   Officers at the scene said that Kennedy appeared intoxicated, smelled of alcohol[8] and was visibly staggering, but Kennedy claimed that he was merely disoriented from prescription medications Ambien and Phenergan.[9]  A woman who works at the nearby Hawk & Dove bar said that he had been drinking there.[10] A second report cites the capitol police have additional "witnesses" to Kennedy's drinking at the Hawk & Dove before the crash.[11]

Kennedy also stated to officers that he was "late for a vote." However, the last vote of the night had occurred almost six hours earlier.   The standard field sobriety test was not administered.   Kennedy was driven home by an officer.   On May 5, 2006, Kennedy admitted he has an addiction to prescription medication and announced he would be re-admitting himself to a drug rehabilitation facility at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota where he has sought treatment for prior addictions.[12] He has stated that he has no recollection of the car crash.   On June 5, 2006 Kennedy was released from drug rehab.[13]

Kennedy has stated that he does not plan to resign.[14] The chairwoman for the Rhode Island Republican Party has suggested that Kennedy resign, or at least take a medical leave of absence.[15]

On May 8, 2006, Kennedy was endorsed by the Rhode Island Democratic Party.[16]

On June 13, 2006, Kennedy made a deal with prosecutors and pleaded guilty to a charge of driving under the influence of prescription drugs.[17] Patrick will be serving one year probation and paying a fine of $350.   Two of the three charges (reckless driving and failure to exhibit a driving permit) were dismissed.

On July 13, 2006, Roll Call reported that Kennedy is now adhering to a court-ordered rehabilitation program that includes "weekly urine tests, twice-weekly meetings with a probation officer, near-daily Alcoholics Anonymous meetings and a weekly meeting of recovering addicts" [2].

In an earlier incident, on April 15, 2006, at 10:05 a.m., Kennedy was driving a Ford Crown Victoria registered to the "Friends of Pat Kennedy Inc" on Turnpike Avenue in Portsmouth, Rhode Island.   As Patrick attempted to turn left into the CVS parking lot, his vehicle was "broadsided" by a Nissan Maxima driven by off duty Coast Guard warrant officer Thomas Guthlein who was attempting to make a right turn into the same parking lot.  Portsmouth Rhode Island police did not issue a citation to either driver.[18] One woman who witnessed the accident has expressed her opinion that Kennedy was impaired.[19] Guthlein is quoted in the New York Daily News as saying 'I never really got that close to him ...  It was just a regular traffic accident'.  

Kennedy made news on the Drudge Report multiple times for the accident outside the capital, including being quoted as saying he hoped officials would treat him as if he "were an African-American in Anacostia".[20]

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ Fawcett, Nancy. "The Stigma of Emotional Illness - Part II", RemedyFind, October, 2005.
  2. ^ "Approval Ratings Fall for Rhode Island Rep.  Kennedy", Fox News, 19 April 2001.
  3. ^ "Rep. Kennedy: I Was Hooked on OxyContin", San Francisco Chronicle News, 16 March 2007.
  4. ^ "Approval Ratings Fall for Rhode Island Rep.  Kennedy", Fox News, 19 April 2001.
  5. ^ "Boat woes nothing new for Rep.  Kennedy", WTNH, 15 November 2000.
  6. ^ Miga, Andrew. "`I HAVE NEVER WORKED A (BLEEPIN) DAY IN MY LIFE'; Patrick K patches up comment", Associated Press, 28 June 2003.
  7. ^ "Washington Wrap", CBS News, 27 June 2003.
  8. ^ Shipman, Claire. "Police: Officer Smelled Alcohol on Kennedy", ABC News, 5 May 2006.
  9. ^ Miga, Andrew. "Police Report Filed in Kennedy Car Crash", Associated Press, 5 May 2006.
  10. ^ Wedge, Dave. "Pat cites pills in car wreck", Boston Herald, 5 May 2006.
  11. ^ Wedge, Dave. "Cops told Pat K was at watering hole before crash", Boston Herald, 12 May 2006.
  12. ^ Miga, Andrew. "Rep.  Patrick Kennedy to Enter Drug Rehab", Associated Press, 5 May 2006.
  13. ^ Lewis, Richard. "Rep.  Kennedy released from drug rehab clinic", Reuters, 5 June 2006.
  14. ^ Baron, Jim. "Kennedy enters rehab", The Woonsocket Call, 5 May 2006.
  15. ^ Baron, Jim. "Kennedy enters rehab", The Woonsocket Call, 5 May 2006.
  16. ^ Mayerowitz, Scott. "Kennedy gets support from Democratic Party", The Providence Journal, 9 May 2006.
  17. ^ Miga, Andrew. "Patrick Kennedy pleads guilty to DUI", The Associated Press, 13 June 2006.
  18. ^ Portsmouth Rhode Island Police Accident Report #06-157-AC
  19. ^ Saltzman, Jonathan. "Kennedy's behavior, driving is questioned by eyewitness", The Boston Globe, May 6, 2006.
  20. ^ McAuliff, Michael. "Treat me like I'm black, sez Teddy's son", New York Daily News, 6 June 2006.

[edit] External links


Preceded by
Ronald Machtley		 Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Rhode Island's 1st congressional district
1995–		 Succeeded by
Incumbent


Rhode Island's current delegation to the United States Congress
Senators: Jack Reed (D), Sheldon Whitehouse (D)

Representative(s): Patrick J. Kennedy (D), James Langevin (D)

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