Kennedy: I Wasn’t Drinking. I Was HighThis one just rose to true comedic heights. According to the latest report, Rep. Patrick Kennedy (D-RI) says he wasn’t drunk driving — he was sleep-voting. We’ll let Roll Call take it from here …
“Last Tuesday, the Attending Physician of the United States Congress treated me for Gastroenteritis,” a stomach illness. According to Kennedy, the attending physician prescribed Phenergan, an anti-nausea medication, which in addition to treating gastroenteritis, “I now know [it] can cause drowsiness and sedation.”
“Following the last series of votes Wednesday evening, I returned to my home on Capitol Hill and took the prescribed amount of Phenergan and Ambien, which was also prescribed by the Attending Physician some time ago and I occasionally take to fall asleep. Some time around 2:45am, I drove the few blocks to the Capitol Complex believing I needed to vote.
“Apparently, I was disoriented from the medication. At that time, I was involved in a one-car incident in which my car hit the security barrier at the corner of 1st and C St, SE. At no time before the incident did I consume any alcohol.”