http://www.nytimes.com/2006/05/05/washington/05kennedy.html

You have undoubtedly heard about Rep. Patrick "Patches" Kennedy (D-RI) smashing his car into a highway barrier early Thursday morning on his way to D.C. As the New York Times reports:

Mr. Kennedy, a Rhode Island Democrat, said he drove to the Capitol at about 2:45 a.m. in the mistaken belief that he needed to vote. The House was not in session, having adjourned at 11:59 p.m. on Wednesday.

Kennedy admits to driving while impaired on Ambien (a prescription sleep aid), and Phenergan (a prescription anti-nausea drug), both of which may cause drowsiness. In addition, there is suspicion Kennedy had been drinking.
So thanks a million, Patches! You just gave the Bush-toady main stream media and all the rightwing-cheerleading demogogues their way out--another Kennedy scandal. Yes, with Bush's ratings in the toilet for months with no signs of recovery, and everything the Bush Administration has done being an unmitigated disaster for the country, if not an indictable offense, you had to get delusional on dope and wreck your car!
Now the media has another way to distract folks from Bush's debacles. We shall have to suffer through interminable discussions of:
1. Kennedy lied.
2. Kennedys get special treatment.
3. You and I would have been arrested if we had...
4. Son of Chappaquiddick.
5. Next time Kennedy could kill a kid.
6. All Democrats are druggies and liars (ala Ann Coulter)
7. At least Rush Limbaugh didn't...
8. The mainstream media tried to ruin Rush, but they make excuses for Kennedy (ala Sean Hannity)
Of course Rep. Kennedy's little problem is worthy of a blurb. It's a story worth following. Kennedy did go peeling and squealing to the drugstore for his pills last week. He was driving recklessy in Rhode Island on the way to get his meds. Apparently, the Congressman has a, er, substance issue. However, it is NOT a story worthy of overriding national and worldwide concerns about the Bush Administration and other current events...but we all know it will!
http://www.inthe00s.com/smile/03/deal.gif

And Patches, F-U too! They warned you about those medications.
1. The doctor told you not to drive on them.
2. The pharmacy told you not to drive on them.
3. The manufacturers told you not to drive on them.
If they don't tell you, they're liable. It also means DON'T DRIVE A CAR UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF AMBIEN AND PHENERGAN! You could kill yourself or somebody else!!! The news mentions amnesia is a possible side effect of Ambien. I have taken Ambien numerous times. It's not powerful stuff when taken in prescription dosage. That was one of Ambien's selling points. It gently nudged your system to sleep mode. It wasn't a knock-out pill like some other prescription narcotics. I can certainly see a person getting amnesia on overdose of Ambien. Erratic and dangerous behavior could manifest in conjunction with another drowsiness-causing drug, and especially scotch and water! Yeah, I think he was boozing and snoozing.
http://www.inthe00s.com/smile/09/sleep.gif
Patches, you're a Kennedy male. You have about a 10% chance of living to 50. Don't screw around!

Patches, you're a Kennedy male. You have about a 10% chance of living to 50. Don't screw around!


You'd think they would tell the males this from day one.

You'd think they would tell the males this from day one.


You'd think by now they wouldn't have to.  ???

You'd think by now they wouldn't have to.   ???


true on that point!!!

Not only does it distract from the ongoing investigations, it's a great distraction for today, which is probably why Portor Goss (head of CIA) resigned today.  I'm sure he was going to leave sooner or later, but a Kennedy scandal on a Friday is like Christmas for the Bush administration which always does it's bad news on Friday so it's dead by the Monday newscycle.

http://www.harpers.org/sb-red-lights-on-capitol-hill.html

Ken Silverstein, based on a source, noted that the prostitution scandal could touch a former lawmaker "who now holds a powerful intelligence post."  Speculation abounded that Porter Goss fit that description perfectly.

c'mon news folks... there's sex crimes there... don't you want to investigate?  No?  Well that's just one more nail in the "liberal media" myth

Not only does it distract from the ongoing investigations, it's a great distraction for today, which is probably why Portor Goss (head of CIA) resigned today.  I'm sure he was going to leave sooner or later, but a Kennedy scandal on a Friday is like Christmas for the Bush administration which always does it's bad news on Friday so it's dead by the Monday newscycle.

http://www.harpers.org/sb-red-lights-on-capitol-hill.html

Ken Silverstein, based on a source, noted that the prostitution scandal could touch a former lawmaker "who now holds a powerful intelligence post."  Speculation abounded that Porter Goss fit that description perfectly.

c'mon news folks... there's sex crimes there... don't you want to investigate?  No?  Well that's just one more nail in the "liberal media" myth

Well, yes and no. There's no need to distract people from Randy "Duke" Cunningham. Cunningham is a small cat, so he is convenient to set up as a scapegoat (sorry about the mixed animals metaphor). "Yeah, we're rooting out corruption. Cunningham got eight years in the slammer." Meanwhile, Rumsfeld and Cheney, the war criminals, are still running amok. That's what the Bush-toady media will try and distract people from via Patchesgate. I'm not so concerned with the print media here. I'm more concerned about rightwing cable news pundits and talk radio blowhards who have gained undue influence over our public discourse over the past decade.

Patches, you're a Kennedy male. You have about a 10% chance of living to 50. Don't screw around!



That's like telling a dog not to pee on a fire hydrant.  :P

That's like telling a dog not to pee on a fire hydrant.  :P

'Fraid you're right there!
http://www.inthe00s.com/smile/04/dogrun.gif

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/05/05/washington/05kennedy.html

You have undoubtedly heard about Rep. Patrick "Patches" Kennedy (D-RI) smashing his car into a highway barrier early Thursday morning on his way to D.C. As the New York Times reports:

Mr. Kennedy, a Rhode Island Democrat, said he drove to the Capitol at about 2:45 a.m. in the mistaken belief that he needed to vote. The House was not in session, having adjourned at 11:59 p.m. on Wednesday.

Kennedy admits to driving while impaired on Ambien (a prescription sleep aid), and Phenergan (a prescription anti-nausea drug), both of which may cause drowsiness. In addition, there is suspicion Kennedy had been drinking.
So thanks a million, Patches! You just gave the Bush-toady main stream media and all the rightwing-cheerleading demogogues their way out--another Kennedy scandal....

The news mentions amnesia is a possible side effect of Ambien. I have taken Ambien numerous times. It's not powerful stuff when taken in prescription dosage. That was one of Ambien's selling points. It gently nudged your system to sleep mode. It wasn't a knock-out pill like some other prescription narcotics. I can certainly see a person getting amnesia on overdose of Ambien. Erratic and dangerous behavior could manifest in conjunction with another drowsiness-causing drug, and especially scotch and water! Yeah, I think he was boozing and snoozing.
http://www.inthe00s.com/smile/09/sleep.gif
Patches, you're a Kennedy male. You have about a 10% chance of living to 50. Don't screw around!




I've never taken Ambien but I know 2 people who have.  One had no problems but the other, on the dose perscribed, woke up sitting at his kitchen table eating food he had cooked in his sleep.  He also woke up sitting in a neighbor's living room watching a movie, with no memory past going to bed in his own apartment.  Despite these scary incidents his doctor didn't want to take him off it so he titrated himself off.
I'm just saying, it's possible that sometimes a Kennedy is just a guy who needs his legal meds tweaked.

I've never taken Ambien but I know 2 people who have.  One had no problems but the other, on the dose perscribed, woke up sitting at his kitchen table eating food he had cooked in his sleep.  He also woke up sitting in a neighbor's living room watching a movie, with no memory past going to bed in his own apartment.  Despite these scary incidents his doctor didn't want to take him off it so he titrated himself off.
I'm just saying, it's possible that sometimes a Kennedy is just a guy who needs his legal meds tweaked.

Funny to see this thread back up. I don't know what to make of the Ambien phenomenon. There are articles and messageboards galore about Ambien (zolpidem) side effects. Not just sleepwalking, but straight-out amnesia, as well as nightmares, hallucinations, delusion, ataxia, euphoria, dysphoria vertigo, increased appetite, and increased sex drive. When I took it, all I got was mild sedation and somnolescence. Guess I missed out on all the fun!
http://www.inthe00s.com/smile/12/homework.gif

Anyway, this wasn't supposed to be a referendum on Ambien...

Funny to see this thread back up. I don't know what to make of the Ambien phenomenon. There are articles and messageboards galore about Ambien (zolpidem) side effects. Not just sleepwalking, but straight-out amnesia, as well as nightmares, hallucinations, delusion, ataxia, euphoria, dysphoria vertigo, increased appetite, and increased sex drive. When I took it, all I got was mild sedation and somnolescence. Guess I missed out on all the fun!
http://www.inthe00s.com/smile/12/homework.gif

Anyway, this wasn't supposed to be a referendum on Ambien...


Didn't mean to take it there; just hate to see anyone blamed for what Bush gets away with on account of a possible actual legal drug reaction.  Course my information on Ambien is just hearsay from 2 people -- but I know I'd be afraid to take it and have cameras watching my reaction.

AND THE DEAD SHALL RISE AND WALK THE EARTH, ACCORDING TO PROPHESY.

sorry. had a bit of a bill moment there.

AND THE DEAD SHALL RISE AND WALK THE EARTH, ACCORDING TO PROPHESY.

sorry. had a bit of a bill moment there.


gotta ask, bill who?

he's this dude on this board whose posts are just shamelessly weird and surreal. i'm actually not worthy.

Didn't mean to take it there; just hate to see anyone blamed for what Bush gets away with on account of a possible actual legal drug reaction.  Course my information on Ambien is just hearsay from 2 people -- but I know I'd be afraid to take it and have cameras watching my reaction.

It's funny, Ambien has been on the market for about ten years. It has only been in the past couple of years that I have heard the many anectdotes about its side effects. If the unpredictable nature of Ambien is as great as anectdotal evidence suggests, the drug might end up getting pulled from the market in spite of its profitability.