Where Patrick Lost Me

The embarrassing case of US Representative from Rhode Island Patrick Kennedy seems to be heading for obscurity with Kennedy's false mea culpa admission to the Mayo Clinic. Asked if he would resign, Kennedy said that he needed to "stay in the fight".

Despite the growing evidence that Kennedy is still lying about the circumstances of his early morning rampage with Capitol Police, I was inclined to let Kennedy slide; after all, it's good be able to name total assclowns as your enemies, and Kennedy, like his father Teddy, is nothing if not an assclown - an archetype of the spoiled and privileged scions of old money liberals who seek personal validation through the acquisition of political power.

But then I saw a video clip of one of Patrick's previous tantrums, this one at LAX in 2000, where Kennedy flew into a snit and assaulted an airport security agent.

In a rambling semi-apologia for the trials this poor little rich boy has faced, the Washington Post describes the incident:

Kennedy had a particularly bad year in 2000. In March, the same month he admitted he was being treated for depression, he had a run-in with a security guard at Los Angeles International Airport who informed Kennedy he would have to check a large carry-on bag. The security guard filed a battery suit, and Kennedy paid an undisclosed sum to settle the case.

The "run-in" involved Kennedy violently grabbing the guard and shoving her into the metal detector, which moved several inches when the guard's body was forced against it. But that wasn't enough for the Congressman from Rhode Island. Kennedy arranged to have the security agent fired, just to show her that the Kennedy's don't tolerate uppitty African-Americans who get too big for their britches. Later, he gave her twenty-five thousand dollars to settle her lawsuit for assault and battery.

Thursday's incident shows that Kennedy still considers himself a higher being than the people he represents. But the real question isn't about what's wrong with Patrick Kennedy.

The real question is about what's wrong with the people of Rhode Island who have elected this jackass six times.