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[Rep. Patrick Kennedy (D-R.I) told CNSNews.com that the Catholic Church is doing nothing but fanning “the flames of dissent and discord” by taking the position that it will oppose the health-care reform bill under consideration in Congress unless it is amended to explicitly prohibit funding of abortion.] Bishop Tobin's rejoinder: “Congressman Patrick Kennedy’s statement about the Catholic Church’s position on health care reform is irresponsible and ignorant of the facts. But the Congressman is correct in stating that “he can’t understand.” He got that part right. As I wrote to Congressman Kennedy and other members of the Rhode Island Congressional...

Patrick Kennedy talks to CNSNews and comes down on the side of a politician when asked about Catholic Bishop's concern of abortion being covered in the Health Care Bill...(Video)

Representative Patrick Kennedy (D-R.I.) warned of the dangers of “unconstrained opposition to the President’s policies.” “We don’t want to see a repeat of the 1960s when the same sort of vitriolic rhetoric led to the assassinations of my two uncles.” Kennedy urged we “put a damper on this type of rhetoric before we have cause to regret it.” Kennedy said that the kind of vitriolic rhetoric he feels has gone too far includes “statements implying that the President’s health care bill will lead to rationing of care or that federal deficits will lead to bankruptcy or tax increases.” “Just consider,...

Citing the assassinations of uncles John F. and Robert F. Kennedy, Rep. Patrick Kennedy accused grassroots conservatives of "very, very dangerous" behavior that could lead to violence against public officials. "When they go and stoop to the level of the vitriolic rhetoric that we've seen this debate turn up, it's very, I think, dangerous to the fabric of our country," the Rhode Island Democrat said according to The Providence Journal. Kennedy's remarks targeted Tea Party Patriots, 9-12 Project members, and other conservative activists. His comments came during a private forum on health care in Providence. His characterization of conservatives appeared...

"PROVIDENCE — U.S. Rep. Patrick J. Kennedy fears that supercharged passions fueling the national health-care debate may lead to violence. Drawing on his family’s violent past, the Democratic congressman told roughly 75 people gathered at a private health-care forum Saturday morning that opponents of Democrat-backed health-care legislation had gone too far. He cited, as an example, 10,000 signs distributed at a recent Washington protest that read, “Bury ObamaCare with Kennedy.” Patrick Kennedy is the last member of his storied family to hold federal office. His father, U.S. Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, died one month ago after battling a brain tumor....

People Can Opt Out of Listing STDs, Abortions in Gov't-Mandated Electronic Health Records, Patrick Kennedy Says Monday, September 28, 2009 By Nicholas Ballasy, Video Reporter   (CNSNews.com) - Rep. Patrick Kennedy (D.-R.I.) says people will be able to stop doctors from including records of sexually transmitted diseases and abortions in the new national system of Electronic Health Records that was mandated by the stimulus law enacted in February.   The law says that doctors, hospitals and other health care providers must create and Electronic Health Record (EHR) for every American by 2014 or else face deductions in their Medicare payments. The EHRs are supposed...

Associated Press story, go to link.

When one first looks at this article in The New Republic speculating about if Ted Kennedy's son, Patrick Kennedy, could grow into a great political leader, you wouldn't be blamed for thinking it was a satirical story written by either Scott Ott or some other humor columnist. However the name of the author is Jason Zengerle and he is being dead serious which actually makes it funnier than any intentionally satirical story could be. What makes Zengerle's article especially funny is that he provides absolutely no proof that Patrick Kennedy displays the slightest bit of political leadership. In fact, Zengerle...

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Rep. Patrick Kennedy said Friday that his father, Massachusetts Sen. Edward Kennedy, has been "very frustrated" to be absent from Washington during the debate over health care reform. Kennedy, a Rhode Island Democrat, told The Associated Press that his father, who has made health care a core issue during his 47 years in the Senate, has a unique ability to read his colleagues and negotiate compromises. "Every other senator in that Senate knows that there have been very few senators like Ted Kennedy over the years that can bring both sides together and hammer out a deal...

headed to Davol Square on Tuesday to hear state Rep. Elizabeth M. “Betsy” Dennigan, D-East Providence, announce that she will be challenging U.S. Rep. James R. Langevin in a Democratic primary next year. And as I was picking my way through the crowd, past the banners, balloons and a three-piece band, I bumped into a congressional candidate shaking hands. Only it wasn’t Dennigan. Or even a Democrat. It was state Rep. John J. Loughlin II, R-Tiverton, the House minority whip who plans to challenge Democratic U.S. Rep. Patrick J. Kennedy next year. Was he there to launch a Republicans-for-Betsy organization?...

Rep. Patrick Kennedy has returned to the House to cast a vote on a major global warming bill. Discuss COMMENTS (0) Kennedy spokeswoman Kerrie Bennett said Friday the congressman had left the medical facility where he was receiving treatment because he wanted to vote on an issue he considers important for Rhode Island as well as the nation. Kennedy was expected to return to the undisclosed facility after the vote to continue his treatment.

Rep. Patrick Kennedy, who has struggled with depression, alcoholism and addiction for much of his life, said Friday that he has checked into a medical facility for treatment. The Rhode Island Democrat said in a statement that his recovery is a "lifelong process" and that he will do whatever it takes to preserve his health. "I have decided to temporarily step away from my normal routine to ensure that I am being as vigilant as possible in my recovery," Kennedy said. He did not disclose where he was being treated. Kennedy, who has wrestled with alcoholism, bipolar disorder, an addiction...

Son of Senator Ted Kennedy (D-MA) is returning to rehab for undisclosed Reasons. Patrick Kennedy (D-RI) will take a leave of absence from his congressional seat.

WASHINGTON—Rep. Patrick Kennedy, who has struggled with depression, alcoholism and addiction for much of his life, said Friday that he has checked into a medical facility for treatment. Discuss COMMENTS (17) The Rhode Island Democrat said in a statement that his recovery is a "lifelong process" and that he will do whatever it takes to preserve his health. "I have decided to temporarily step away from my normal routine to ensure that I am being as vigilant as possible in my recovery," Kennedy said. He did not disclose where he was being treated. Kennedy, who has wrestled with alcoholism, bipolar...

Enters rehab again.

Imagine it's a few days before the Dem convention. In a big—BIG—surprise, Barack Obama names Rhode Island congressman Patrick Kennedy his vice-presidential running mate. You're a partisan Republican. Do you?: * a. demand that Obama drop Kennedy from the ticket; or * b. sit back and enjoy the, uh, ride. I'm guessing the great majority of red-blooded Republicans would answer 'b.' Why wouldn't you want a weak link on the opposing ticket? So what kind of scare has Sarah Palin has put into the MSM that various of its members, like Jack Cafferty, are floating the notion that McCain should...

Two visiting US Congressmen announced after talks with Syrian leaders on Sunday that they had secured a pledge that jailed dissidents would be freed and said they saw scope for progress in the peace process with Israel. The upbeat note contrasted with that of US President George W. Bush earlier this month who ruled out direct talks with Damascus, saying: "My patience ran out on President (Bashar) al-Assad a long time ago." Senator Arlen Specter, a member of Bush's Republican Party, and Congressman Patrick Kennedy, a Democrat, held talks with both Assad and Foreign Minister Walid Muallem. Kennedy said that...

Two U.S. lawmakers scheduled to meet Thursday with former Pakastani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto and President Pervez Musharraf were advised to leave the country after Bhutto's assassination. Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pa., said in a telephone interview from his Islamabad hotel room that he and Rep. Patrick Kennedy, D-R.I., were to dine with Musharraf and meet later in the night with Bhutto. He said he heard about the attack on Bhutto as he was dressing for the dinner with Musharraf. "Our foreign policy had relied on her presence as a stabilizing force," Specter said, emotionally describing her death as "a real,...

WASHINGTON - Two U.S. lawmakers scheduled to meet Thursday with former Pakastani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto and President Pervez Musharraf were advised to leave the country after Bhutto's assassination. Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pa., said in a telephone interview from his Islamabad hotel room that he and Rep. Patrick Kennedy, D-R.I., were to dine with Musharraf and meet later in the night with Bhutto. He said he heard about the attack on Bhutto as he was dressing for the dinner with Musharraf. "Our foreign policy had relied on her presence as a stabilizing force," Specter said, emotionally describing her death as...

Rhode Island Rep. Patrick Kennedy said Tuesday he's not returning $6,600 in donations he got from Norman Hsu, a prominent Democratic donor whose criminal past was recently revealed. Several top Democrats, including 2008 presidential candidates Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama, Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry and Kennedy's father, Sen. Edward Kennedy, have said they will return Hsu's donations or give them to charity. Rep. Kennedy will keep the money because there is no indication that Hsu's contributions to him were illegal, according to his chief of staff, Adam Brand. "We are complying with all applicable (Federal Election Commission) rules and...

(Washington, DC) – Judicial Watch, the public interest group that investigates and prosecutes government corruption, today released its 2006 list of Washington’s “Ten Most Wanted Corrupt Politicians.” The list, in alphabetical order, includes: 1. Jack Abramoff, Former Lobbyist – 2. Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY) 3. Former Rep. Randy “Duke” Cunningham (R-CA) 4. Former Rep. Tom Delay (R-TX) 5. Former Rep. Mark Foley (R-FL) 6. Rep. Denny Hastert (R-IL) 7. Rep. Alcee Hastings (D-FL) 8. Rep. William “Dollar Bill” Jefferson (D-LA) 9. Former Rep. Bob Ney (R-OH) 10. Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV) 6 Dishonorable Mentions: 1. Rep. John Conyers (D-MI) 2....

NORTH PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- There's only one question Rep. Patrick Kennedy really answers this campaign. It came up at an ice cream social. It's raised on the street. He even hears it in bedrock Democratic neighborhoods. "How are you feeling?" asked a white-haired woman at a high-rise for the elderly. "I've never felt better," he said. "One day at a time." It's an answer some people - let alone politicians under intense media scrutiny - couldn't give after the year he's had: checking himself into a rehabilitation center, crashing his car at 3 a.m. into a security barrier outside the...

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., chats with U.S. Rep. Patrick Kennedy, D-R.I., right, before addressing a crowd on healthcare issues at Landmark Medical Center in Woonsocket, R.I., Friday, June 23, 2006. Pelosi appeared at the hospital, as a show of support, with Kennedy, a week after he was sentenced for driving under the influence of prescription drugs. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

The only thing missing at Patches Kennedy’s press conference yesterday was his father’s post-Chappaquiddick neck brace. “I’ve always said,” the dim lad began, “I wanted to take full responsibility for my actions - ” Full responsibility - but no mug shot. Full responsibility amounted to a suspended license - wink, wink - and $350 in fines and court costs. Do you think Patches had to arrange a payment schedule with the probation office? “Today in court, I accepted the consequences of my actions.” Riiiight. That poor window-washer who iced the seagull high above Devonshire Street is looking at more time...

Rep. Patrick Kennedy (D-R.I.) pleaded guilty to driving under the influence of drugs as a part of an extensive agreement the lawmaker reached with the District of Columbia Office of the Attorney General. “I’ve always said that I wanted to take full responsibility for my actions. Today in court I did just that,” Kennedy said in a brief meeting with reporters after appearing before D.C. Superior Court Magistrate Judge Aida Melendez. “I accepted the consequences of my actions. I’ve cooperated fully with the Capitol Police and with the attorney general’s office. “I think they’ve done a fantastic job. … I...

WASHINGTON - Rep. Patrick Kennedy (news, bio, voting record) has reached a deal with prosecutors to plead guilty to a charge of driving under the influence of prescription drugs in connection with his middle-of-the-night car crash last month near the U.S. Capitol. Two additional charges of reckless driving and failure to exhibit a driving permit will be dismissed under the plea agreement. Announcing this, Kennedy's chief of staff, Sean Richardson, said the Rhode Island Democrat would appear in District of Columbia Superior Court Tuesday afternoon "to accept the consequences of his actions." "He is looking forward to closing this chapter,"...

"Rep. Patrick Kennedy has reached a deal with prosecutors to plead guilty to a charge of driving under the influence of prescription drugs... "

Rep. Patrick Kennedy, D-R.I., center, speaks to Rep. Sam Farr, D-Calif., left, during the House Appropriations Committee meeting on Capitol Hill, Tuesday, June 6, 2006, in Washington. Kennedy, the Rhode Island Democrat can expect the scrutiny to hit new levels as he seeks to put his personal life and political career back on track after crashing his car and spending nearly a month in drug treatment at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota. Seated at the back is Rep. John Murtha, D-Penn. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

Rhode Island Republicans have received piles of “hate mail” from supporters of U.S. Rep. Patrick J. Kennedy, angry that the GOP has called for the troubled six-term congressman to step down. “This has clearly hit a raw nerve somewhere,” Rhode Island GOP spokesman Chuck Newton told the Herald.“We’ve received mountains of hate mail from all over.” Most of the letters and emails include angry and in some cases obscene tirades blasting party leaders for pushing for Kennedy’s ouster as a result of his legal troubles, Newton said. Republicans initially called for Kennedy to step down the day after he slammed...

Fresh from rehab, Rep. Patrick Kennedy said yesterday he wants to be treated like an African-American from Washington if and when he gets charged for crashing his car on Capitol Hill. Denying that he was drunk and or that he asked the Capitol Police for preferential treatment, Kennedy, a Rhode Island congressman, said he's prepared "in terms of bookings, in terms of mug shots, fingerprints, whatever they might have me do." "It's what anyone else would have done to them if they were an African-American in Anacostia," Kennedy said in a shaky voice, referring to the mostly minority neighborhood in...

Patrick Kennedy, fresh from his second stint in drug rehab, yesterday said he's building recovery support networks .....and will continue to undergo treatment for his addiction to painkillers. ........ the younger son of Sen. Ted Kennedy - entered the drug and alcohol treatment at the Mayo Clinic May 5, a day after he slammed his Mustang into a security barrier near the U.S. Capitol. An admitted binge drinker and pain-pill abuser, Kennedy, 38, had been treated at the clinic over the Christmas holidays.........Kennedy told reporters, "I know that I am doing everything I need to do to succeed."

PROVIDENCE, R.I. — U.S. Rep. Patrick Kennedy said Monday he was feeling good after nearly a month in drug rehabilitation and was looking forward to getting back to work. "I can tell you today, I feel confident about my health, positive about my future, and passionate about my work representing the people of Rhode Island," the Rhode Island Democrat said in a speech at Brown University on the future of mental health care and addiction treatment. It was his first public appearance since being released Friday from the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. The six-term congressman checked into the clinic...

Mentioned on Howie Carr show, and this is from the show's site: A Kennedy Sobriety Checkpoint. (I was in Rhode Island the other day and I drove confidently, knowing Patches was nowhere near there.)

To: National Desk, Political Reporter Contact: Jesse R. Binnall, 703-582-7924, or Eugene Delgaudio, 703-901-2247; Office 703-845-1808, both of Public Advocate; Web: http://publicadvocateusa.org/ WASHINGTON, May 29 /U.S. Newswire/ -- Today, a non-profit group, Public Advocate, announced their "Kennedy Sobriety Checkpoint" has been a success. Checkpoints on Capitol Hill in Washington to protect citizens against Senator Edward "Ted" Kennedy (D-Ma.) or Congressman Patrick Kennedy (D-R.I.) resulted in no impaired drivers named Congressman or Senator Kennedy being stopped this weekend. "Citizen volunteers have responded to the call and we have erected checkpoints at several intersections to prevent any Kennedy from driving in an...

On the lookout The group Public Advocate of the United States said yesterday that it had set up sobriety checkpoints on Capitol Hill over the holiday weekend to protect the public against Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, Massachusetts Democrat, and his son, Rep. Patrick J. Kennedy, Rhode Island Democrat. "Citizen volunteers have responded to the call, and we have erected checkpoints at several intersections to prevent any Kennedy from driving in an impaired manner on Capitol Hill. We selected the long Memorial Day weekend due to the increased potential for a repeat of earlier car accidents," said Eugene Delgaudio, president of...

Dateline: 10 May 2006 It’s three AM. You are driving your Ford Mustang convertible without any lights. You crash into a police barrier. It sounds like you are in trouble, but it gets worse. You stagger out of the car – perhaps this is not surprising, after the crash. But some accounts say your eyes were red and you smelled of alcohol. You offer what can only be described as a ridiculous explanation. You are rushing, you say, to an engagement at work. But in reality your place of work closed hours ago. It’s only a few weeks since your...

Patrick Kennedy has been a party animal for quite some time, according to the National Enquirer, which comes up with some never-before-seen photos of the Rhode Island congressman partying like a rock star in the late ’80s and early ’90s. Now there’s a shock . . . . The 38-year-old son of Sen. Ted Kennedy, who just checked himself into rehab for prescription-drug addiction after an early-morning car crash in Washington, D.C., dressed up like disgraced pop star Michael Jackson - complete with blackface - for a party at his father’s Virginia home in 1989. “He applied dark makeup to...

TODDTALK WEEKEND POLL Should Patrick Kennedy resign from Congress? --Yes. He's an embarrassment. --No. He can still serve Rhode Island.

During a briefing with reporters yesterday, Majority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) said he was aware of Rep. Patrick Kennedy’s (D-R.I,) substance-abuse problem and had “noticed it before.” In response to a question about the handling of Kennedy’s early-morning car accident by the Capitol Police, Boehner indicated that it would be easier to make a judgment when all of the facts are released. He then elaborated on the question, saying he had known of Kennedy’s problem. “For those who have been around here, worked here, he has been fighting this disease for a long time, as has been testified to by...

PAY attention. The so-called probe into the D.C. cops who helped zonko Patrick Kennedy home instead of slamming him into the jug? Ain't to be no deepdeepdeep probe. Like more a probe-let. The Capitol fuzz have always been congressional custodians. He isn't the first representative they've blotted up. Many a congresscreature has slurped one too many and been lent a helping patrol car. The Kennedy name just spotlighted this more than others. So, this probe will result in zero. Ain't nobody looking to really run through a thorough investigation. Remember, you heard it here first.

A HUMILIATING accident. An apparent memory lapse. A sudden, emotional confession. Representative Patrick Kennedy's car crash on Capitol Hill early Thursday and a news conference a day later had a familiar rhythm, especially for those who study addiction or know it firsthand. Mr. Kennedy, a six-term Democrat from Rhode Island, said that his addiction was to prescription medication and that he planned to seek treatment at an addiction clinic, as he had done before. "I struggle every day with this disease, as do millions of Americans," said Mr. Kennedy, who is 38. But will a cure that apparently didn't take...

Tuesday, May 9, 2006 9:43 a.m. EDT Dems Renominate Patrick Kennedy from Rehab Less than a week after he crashed his car into a Capitol Hill police barrier, rehabbing Rhode Island Rep. Patrick Kennedy received a rousing endorsement from the state Democratic Party, who touted him as a competent, if flawed, public servant at their convention Monday night. In a speech described by the Associated Press as "moving," state Representative Paul Crowley said Kennedy's ability to do his job should not be questioned - downplaying the fact that the he's had two car crashes in the last month, hit himself...

Party endorses lawmaker receiving drug treatment after Capitol crash Updated: 10:03 a.m. ET May 9, 2006 WEST WARWICK, R.I. - Democrats endorsed an absent Rep. Patrick Kennedy, being treated for addiction to prescription pain drugs, for re-election Monday night at their state convention. Kennedy checked into the Mayo Clinic on Friday for his second stay in less than five months after a middle-of-the-night car crash near the Capitol on Thursday that he said he couldn’t remember. It was his second car crash in three weeks. Republicans have said Kennedy should step aside because he can’t fulfill his duties. But Democratic...

Howie Carr has done it again! I'd like to think it's a rare photo...Patches & Fatboy loaded down with coolers, but I'd guess there are more of these than of the Statue of Liberty. Capn' Carr is giving away these magnets in a shameless self promotion of his radio show. Howie, c'mon! The poor guy's got a disease! It's not his fault, and it was a prescription, not like David, or Skakel, or Michael, or the old Patches, or I guess any of them. Cut the victim some slack. As to a free magnet of these models of integrity and...

by Mark Finkelstein May 9, 2006 Some people might think that striking a police officer, and almost striking a police car while driving under the influence of . . . something, are serious offenses. Not Chris Matthews. Here's how Matthews introduced this evening's Hardball, running down the rap sheet of various government officials who have had run-ins with the law in recent times: "Tonight, putting on the squeeze, putting on the sleaze. Another House aide cops a plea in the Abramoff case. "Dusty" Foggo quits over the poker-and-prostitute scam. Bill Jefferson gets tagged by a witness wearing a wire. Claude...

This post from Mark Levin: Poor Patrick 05/09 10:21 AM The rehabilitation of Patrick Kennedy has begun. No, I don’t mean his recovery from his various additions. I mean his political rehabilitation. Get this drivel from today’s Boston Herald: Patrick Kennedy is carrying a torch for a now-married ex-galpal and his broken heart may be the reason he’s gone off the rails, friends say. He’s lonely,” said one of Patches’ Rhode Island pals. “He’s a mess, and it’s really sad. It really is.” Word is that Patches pines for his ex, Tatiana Platt, an America Online exec he dated for...

Patrick Kennedy is carrying a torch for a now-married ex-galpal and his broken heart may be the reason he’s gone off the rails, friends say. “He’s lonely,” said one of Patches’ Rhode Island pals. “He’s a mess, and it’s really sad. It really is.” Word is that Patches pines for his ex, Tatiana Platt, an America Online exec he dated for more than a year until she left him for her now-hubby, renowned architect Campion Platt. We hear that Tatiana has been defending her former paramour, saying the Rhode Island congressman has gotten a “bad rap” after a suspicious car...

Rhode Island Democrats are expected to endorse Representative Patrick Kennedy for re-election when they meet tonight in West Warwick. Party members will endorse candidates for Congress and the state's top jobs -- governor, secretary of state, general treasurer and attorney general. Kennedy has checked himself into the Mayo Clinic for treatment for addiction to prescription drugs following a Thursday car accident in Washington. He says he can't remember driving to Capitol Hill or crashing his car. Kennedy's doctors say he was taking Phenergan for stomach and intestinal problems and Ambien, a commonly prescribed sleeping medication. Police say he appeared intoxicated.

If his last name wasn't Kennedy, would Patches have been elected? Re-elected? Given that ride home? Would Cynthia McKinney be offered that ride home, and no breathalyzer, if she were a Kennedy?

It's hard to imagine that Patrick Kennedy would have gotten elected to Congress a dozen years ago without his last name. It's equally hard to imagine that the media would be going wild about his late-night car crash and prescription drug addiction if he weren't a Kennedy. The only lingering mystery is why national news organizations didn't pounce earlier on the Rhode Island Democrat's long history of alcohol and drug abuse, depression and a series of downright embarrassing incidents.