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It's clear from the Capitol Hill Police reports, as well as what the officers are telling their colleagues and reporters, that there wasn't just Ambien involved in this mess. This story has the whiff of former President Clinton's infamous "I tripped over a rock down at Greg Norman's compound, nothing more, nothing less" excuse.

Kennedy's story line is that he was "returning to the House for a vote," an excuse he has used before in similar incidents with Capitol Hill Police. Now, there have been whispers about Kennedy's seeming inability to stay awake during House sessions and hearings, something you'd expect from his doddering, bloated father, not the young bloated son. And given the way some of these sessions go, who'd blame a fellow for popping a pill and taking a snooze? But still.

The scandal in this is not that Kennedy was driving impaired. Apparently that is a God-given right and recreational activity for the Kennedy clan. The angle in this story is that Capitol Hill officials once again waved off police to make the problem go away in a manner similar to the McKinney affair. Any other citizen would be in cuffs, heading for testing and an early morning in the drunk tank. Kennedy got a ride home.

Here's hoping there wasn't a female officer in that car that brought him home. Given Patches' reputation with the ladies and his condition, it might have been a messy scene.