Patrick Kennedy, son of Ted Kennedy, won't seek reelection

Rep. Patrick Kennedy (D-R.I.), the youngest son of the late Sen. Ted Kennedy, will not seek reelection in the mid-term elections this fall, according to the Associated Press.

Kennedy, 42, will officially make the announcement via a television commercial in Road Island Sunday night. His decision to step down comes less than a year after his father's death. It will leave Congress without a Kennedy for the first time since John F. Kennedy was elected to the House of Representatives in 1946.

"My father instilled in me a deep commitment to public service," Kennedy said in the commercial. "Now having spent two decades in politics, my life has taken a new direction and I will not be a candidate for reelection this year."

Kennedy ran for office when he was just 21 and won a seat on the Road Island legislator. He would later be elected to Congress in 1995 and has represented Road Island ever since. Throughout his 15 years in Congress, Kennedy has enjoyed some key legislative victories on such issues as mental health - winning a key victory alongside his father that forces insurance companies to treat mental health disorders the same as they would physical ailments in terms of coverage and care.

"Illness took the life of my most cherished mentor and confidante, my ultimate source of spirit and strength," he said. "From the countless lives he lifted, to the American promise he helped shape, my father taught me that politics at its very core was about serving others."

While Kennedy has been easily re-elected twice in a predominantly Democratic district since assuming office, he has also battled many personal demons over the years, including his fight with depression and substance abuse. In 2006, he placed himself in rehab for prescription drugs after he crashed his car into a barrier in Washington D.C.

In the video, Kennedy thanks Road Island voters for their continued support and says he is committed to public service, although he provides no information in what capacity he will serve next. Democrats are expected to hold onto the seat.

"When I made missteps or suffered setbacks, you responded not with contempt, but compassion,'' he said. "Thank you for all the times you lifted me up, pushed me forward.''

Kennedy vs. Catholic church

Did you hear this nonsense about Road Island Rep. Patrick Kennedy, the son of one of the greatest political families in American history, apparently being instructed by his nutty pro-life Roman Catholic Bishop to stop taking communion three years ago and ordered diocesan priests to deny him the Eucharist because of his support for abortion rights.

I mean who does this ass hole think he is. I am a confirmed, non-practicing Catholic, but my Grandparents were pillar's of our local Roman Catholic church, and life-long Democrats to boot. Never in my life did they share their stances on abortion rights with me, but no matter what their position was, in no way would they allow it to influence how they vote, much less how they judge the character or faith of a person.

I mean whatever happened to separation of church and state, and when did the Catholic church get involved with moral issues concerning someone's job or the laws of a state. Because you know how much I like being a member of a church who treats me like an giant turd sandwich all because of my own personal beliefs. And beliefs might I add, that only make sense in modern America - this isn't 17 fucking 76 people. The choice to have an abortion, like it or not, is a basic human right and not a privilege for women. It's not like I have ever known a woman who intentionally got pregnant so she coulf have abortions, plus it is not like pro-lifers support birth-control, which is insane because expecting people not to have sex is like expecting Dick Cheney to shut the fuck-up and go away, it's just not going to happen. If anything most women I know choose not to have the abortion even when no one, except maybe the church, would blame them if they chose to go through with such a procedure.

Plus I find it hard to take moral advice from a guy whose religion has seen its "trusted" priests prey on the likes of young boys. And what about the rapists, thieves and murders who are encouraged to turn to Jesus. Are they denied communion? I am willing to bet not, but Kennedy should be treated below such low-lifes. I mean something is just not adding up here. Maybe the Bishops mother should have gotten an abortion and then I wouldn't have to waste my time addressing such a ridiculous issue.

But anyway, in the clip above Matthews makes some great points to the Bishop, who fails to give an answer as to what legislation he would pass to stop abortion and whether or not he would punish anyone who received an abortion under the law. Matthews points out that while the Bishop calls abortion "murder," he is not necessarily in favor of punishing anyone for having an abortion. Which leads me to ask, 'if you are going to create a law to ban abortion and then not enforce the law, what good is the law?' I just wish Matthews had asked him if he supported the death penalty - although Road Island does not have it in place - because it always seems that pro-lifer's are staunch supporters of the death penalty. I just get a kick out of how they care about your life before you are born, but not so much after.

But really the Catholic church shouldn't be turning away business considering all their economic hardships, especially a devote follower who comes from a vast amount of wealth - of course the Bishop never said he stopped asking Kennedy to contribute donations, just taking communion.

But I'll stop now and let you get to the video. I think Matthews says it all.