KENNEDY ADMITS HE'S ADDICT, & SEEKS HELP

Back To Mayo Clinic For Anguished Pol

Rep. Patrick Kennedy acknowledged his addiction to painkillers
yesterday during a press conference. He also announced his plans to
seek treatment at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota.

WASHINGTON - A clearly shaken Rep. Patrick Kennedy announced
yesterday he was entering rehab for addiction to painkillers because
he does not remember crashing his car and being driven home by police.

His hands shaking and his voice cracking, Kennedy said, "I simply do
not remember getting out of bed, being pulled over by the police or
being cited for three driving infractions."

The son of Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-Mass.) added, "That's not how I want
to live my life. And that's not how I want to represent the people of
Rhode Island."

Kennedy said he won't resign and will seek reelection in the fall. "I
need to stay in the fight," he said.

Kennedy, 38, said he was immediately headed to Rochester, Minn., to
check into the Mayo Clinic to treat his recurring drug addiction. He
entered the clinic late last night, The Associated Press reported.

It was at least his third trip to rehab. Kennedy went into treatment
during his senior year at Phillips Academy for cocaine and alcohol
addiction. And yesterday he revealed that he was treated at Mayo last
Christmas for the pain pills.

"I have been fighting this chronic disease since a young man," said
Kennedy. Kennedy did not reveal which "prescription pain medication"
he has abused or which drugs he used Thursday. In a statement to the
press Thursday night, Kennedy said he had taken Phenergan for an
upset stomach and Ambien to help him sleep. Neither Phenergan nor
Ambien are prescription pain medications.

He also denied drinking any alcohol.

The stunning revelations came after Kennedy crashed his 1997 green
Ford Mustang into a security barrier near the Capitol about 2:45 a.m.
Thursday and then told cops he was late for a vote in Congress. He
was driving without headlights and nearly collided with a police cruiser.

Kennedy was given a ride home by Capitol Police and charged with
three minor traffic violations. But he wasn't given a sobriety test,
angering some Capitol Police who felt he was given preferential
treatment because he's a congressman and member of one of the
country's most storied families.

Capitol Police officers at the scene checked off boxes on a police
report that said they observed "ability impaired" and "alcohol
influence," according to a police report released yesterday. He was
described as staggering and slurring his words. The case remains
under investigation and the supervisor on duty Thursday morning has
been reassigned.

Capitol Police also were asking questions about Kennedy at two
popular Capitol Hill watering holes, the Hawk 'n' Dove and
Bullfeathers, a source said. The Boston Herald reported that a
waitress told that paper Kennedy had been seen drinking at the Hawk
'n' Dove restaurant, but no one there would comment.

A top Democrat with ties to the Kennedy clan said Patrick Kennedy's
recurring addiction was behind a decision for him not to run for the
Senate this year against Sen. Lincoln Chafee (R-R.I.).

"This was the reason the family said he couldn't run for Senate," the
source said. Sen. Ted Kennedy asked his staff to help his son with
his press statement and the ensuing media frenzy. Kennedy's media
consultant Stephanie Cutter helped write Patrick Kennedy's statement.

"It was more about the senator being concerned about his son, rather
than doing damage control," another Democratic source said.

Kennedy's previous run-ins with the law include allegedly trashing a
yacht after a fight with a woman on board and shoving a female
security guard at an airport. Both incidents occurred in 2000.

With Richard Sisk