Rhode Island Rep. Patrick Kennedy admitted Friday afternoon to being a complete mess of a human being. Kennedy told reporters that he's addicted to painkillers and suffering from depression. Kennedy will be checking himself into the Mayo clinic -- for the second time in six months.

Kennedy has a problem, and he certainly deserves our prayers.

However, a man in his condition should not be making public policy at the highest levels of government. And then there's the fact that he's going to be spending some time in Minnesota, yet still drawing a paycheck from you and me.

A couple other items of note:

The Smoking Gun has posted the police report from Kennedy's latest accident.

Dan Riehl has a tougher view on Kennedy -- and he speaks from experience.