Two women get into their cars, under the influence of alcohol.
One of them is the wife of a powerful Republican senator.
The other is the daughter of a powerful Democrat senator and former Candidate for the Office of the President.
The wife of the Republican is named:
Charlene Lugar, wife of Senate Foreign Relations ranking member Dick Lugar (R-Ind.), was arrested Wednesday night for drunken driving after a traffic accident in McLean, Va.
The daughter of the Democrat senator (he has two), is unnamed:
Foreign Relations Chairman John Kerry’s (D-Mass.) daughter was arrested Thursday morning in Los Angeles for driving under the influence.
Admirably, neither woman’s age is given.
The story about the wife of the Republican senator has information and troubling details that are left unexplored and sound pretty ominous:
According to a spokesman for the Fairfax County Police Department, “At 6:18 last night one of our patrol officers initiated a traffic stop” of Charlene Lugar at the intersection of Old Dominion Drive and Dominion Reserve Drive in McLean.
Following the stop, Lugar was arrested for driving while intoxicated and taken to the county’s adult detention center where she was processed.
According to a Fairfax County Police spokesman, Lugar was also charged with one count of hit-and-run.
The story about the daughter of the Democrat has no information and no details:
Foreign Relations Chairman John Kerry’s (D-Mass.) daughter was arrested Thursday morning in Los Angeles for driving under the influence.
The Republican senator, who undoubtedly wishes this could be kept a private matter, as his wife is not a politician, has nevertheless acknowledged at least part of the story, providing some additional details, which helpfully inform that no one was hurt or killed:
Sen. Lugar issued a statement, saying: “At about 6:30 p.m. last evening, November 18, Mrs. Lugar had a traffic accident in our McLean, Virginia neighborhood. A charge has been filed and a court appearance is scheduled for January. No other persons were in her car or the unattended car she hit. Thankfully, no one was injured. We are deeply sorry and embarrassed that this accident has occurred.”
The Democrat senator, who undoubtedly wishes this could be kept a private matter, as his daughter is not a politician, has not addressed this matter or provided even part of the details; no one knows if anyone was hurt; he is being allowed to keep private. As of this writing, this is still all we know:
Foreign Relations Chairman John Kerry’s (D-Mass.) daughter was arrested Thursday morning in Los Angeles for driving under the influence.
To be honest, I don’t care about either story. These women are not public servants, they are not politicians and their sins ought not be fodder for the daily grist. Were these my spouse or kids, I would prefer that we deal with these issues privately, as a family, as I am sure anyone would.
I just think it’s interesting. Information regarding both DUI’s come from the same source, and the same writer.
It is what it is. That is all.
UPDATE:
Regular readers know I do not, as a rule, follow these sorts of sensationalistic “scandal” stories that are about nothing more than a family’s private issues. I also don’t follow stories about missing blond students or kidnapped kids. They all hurt too much to write about.
But I was so struck by the extreme differences in reportage of these two stories that I was heartily amused, and also kind of sad. Both stories are all over the place, but Roll Call was the only one that managed only a single line on the Kerry piece, not even naming which daughter had been picked up.
I’m all for that sort of discretion, to be honest. When Al Gore’s son was picked up for DUI, I was just as glad that the story went away. I think wives/husbands and kids of politicians should be off-limits unless something truly newsworthy has happened. For instance, if poor Mrs. Lugar had actually hurt or killed someone, that would have been a story. I would have been very pleased, in this instance, to have seen Mrs. Lugar enjoy the discretion of the one-line-unnamed news blurb that Ms. Kerry received.
But I can’t help thinking, if Ms. Kerry’s story were exactly the same, but her name was Bush or Palin, more than a sentence would have been written. At the very least, we would have learned which of the Bush twins were involved; Jenna, the public school teacher in Baltimore, or Barbara, the AIDS worker in Africa.
And if it were a Palin kid, God help them.
As I wrote earlier:
Al Gore’s son can drive drunk – George W. Bush’s daughters may not drink at all. Absolution, it seems, is no longer granted or denied through the Right Hand of God, but from the Left.
November 19th, 2009 | 5:56 pm | #1
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by The Anchoress, My Coalition. My Coalition said: RT @TheAnchoress: Kerry's daughter arrested for DUI, so is Lugar's wife http://tinyurl.com/ycdjyzc [...]
November 19th, 2009 | 6:03 pm | #2
I’m sure the writer is well prepared to hide behind some torturous rationalization regarding the significant difference between a spouse and a child.
The same rationalization he or she will no doubt pull out to justify the reverse treatment, too, the next time it’s necessary.
November 19th, 2009 | 6:28 pm | #3
Yes, it’s a bit like Fox “News” calling Sanford & Foley Democrats.
November 19th, 2009 | 6:33 pm | #4
The hypocricy of the media is a given. It angers me more that, at this point in our nation’s history, a Republican senator’s wife would take this kind of a chance, and thereby make the party look bad. Please, people. We would expect this of John Kerry’s spawn. Let’s get it together already.
[Well, if you really want to get down to it, why would any adult woman or man take this kind of chance. I really can't boil all of this down to dems or GOP stupidity. The point of the piece is about the press, not the parties. -admin]
November 19th, 2009 | 6:35 pm | #5
The last will be first and the first will be last!
What does that have to do with this post Victor?
I don’t know! Why don’t you ask sinner vic cause he’s last in my book and let’s hope that God does not Bless Him like He did Moses after killing that soldier with a few extra sacrifices in His Desert!
Victor give “IT” UP! You’re no Jack of all trades and besides sinner vic is but a figment of your imagination! Is he not?
Go Figure folks cause God only knows for sure!
Are you drunk again Victor?
Just a little!
God Bless,
Peace
November 19th, 2009 | 6:43 pm | #6
I do a fair bit of drinking myself. Only at weekends though. Tonight I am sober but in a fairly rough sort of mood, I feel like some snark & having a good rant about someone.
The worst thing is when you wake up with indigestion- much worse than a hangover for the comments it inspires
November 19th, 2009 | 6:50 pm | #7
That’s sad…and does not speak well of the author. I assume that there was more coverage of the one b/c there was an accident involved and the other was just a traffic stop- but really, if that were the case, why didn’t the author say so? I have to agree, the bias is clear.
[Considering all of the press reports re Ms. Kerry contained variations of "more details were not forthcoming," we have no idea if didn't do something dangerous. Again, I don't care about the stories. But it matters, how these things are treated. The double standards abound. I wondered how the Bush daughters would be treated, but we actually know how they would be treated in the press. Chelsea Clinton, on the other hand, like Albert Gore, Jr, would be permitted her privacy. -admin]
November 19th, 2009 | 8:17 pm | #8
a/ The other reason Kerry’s daughter got less play is her mom is “loaded” (Kerry not only went to vietnam, but he is a serial gigolo).
b/ Lugar is a republican? WHO KNEW?
/s
November 19th, 2009 | 10:14 pm | #9
OK, lets take a look at some coverage of this daughter of Kerry.
Three months after the United States was scandalised by Janet Jackson’s bared breast, US newspapers today carried censored photos of Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry’s daughter wearing a revealing dress in Cannes, France. which gave us this picture.
Now we learn this about her in the press…
So in a way this lady of the Kerry clan has had her share of press. Hard to keep anything secret.
[Edited to admit links. Retrieved from spam filter, where comments with multiple urls, not made into links, go to die unless I find them -admin]
November 19th, 2009 | 10:17 pm | #10
One was a DUI with a traffic accident. One wasn’t. One’s a bit more serious, even if nobody was hurt. Not terribly equivalent. Next gossip story, please.
November 19th, 2009 | 11:21 pm | #11
According to the Fairfax County General District Court case information website, LUGAR, CHARLENE S, was only charged with DWI, 1st (case no. GT09285682-00) There is no charge, as yet, for hit and run. Typically, if they were going to charge that, they would have already.
In any event striking another vehicle, albeit unattended (parked), would be a somewhat aggravating factor. It’s been a while since I’ve heard what Fairfax’s standard disposition for first offenses is (assuming she would be found guilty), but if I remember right, it would be some period of suspended jail time conditioned upon completion of Alcohol Safety Action Program classes, a modest fine, and suspension of the driver’s license for a year, with the likelihood of issuance of a restricted license to drive to work, school, etc.
November 19th, 2009 | 11:45 pm | #12
I had read earlier that it was Alexandra Kerry, in LA. I suppose it was a non-starter, as she was pulled over for expired plates, failed a field sobriety test and passed a breathalyzer at the police department. Nevertheless she had to post bail as it may yet be determined that she was driving dangerously.
http://www.theage.com.au/world/john-kerrys-daughter-arrested-for-drinkdriving-20091120-iq87.html
November 20th, 2009 | 12:38 am | #13
A wise man’s heart inclines him toward the right, but a fool’s heart toward the left. -Ecclesiastes 10:2 (RSV)
November 20th, 2009 | 10:02 am | #14
This is a minor but still valid addition to the pile of evidence that the corporate media have a template for stories that could impact politics: If it helps a Republican or hurts a Democrat bury it, ignore it, minimize it, or distort it; If it helps a Democrat or hurts a Republican, play it up (or in some cases, make it up).
November 20th, 2009 | 10:18 am | #15
I’m sure her loving father told her “You idiot, if you are going to do something like that, do it in MA”.
November 21st, 2009 | 2:30 pm | #16
[...] A Tale of Two DUI’s – UPDATED [...]
November 21st, 2009 | 9:32 pm | #17
It is hilarious how this dumbass thinks that Global Warming is a hoax. The evidence is irrefutable. But i’m sure that this Oil-loving, Bush-Caring, Iraqi-War Supporting, Fox-News adoring, Illegal Immigrant hating dumbass is severly unaware of any of it.
[You know what is also hilarious? That you posted this remark in the wrong thread. Twice. But sure, I can be a dumbass. I'm easy! -admin]
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