Todd Helton arrested for DUI
Rockies first baseman Todd Helton, 39, was arrested early Wednesday morning on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol and careless driving in Thornton.
Reached by phone Wednesday, Helton declined to comment on the record to The Denver Post, saying only that he was “very sorry.”
DUIs are a bad idea, and that needs to be made clear off the top, but man … that’s a Nolte-caliber mugshot.
One mistake does not erase an otherwise honorable career. It’s a good guess that the embarrassment anybody might feel for him is nothing compared with the embarrassment he feels for himself. It’s bad enough that Crapo has to explain himself to his wife and family. It’s worse when he has to explain himself to 1.6 million constituents, many of whom have viewed Crapo as an example of what American politics should be about.The Idaho Statesman editorial board • Offering a little Christmas cheer in the direction of Sen. Mike Crapo, who was arrested for a DUI over the weekend. It feels like we’re watching the plot to a Frank Capra film happen in real life, and our heart just grew three sizes as we were writing this post. We’re headed to the urgent care facility right now to get this enlarged heart checked out. (ht Ben Smith)
Senator arrested for DUI charges: In what was already not looking like a great holiday for Idaho Sen. Mike Crapo (he’s stuck in D.C. negotiating the fiscal cliff), the senator was arrested in Virginia on Saturday night after failing a series of field sobriety tests. Crapo, by the way, is a Mormon, which means that it could put him in trouble in another sense, as the religion eschews alcohol. (AP photo)
UPDATE: Crapo has released a statement to Politico. “I will also undertake measures to ensure that this circumstance is never repeated. I accept total responsibility and will deal with whatever penalty comes my way in this matter,” he said.
A quick reminder of what’s at stake in Novemb … oh, who are we kidding? This is just hilarious/sad. What’s next? Kel Mitchell asking Joe Biden for an orange soda hookup?
Federal Aviation Administration chief Randy Babbitt resigned Tuesday, three days after a drunk-driving arrest, saying he was leaving with a “heavy heart” but was “unwilling to let anything cast a shadow” on the agency he headed since 2009.
A few hours earlier, Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood appeared to set the stage for the departure by publicly rebuking Mr. Babbitt, telling reporters he “was very disappointed” the FAA chief hadn’t promptly informed him about Saturday’s incident.
The news comes in the wake of an acronym-filled arrest.
» At least he wasn’t flying while drunk, right? After being a pilot for Eastern Airlines for 25 years, Randy Babbitt became the Federal Aviation Administration’s head in 2009. This weekend, he was arrested for driving on the wrong side of the road in Fairfax, Va. He has since asked for a leave of absence from his office.
A little late on this one, but considering the events of last night, it works as a mental health break. Meet the drunk, libertarian Adam Sandler, so drunk that he’s nearly four times the legal limit of alcohol. It’s funny, yes, until you realize that he could’ve killed someone because of his wayyyyyyy-above-the-legal-limit drunk driving. The fact that this elicits a chuckle should be a heartwarming fact, if only for the simple reason that it’s the worst thing to come out of this video, thanks to police properly doing their jobs.
I resent that you’re helping to make this news. Regardless of the fact that this man is Obama’s uncle, he’s still pretty much just a random person who happened to get a DUI. DUI coverage makes sense if it’s to make a point about the perils of drunk driving, or if it’s about how stupid it is because of the harm it can cause to the driver or to others.
Point taken. To us, we found the story fascinating not just because of the DUI angle but because of the fact that Obama’s uncle basically showed up out of nowhere. (He had not been in the news for a while, and there was an air of mystery around him.) Now, we admit that we did find the quote itself interesting, and that was a good part of why we posted it. But at the same time, you’re right, we need to hold ourselves to a higher standard than simply finding a quote funny when it comes to something as serious as a DUI. We feel rightly scolded. — Ernie @ SFB
(Source: The Huffington Post)
If you thought, as we did, that anti-DUI laws were more or less non-controversial, State Rep. Alan Hale of Montana has a few words for you. Hale launched into a stirring speech on the floor of the state House, defending the right of Montanans to operate motor vehicles after downing a couple Vodka tonics. Anti-DUI laws, Hale claims, are “destroying a way of life that’s been in Montana for years,” and hurting small businesses in the process (primarily bars and taverns, like the one Hale himself owns). We’re all for supporting local businesses as a means of maintaining communities, but we’re not sure legalizing drunk driving is the best way to accomplish this. On the upside, we do like the tie he’s wearing. source
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