Had slipped my mind until a friend pointed it out, but Ambien, the same drug which may have contributed to Patrick Kennedy's all-night voting spree, has a few other significant users in Washington.

(And btw, let's at least pay tribute to the fact that when this Kennedy is gorked out of his dome, his instinct apparently isn't for carousing with starlets, but to drive to the Capitol and vote -- frankly, America could use more drug addicts like this.)

Back in the now-forgotten distant murky past -- November 2003, to be exact -- this is what Colin Powell had to say about Ambien:

They’re a wonderful medication — not medication. How would you call it? They’re called Ambien, which is very good. You don’t use Ambien? Everybody here uses Ambien.

And here's part of what I wrote at the time:

Ambien’s common side effects include daytime drowsiness, dizziness, and changes in thinking and behavior. Less common but reported side effects include confusion, emotional instability, and an exaggerated feeling of well-being.

Ambien addiction is also more likely among people who have been dependent on alcohol and can cause amnesia.

Gee. Sound like anybody we know?

And can you freakin’ imagine the firestorm if somebody in the Clinton administration had gushed about a drug like this in the middle of a war?