There’s an old saying that describes the fortunes of families, corporations and criminal enterprises: “From shirtsleeves to shirtsleeves in three generations.” You know: John D. Rockefeller, John D. Rockefeller, Jr., Nelson Rockefeller… the other Rockefellers. Time Inc. editor-in-chief Henry Luce, Hedley Donovan, Henry Grunwald… Your Name Here. Five Families Boss Carlo Gambino, Paul Castellano, John Gotti… Gotti, Jr.

But what better example of declining fortunes can there be than the Kennedy clan of County Wexford, Boston, Hyannisport, Palm Beach and Chappaquiddick. From Patrick Joseph Kennedy to Joseph P. Kennedy (the Patriarch), to John Fitzgerald Kennedy to…

Yes, Patrick Kennedy, the soon-to-be-former Congressman from Rhode Island, substance abuser, drunk, late-night car crasher and all-around whackjob, was in the news again today, lashing out at, well, pretty much everybody in one of his farewell addresses to the nation.

Amazingly, he went after the media. From ABC News’ The Note:

“It’s despicable, the national press corps right now,” Kennedy bellowed.

Kennedy’s outburst came as the House debated a measure sponsored by Rep. Dennis Kucinich, D-OH, that would set a timeline for withdrawing U.S. troops from Afghanistan.

“If anyone wants to know where the cynicism is, there’s two press people in this gallery,” Kennedy yelled as he gestured up to the press gallery above the House floor. “We’re talking about Eric Massa 24/7 on the TV. We’re talking about war and peace — $3 billion, 1,000 lives — and no press, no press.”

“You want to know why the American public is fit?” he continued. “They’re fit because they’re not seeing their congress do the work that they’re sent to do. It’s because the press, the press of the United States is not covering the most significant issue of national importance and that’s the laying of lives down in the nation for the service of our country. it’s despicable, the national press corps right now.”

As Kennedy spoke, the floor of the House was almost as empty as the press gallery, with only about a dozen of the 431 members of the House in attendance.

Is Patches right? Is the national press corps despicable? And why are the American people “fit?”

Your thoughts, explanations and translations welcome here.