President Bush: Dry or Damp Drunk?

This isn't the first I've heard that sources in Washington know Mr. Bush is drinking again.

But just drinking is a whole big issue of its own. As someone who came from a family where alcoholism was present, I know a little about this topic and have read quite a bit more.

I never quite bought the line that Bush was a "dry drunk" who exhibited his addiction behavior in other ways without the alcohol. I have always suspected that while Mr. Bush might not drink in public settings, that he probably continued to engage privately. It's modus operandi for the pious, bully types (think Bill Bennett and the "do as I order and not as I do" crowd).

Nor am I saying that a former alcoholic can't drink. While most seem to need total abstinence, I've met a number of people who are able to control their volume and the effects it has on their lives. When they notice warning signs or situations, they may stop drinking altogether for a period of time until a crisis passes.

However, I have a big problem with Bush's drinking. First, he's recently reiterated that he's overcome his problems with alcohol and such. If that's not true, he shouldn't be saying it (and I won't go into the many, many, many lies we know him to tell). We already know Nixon was a drunk and a pill-popper, especially in the final years of his presidency. It showed in his policies. Does anyone really want someone who can't control himself as president (as the right kept saying about Clinton)?

Second, it's also widely acknowledged that the president is on psychiatric meds, possibly at least one of the newer serotonin specific anti-depressants. That latter fact can be disturbing in a president in any event but drinking with those drugs is NOT GOOD. I took one of them for a short period of time to battle post traumatic stress after an illness in 2003 and every bottle came with a strong label telling you not to drink alcohol with them. Researching this, it seems not so much a danger of a medical crisis as that alcohol would interfere with the work of the drug. In other words, while the drug tries to adjust chemical levels in the brain believed to contribute to depression and certain behaviors, alcohol on top of them readjusts the drug's adjustments.

So, if they're medicating Bush for his strange behavior, drinking may counteract any positive effects of the medication.

Third, Bush's policies, speeches, and mandates seem like they're drafted by a blind, deaf bully. I don't think alcohol is going to help his judgment.