John Boehner: When drunks lead Congress, disaster is the only option

Ney says he took his last drink on Sept. 13, 2006. Like many in recovery, he deals with his dependence on alcohol by being honest about himself and others around him.

As a fellow recovering alcoholic who has been sober since June 7, 1994, I can recognize what Ney is going through and also believe his stories about Boehner and the drinking problem of the Speaker of the House.

My friends and contacts on Capitol Hill from my days as a Congressional staff member (press secretary, chief of staff and committee staffer) from 1981-87 and a later stint from 1987-1992 as Vice President of Political Programs for the National Association of Realtors, tell me that Boehner's bouts with alcohol abuse are well known around Capitol Hill and the subject of much concern.

On December 20th of last year, Boehner stood before Congress, after his Republican colleagues defeated his "Plan B" for avoiding a fiscal cliff and said: "God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference."

More than a few of the House members in the chamber know the words that Boehner spoke. They comprise the Serenity Prayer of Alcoholics Anonymous.

A week later, after voting for a bill that brought even more criticism from the conservative wing of the GOP, Boehner spotted Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid in the White House lobby, walked up and jabbed a finger at the Democratic Leader, and said "go f*ck yourself!"

Republicans with Boehner said he reeked of alcohol at the time.

It's one thing to be drunk with power. It's even worse to be a drunk who abuses power.