Alcohol's Bad Political Rap

Oct. 13, 2006 — -- Most of us at one point in our lives have had too much to drink and have done something stupid, along the lines of the boorishness of John Belushi's Bluto in "Animal House" or the behavior of Will Ferrell who drinks and streaks in the comedy, "Old School."

But lately some high profile folks who did some pretty vile things have fingered booze almost as the culprit itself

In an interview with Diane Sawyer this week, Mel Gibson blamed his anti-Semitic rant during his California arrest on tequila.

"It's not a question of how drunk you are or you're, you're impaired. Your judgment is impaired enough to do insane things," Gibson said.

Corrupt Republican Congressman Bob Ney of Ohio is now pleading guilty to bribery charges, and also blamed his behavior on a drinking habit.

"Congressman Ney's alcohol dependency has affected his judgment in this matter," said a statement issued today by Ney's attorney.

"The treatment and counseling I have started have been very helpful, but I know that I am not done yet and that I have more work to do to deal with my alcohol dependency," Ney said in a separate statement.

And then there's ex-congressman Mark Foley, R-Fla., who entered a substance abuse program after his scandal involving White House pages broke. Foley resigned after ABC News revealed he'd been making inappropriate Internet contact with high-school age boys.

"It used to be that the ritual of wiggle was that you admitted what was known, denied what was unknown and cried. And now, immediately it seems, you reach for step 10, which is check into rehab," said columnist Micky Kaus.

On "Saturday Night Live," a comic playing actor Peter O'Toole protested the newly popular alcohol excuse saying he had "slept in many a bathtub" and "wandered the streets at night without my trousers."

But the comedian also said he did "all this, because I was an alcoholic, a rich and wonderful tradition -- not to be confused with racism or perversion."