But in the basement of a Senate office building, eight men and three women sit around an oak table sharing their most private thoughts. But at lunch, he sipped one cocktail, then three more. When the meeting was delayed, he gulped another two. Founded on the Hill in July 1979, AA groups today convene usually three times each weekday in offices throughout the Capitol. Although one group is restricted to only members of Congress, most include staffers, lobbyists, custodians, reporters, police and even members sitting side by side.
Alcoholism knows no bounds.
Indeed, at the epicenter of the nation's democracy, AA functions as a kind of ideal body politic, in which there is no partisanship or hierarchy. There's even a consensus vote taken at meetings to decide on policytype matters, such as smoking or opening the meeting to a visitor. Ironically, though, the egalitarian nature of the meetings can make for some awkward circumstances. Deirdre, a member of AA who works for a Senate committee, recalls how a colleague she knew for many years once plopped down beside her in the middle of a meeting. It took Deirdre herself several weeks before she went to her first meeting, even though she made up her mind well beforehand.