Was it prescription drugs or was he drinking?

The Boston Herald reports today that witnesses told the Capitol police that Rep. Patrick Kennedy, who recently checked into a rehab center after blaming an early morning Capitol Hill accident on his use of prescription drugs, was seen drinking that night at a bar called the Hawk and Dove:

Capitol police in Washington, D.C., investigating U.S. Rep. Patrick Kennedy’s early-morning car wreck have been told by witnesses that the Rhode Island congressman was at a Capitol Hill bar before the crash, the Herald has learned.

A source close to the probe said witnesses have told detectives that Kennedy was at the Hawk & Dove before he slammed his Ford Mustang into a security barrier near the U.S. Capitol. The source added that cops are continuing to seek evidence to confirm that Kennedy was at the watering hole.

The Herald reported last week that a Hawk & Dove hostess said the 38-year-old pol is a frequent customer and was drinking in the bar before the May 4 crash. Kennedy has denied he was drinking, blaming the accident on a cocktail of prescription painkillers and sleeping pills. He has since checked into a Minnesota rehab.

[…]

The crash sparked a furor within the Capitol Police Department after angry patrol officers said higher-ranking cops blocked them from giving Kennedy a sobriety test. Police union head Lou Cannon said two watch commanders on duty the night of the crash have been transferred.

A police report on the 2:45 a.m. crash cited alcohol as a factor, describing Kennedy as slurring his speech, being “unsure” on his feet and having red and watery eyes.

It’s looking more and more like Rep. Kennedy received favorable treatment from the Capitol police department. I was willing to have some sympathy for the guy had if this had to do with prescription drugs, but if it turns out that he was driving drunk, he’s going to have a lot of explaining to do – not to me, but his constituency … and Congress.