Yesterday’s much covered Republican walkout from the U.S. House of Representatives has drawn the ire of U.S. Congressman John Larson.  House Democrats moved an action to hold two White House aides, Harriet Miers and Joshua Bolten, in contempt of Congress for refusing to cooperate with a Congressional investigation into the firing of eight U.S. Attorneys.  Bear in mind that U.S. Attorneys serve at the pleasure of the President and can be fired at any time.  In fact, President Bill Clinton summarily fired 93 U.S. Attorneys in 1993. 

The rub here, of course, is that the Democrats chose the partisan witchhunt instead of taking up action on the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act renewal.   FISA expires at midnight on Saturday and Congressional leadership remains at loggerheads on the issue.  Instead of resolving differences and passing a renewal, it was more fun to pontificate.  According to an e-mail, Rep. Larson commented that:

“The political theater enacted by my colleagues on the other side of the aisle today was akin to Otter and Boone leading the Deltas out of the student body at Faber College.”

Chairman of the Connecticut Republican Party, Chris Healy, released a response to the Congressman’s comment earlier this morning concerning Rep. Larson’s own actions at time of great national crisis.  The highlights:

“Fat, drunk, and stupid is no way to go through life, son,” said Healy.”Congressman Larson’s lame defense of the Democrats contempt of Congress motion is contemptible coming from someone who has shown little respect for public accountability.” Larson’s comparison of GOP members showing their protest by leaving the chamber - something the Democrats did during Republican rule - is both hypocritical and pathetic given the Democrat’s two-year record of failed leadership.

“Congressman Larson and the Democrats said they would deliver in 2006 and America is still waiting,” said Healy. “All these Democrats know is bigger government and silly political parlor games while Americans lose their homes, health care and sense of personal security.”

Larson’s own personal comportment at a time of national crisis makes him unsuited to characterize anyone else as drunken and slovenly frat boys.

According to a 2001 Vanity Fair article which has never been reputed by Congressman Larson, the then second-term representative was observed and photographed partying it up in a swanky downtown DC restaurant a few days after 9-11.

“While the rubble was still smoldering and America was still on high alert - John Larson was regaling staffers and lobbyists with his impersonation of Marlon Brando while the wine and music flowed,” said Healy. “While everyone remembers 9-11, Larson hopes the people will forget the Battle of the Capitol Grille.”

Congressman Larson’s involvement in the story referenced by Chairman Healy is well documented.  Perhaps most damning of the Congressman’s activity was a commentary piece that appeared in the Hartford Courant on November 25, 2001, entitled “John Larson: Redefining Party Politics”, written by then-commentary writer Michelle Jacklin.

It was the evening of Sept. 13, only two days after the horrific terrorist attacks on New York City and the Pentagon. While most Americans sat huddled in their living rooms — frightened, upset and emotionally spent — these boys gathered in a private room at the Capital Grille in Washington, drinking, singing, carousing and having a gay old time.These boys were congressmen. Eleven in all. One of them was John Larson of East Hartford, who was described in an article in the December issue of Vanity Fair magazine as “rotund and jolly-faced.”

The accompanying color photo is, as they say, worth a thousand words, most of them unflattering. There’s Larson, red as a beet and holding a wine glass, doing an imitation of Marlon Brando doing an imitation of Osama bin Laden.

John, John, John. What were you thinking?