While DWT fave David Dreier was voicing "warm feeling and affection" for the Colombian Congress, did his hosts at least lock up the silverwear?

Isn't the real question: What the heck was Republicrook David Dreier doing
addressing the Colombian Congress to begin with? Was he invited by the
Bogota chapter of the International Association of Congresscrooks?

So the Washington Post's Al Kamen thought he could slip out of town the last couple of weeks in August and still be In the Loop? Poor baby! He paid the price on his return today, with all the news made by some of his favorite newsmakers, like our old pal Idiot Al "The Torture Guy":

Attorney General Alberto Gonzales resigned and headed to Disney World over Labor Day weekend with the family, some of his kids' friends and his security detail. (Why he needs a detail when he's safely outside the Beltway is unclear, but they're said to be handy when the lines down there get really long.)

Then there's this tidbit about one of the oldest members of the DWT family, celebrated California congresscrook and closet case David Dreier, practically a founding member of the DWT Rogues' Gallery:

A Bit Too California for Colombia

Rep. David Dreier (R-Calif.), on a trip to Colombia to talk trade matters, got a bit too California in a speech to that country's lawmakers. He perched himself casually on a wooden lectern, feet crossed, in the chamber in Bogota as his audience members sat stiffly, staring from their leather chairs.

Newspapers criticized him as showing a lack of respect. Some lawmakers were said to have been offended or a bit amused by the faux pas, Reuters reported.

"I have the highest regard for the Congress of Colombia," Dreier told reporters in Bogota last week. "I meant absolutely no offense. . . . I simply wanted to demonstrate my warm feeling and affection."

Which just leaves the question, what does it mean when someone like Dreier, who has treated his membership in the Congress of the United States as, essentially, a license to steal, tries to "demonstrate my warm feeling and affection" for the Congress of Colombia?

We could nail it down if we knew that at some point our Dave said to the Colombian legislators: "You're my kind of people." It might or might not be true, but at least we would know what he thinks of them.


UPDATE: HOWIE AND JANE SPEAKIN' OUT ABOUT DREIER IN L.A. THIS SUNDAY

Jane was busy in Santa Monica and I was in New York while Dreier was bothering people in Colombia but this Sunday we'll both be speaking at a small rally for Russ Warner, the Blue America candidate challenging Dreier for his CA-26 seat. We'll be introducing Russ to folks at the Hollywood Knolls home of our pal Suzanne around 4pm. If any DWT readers would like to come along and meet Russ-- or Jane or me, drop Alica an rsvp and get directions-- alica@wanerforcongress.com/. If you can't make it Sunday but want to give Russ a hand in ridding our government of one more odious rubber stamp Republican, Blue America is open-- 24/7.