Grand Old Police Blotter: Flushed Down The Loo Edition

We have a Democrat to thank for breaking up the latest Republican crime wave:

WASHINGTON - Talk about bad economic indicators: A top congressional economist was nabbed trying to steal a fancy plasma TV from a Capitol Hill committee room.

"I guess he was practicing a new theory called trickle-up economics," cracked Dan McGlinchey, a longtime aide to Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.) who helped collar the alleged thief after a chase through the Rayburn House Office Building.

Tom Loo, chief economist for the Small Business Committee, was arrested after running into a gaggle of Capitol Hill police officers, who promptly tackled him.

McGlinchey said he had gone to his office at the Financial Services Committee about 10p.m. Thursday to catch up on some paperwork when he saw Loo loading a wrapped-up flat-screen plasma TV onto a cart.

"I didn't recognize the guy," McGlinchey said. "He seemed really agitated. I noticed the TV was gone, and when I confronted him, he started walking really fast down the hallway with the dolly in tow, mumbling, 'Must leave, must leave.'"
...

Capitol Police Officer Michael Lauer said Loo, a former tax consultant who spent nine years as senior economist for the Senate Banking Committee, was charged with first-degree theft.

I blame environmental factors. Working with Jim DeMint, Marilyn Musgrave and Ed Schrock on a daily basis would drive anyone to crime bat-shit nuts.