The Bugchaser's Ball

Almost all of the Republican Party's brightest lights bugged out when offered the opportunity to dine with Toxic Tom DeLay:

But Mr. Norquist was not visible at the dinner and seats at his group's table remained empty. Nor was there any high-powered representative from the White House at the event.

When one speaker, Bob Livingston, a former representative from Louisiana, asked current and former member of Congress to stand up, the showing was relatively sparse, perhaps two dozen.

When Ms. Mitchell called one of the scheduled speakers, Representative Scott Garrett of New Jersey, to the rostrum, he did not appear.

Jesse Helms appeared by videotape, much to the surprise of those who thought he was dead, and David Keene of the American Conservative Union was there in person. (David's convict son was not paroled for the event.) Chinless Ken Mehlman was also on hand, as were a National Republican Senatorial Committee mouthpiece and a bunch of lobbyists with an extra $2,000 burning holes in their pockets.