Fat Wednesday for Sensenbrenner

Doug Moe of The Capital Times discovers that Rep. F. Jim Sensenbrenner, who showed his compassion for New Orleans hurricane victims by voting against giving them any relief, is hosting a fat cat DC fundraiser with a Mardi Gras theme.

Moe reports:

But while Sensenbrenner voted against the Katrina relief, this week he will embrace the joie de vivre of New Orleans in his own special way.

The "calendar of events" on the Web site of the National Republican Congressional Committee includes the following posting for this Wednesday at 8 a.m.:

"You are invited to a Mardi Gras Breakfast with Congressman F. James Sensenbrenner Jr., Charlie Palmer, 101 Constitution Avenue, NW, Washington, DC. "$500 Personal $1,000 PAC."

It would appear Sensenbrenner is hosting a political fundraiser for himself with a Mardi Gras theme. Several phone messages left Monday with Sensenbrenner's Washington press secretary were not returned.

Sensenbrenner's fundraiser comes at a time when the city of New Orleans is worried about the viability of the real Mardi Gras, scheduled to begin Saturday and run through next week.

As Alan Sayre of the Associated Press recently wrote: "Mardi Gras, which always holds a bit of mystery for outsiders with its fun, frolic and debauchery, is a mystery itself this year for New Orleans. An estimated two-thirds of the city's half-million, pre-Katrina populace remains elsewhere."

There is also a question about the number of hotel rooms available for potential Mardi Gras revelers in New Orleans, since, as AP noted, "rooms remain filled with storm evacuees and recovery workers."

Sensenbrenner has solved the hotel room problem by holding his Mardi Gras party at one of the most expensive and exclusive restaurants in Washington.

Moe's column has more details.