As residents of New Orleans were fleeing Hurricane Gustav, top Republican Party officials donned pink boas and swigged vodka shots at a wild whirl of corporate and lobbyist-paid parties this weekend in Minneapolis-St. Paul. Sunday night lobbyists with ties to criminally indicted lawmaker Tom DeLay, put on a raucous six-hour party at a downtown bar featuring music by the band “Hookers and Blow.” There was no evidence of any actual prostitutes or cocaine.

Congressman Bill Shuster (R-PA), a GOP House deputy whip, was seen meeting with a group of lobbyists, who bemoaned McCain’s call to tone down the parties which had already been paid for.  read more »