Rosa's Sad Return to Wooster Square

Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro prides herself on tending to the little people even though she literally a full-time creature of the Washington, D.C. power elite. The 11-term Democrat incumbent and her pollster husband, Stan Greenberg, often have tony dinner parties where they invite all of the liberal Hall of Famer's. She has railed against capitalists and corporations but is worth million.

But Rosa always makes sure that the district office is on top of every lost Social Security check or immigration problem. Rosa's local operation is legend in political circles.

But the locals like to see and touch the real thing once and and while and know that the girl from Wooster Square, who started out running Chris Dodd's office, is still that neighborhood girl who never forgot where she came from.

It is somewhat painful to watch Rosa trudge back from one of the most gorgeous settings - the Amalfi Coast - to the collateral damage of Tropical Storm Irene. I mean, what is she going to say?  "I'm here - let's get to work!"

What is Rosa going to do anyway when she shows up at the office? Grab a chainsaw, yell at a Federal Emergency Management Agency bureaucrat, pose with East Haven Mayor April Capone by one of those obliterated beach houses?  But she is trying in an unintended humorous way. Her website has a hysterical link calling for more "coordination among officials" for such emergencies.

No matter what she says or does, reporters, Democratic ward leaders, local town committee people will never look at her the same. They will see a tanned, frantic politician that had the misfortune of taking a deserved vacation and forgetting that when the spaghetti hits the fan, all bets are off.  Now, people will be paying attention to every word she says and contrasting it with her her hard-boiled criticism of former President George W. Bush and his management of Katrina.

Those who have allowed DeLauro to play her leadership role in the Democratic caucus will be hard pressed to make excuses for her absence. After all, at a time where homeowners really do  need a Congressman on site, making sure people do cut through the maze of FEMA or the Small Business Administration, it's impossible for her to escape ridicule.

DeLauro will have to answer the following no matter what - why were you so invisible and unavailable during the hours after the storm when all local, state and federal officials were on site? And, why were you so unprepared when you did get it in gear to be useful in subsequent meetings? Did you tell your staff not to bother you under any circumstances?

One can make a sure bet that if say, Republican Congressmen Rob Simmons, Chris Shays or Nancy Johnson were sailing the seven seas and incommunicado, there would be bloodshed. No one expect the Connecticut media to draw these distinctions. They still love her and she is probably safe from retribution in 2012.  But maybe, people will finally appreciate that DeLauro is like any politician who has hung around too long, acquired power and privilege and thinks there are different rules for those work so hard to make our country fair and just.