Presumably, you’re heard about Sen. David Vitter‘s public tantrum at Dulles airport last Thursday:

[T]he Louisiana Republican arrived Thursday evening at his United Airlines gate 20 minutes before the plane was scheduled to depart, only to find the gate had already been closed. Undeterred, Vitter opened the door, setting off a security alarm and prompting an airline worker to warn him that entering the gate was forbidden.

Vitter, our spy said, gave the airline worker an earful, employing the timeworn “do-you-know-who-I-am” tirade that apparently grew quite heated.

That led to some back and forth, and the worker announced to the irritable Vitter that he was going to summon security.

Vitter, according to the witness, remained defiant, yelling that the employee could call the police if he wanted to and their supervisors, who, presumably, might be more impressed with his Senator’s pin.

But after talking a huffy big game, Vitter apparently thought better of pushing the confrontation any further. When the gate attendant left to find a security guard, Vitter turned tail and simply fled the scene.

I can’t help wistfully thinking how much more newsworthy this story might have been.

For example, when Vitter launched into “Do you know who I am?”, what if the airline employee had replied: “Of course, I know who you are! Everyone in America knows who you are and what you’re into! Senator … prostitutes … D.C. Madam. You really want me to spell out who you are?”