Nancy Pelosi whoops it up with Democrats over government shutdown at a tony DC restaurant
Maybe they were whooping it up. Or maybe they were crying in their beer. One thing that's certain is that Democrats, led by House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, were doing it in luxury at one of Washington's toniest restaurants, as the measure to fund the government failed.
According to Scott Wong at The Hill, the wake of the late-night government shutdown sent congressional members skittering all over town for their dinners:
Members fan out across DC for dinner. Spotted Alabama lawmaker grabbing pizzas at Matchbox on Barracks Row; Dems heading to Acqua al 2
— Scott Wong (@scottwongDC) January 21, 2018
Politico's Jake Sherman had the same scoop but mangled the name of the restaurant a little, allowing it to be confused with a raunchy-looking bar with much of the same name.
PELOSI hosting a dinner for all House Dems tonight at aqua al 2.....
— Jake Sherman (@JakeSherman) January 20, 2018
But there was booze aplenty at the tonier Acqua al 2. It just didn't have drinks with names like Budweiser on the menu.
At $14 a pop, Democrats celebrated the shutdown quite possibly with drinks such as:
MELAGRONI 14Laird’s apple brandy, campari, and sweet vermouthbring about a seasonal twist on the classic negroni.CIOCCOMENTA 14In this rendition of a sazerac, rye, fernet, andchocolate bitters create a smooth,spirit-forward libation.NOCI E MORE 14A fresh spin on a nuts and berries combines gin,amaro nonino, orgeat, and blackberries to create a velvety and refreshing cocktail
They supped on a menu with entrees such as these:
Served with arugula and grape tomatoesTagliata alla Rucola 32Grilled and sliced New York strip steaktopped with shaved parmigiano andextra virgin olive oilDisossata alla Robespierre 39Grilled hand-carved ribeye steaktopped with rosemary, garlic, andgreen peppercorn olive oilPollo con Erbe Aromatiche 24Grilled double chicken breast,rubbed with thyme, rosemary, and garlicCostolette di Agnello alla Griglia 36Grilled hand-cut lamb chops over mint pestowith sautéed turnips and baby fennel
Filetto al Mirtillo 34Hand-carved filet mignon cooked in ablueberry reduction sauce
Private rooms for weekend dinners at Acqua al 2 rent out on weekends at rates from $1,600 for the Mercatino Room to $3,000 for the Saletta Bianca. The Harold Black barroom rents out for $6,000.
And as White House press secretary Sarah Sanders noted, the whole thing painted a creepy picture:
Nancy Pelosi is "very proud" Democrats shut the government down over illegal immigration and is taking Democrats out tonight to celebrate. Nice message to send to the brave men & women of our military and border patrol forced to work without pay during the #DemocraticShutdown https://t.co/438vcZvf3k
— Sarah Sanders (@PressSec) January 21, 2018
Servicemen in hellholes like Afghanistan, stuck with their K-rats, are being denied phone calls home based on this shutdown, while Pelosi and company are going all tony. celebrating their shutdown with a sumptuous feast at Acqua al 2..
A government budget requires a certain number of votes to pass. Republicans have contributed virtually all of theirs. Democrats are refusing to cough up so much as ten of their own, making it their own shutdown in the name of illegals. They call illegals 'DREAMers' while they call ordinary Americans 'deplorables.' No wonder Pelosi and company couldn't be happier about the shutdown. It's obvious enough in how they chose to celebrate it in style.