In Whole or in Part, a Missing Vitter

Sen. David Vitter (R-La.) appears at a New Orleans news conference in 2005. His profile was much lower yesterday. (By Bill Haber -- Associated Press)

Republicans outside of Louisiana may be somewhat less forgiving, however. Vitter became one of the party's most visible figures as a leading opponent of last month's immigration bill. He's also the "Southern regional chair" of Rudy Giuliani's presidential campaign; Giuliani's chairman in South Carolina has already resigned after being indicted on cocaine charges.

Whether it was embarrassment for the Giuliani campaign or fear of becoming the next John Wayne Bobbitt, the 46-year-old Vitter, a father of four, went missing sometime after 5:43 p.m. Monday, when he was last seen on the Senate floor voting to confirm a federal judge. A vote on another judge came at 6:12 p.m. -- but Vitter was gone.

At 10:27 p.m., the first bulletin crossed the Associated Press wire: "Sen. David Vitter acknowledges his phone number was on the phone records of the escort service run by alleged 'D.C. Madam' . . . "

The stakeout was on. Yesterday morning, photographers and camera crews from CNN, NBC, ABC and Fox News waited outside Vitter's office in the Hart building. Smaller media clusters stood watch outside the committee room where Vitter was expected, and Vitter's yellow brick apartment building on East Capitol Street with the "For Rent" sign out front.

By midday, the technicians and producers were growing restless. "Oh, he's gonna play it like this? . . . He's laying low. . . . He's doing a Gary Condit. . . . I have it on good information he's in New Orleans. . . . Maybe he's in the hospital."

His colleagues were somewhat more understanding. Sen. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) showed up at the hearing room to substitute for the absent ranking Republican. "I've never judged a human being on those type of issues," attested Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) as he ducked in for lunch with Cheney and GOP colleagues, sans Vitter.

Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.), approached by a group of reporters outside the lunch, offered an unexpected defense. "All of us have to look at it and say that we could be next," he said in answer to a Vitter question. "We all think that we're not vulnerable to something like that happening, but the fact is this can be a very lonely and isolating place."

Yikes. Might other senators be on the Madam's list? Sen. John Cornyn (R-Tex.) jabbed a playful elbow at the questioner. "Note a swift elbow to the ribs," he instructed.

As Cornyn threw the elbow, Vitter's spokesman continued to duck inquiries about the senator's location. "I'm not allowed to talk about that," the office receptionist said. On the senator's Web site, the latest item under the "Recent News" section was from June 29: "Vitter Applauds FDA Ban on Chinese Seafood."