Rep. Paul Ryan was spotted at a swanky Washington bistro sipping $350-a-bottle wine with lobbyists. In fact, the table enjoyed two bottles of Jayer-Gilles 2004 Echezeaux Grand Cru, an eyewitness said, listed on the menu at $350 each, although it’s much less expensive if you can buy it by the crate from a wholesaler. Just sayin’.

Congress critters are not supposed to accept gifts of more than $100 a year from anybody, and the two bottles exceeded that even at wholesale prices. However, Ryan retorts that he decided to pay for one of the bottles himself, and he produced the credit card receipt to prove it — he blew $472 on dinner, $392 for his meal and the bottle of wine plus $80 tip. That’s more than someone working full time at minimum wage makes in a week.

The eyewitness said all three men were “droning on loudly during the evening that liberals think that if you’re a millionaire, you have done something wrong.” Heh.

Update: Righties have fallen back on their standard fallback position — character assassination — to defend Ryan. Classy.

See also Joshua Green.

Update, unrelated: What John Cole says. This sorta kinda goes with the “Let’s Not Make a Deal” post.