I'm sure Eric Massa, who freely acknowledges that the trip was a publicity stunt, is reading all this and smiling. In addition to getting more publicity, he has the opportunity to defend a district employer against outside critics.

The 29th has lost jobs and population for decades. Massa beat a heavily favored incumbent by convincing voters that he would fight harder to create jobs. His campaign was full of creative stunts designed to show that he's a fighter, and only those who don't understand the politics of the district would think he'd stop once he was elected.