The Democrats have been trying to oust New York City's only Republican member of Congress for several electoral cycles. After a boneheaded move on Vito Fossella's part, they have their best chance for a pickup since his first term...

According to the New York Times, Fossella:

1) Was busted going twice the legal limit... while running a red light... while driving in Virginia...

2) ...a state which mandates at least five days in jail for a first DWI conviction...

3) ...while driving with an unidentified woman coming down to bail him out. UPDATE: The woman is not his wife, who has refused comment on this story. (Ooh, please please please tell us it's a transvestite! Why else would Fossella not reveal the identity of his companion? Oh wait, she's a former "congressional liaison." Sounds like page scandal number two, perhaps?)

4) He tried to lie his way out of trouble by telling the police officer he had to rush to the hospital to see his sick or injured daughter. Apparently, he blacked out this portion of the evening, as his "alibi" changed the next morning:

although on Friday he said that he had been on his way to visit friends.

5) Fossella faces an automatic Congressional investigation within the next month, under a newly-passed rule about ethics violations.

6) Fossella will not enter rehab, which may or may not help with his reelection campaign this year.

Mr. Fossella said he would not resign. His spokesman, Craig Donner, said that Mr. Fossella did not have a drinking problem and that he therefore had no plans to enter a rehabilitation program.

More comedy, including the results of Mr. Fossella's attempt to recite the alphabet backwards, at nytimes.com. Photo via Metro UK.