To put it mildly, the gentlelady from California is not amused with the gentleman from North Carolina. To put it more bluntly, Rep. Ellen Tauscher (D-Calif.) wishes Rep. Patrick McHenry (R-N.C.) would grow up already.

McHenry, a largely self-anointed parliamentary pit bull for the right, pushed Tauscher's patience to the limits late last night on the House floor in the midst of an unusually raucous atmosphere following debate on the exceedingly sensitive issue of Iraq war funding.

Shortly after the House passed its latest funding plan for the war, Tauscher, who was presiding, stood before the speaker's chair struggling to gavel the unruly chamber to order. McHenry, meanwhile, stood at a lectern on the floor struggling to get Tauscher's attention (view the video below).

He tried every title he could think of, but nothing seemed to work.

"Madame Speaker," McHenry began.

"Madame Chair," he continued, remembering that the House at that moment was actually meeting in what is called the "Committee of the Whole," in which case the presiding officer is referred to "chairman" or "chairwoman" not "speaker."

After "Madame Chair" didn't elicit a response, McHenry decided to go for a gender-specific salutation, even if it was the wrong gender.

"Madame Chair-man," McHenry said, putting emphasis on the word "man."

Tauscher ignored him.

"Madame Chair-woman." Pause, no answer. "Madame Chair?" Still nothing.

"Chair-man... Chair-person... Madame Chair-woman," McHenry went on, his Madame chair this-that-'n-the-others muffled by his punchy colleagues and occasional banging of the gavel by a visibly perturbed woman who continued to ignore him.

Finally he got her with a "Madame Chair." Jaw clenched, Tauscher glared at McHenry, asking, "For what purpose does the gentleman from North Carolina rise?"

Nothing of consequence happened after that. McHenry's point of order was rejected and the House went on to consider an intelligence authorization bill. And finally, into the wee hours of the morning, Tauscher went home...miffed at the sophomoric antics of the 31-year-old North Carolina conservative.

Asked about the incident today, Tauscher, 55, told us, "On a day when we debated deadly serious issues with the world watching, we all need to remember to behave like adults and remember what's really important."

But it certainly doesn't look like McHenry is going to issue a big-boy apology any time soon.

"When the Democrats literally ignore our side, you better believe the Congressman won't take it sitting down," McHenry spokesman Aaron Latham tells the Sleuth. "Next time, maybe he'll try Morse code, sign language, or signal flags."

By Mary Ann Akers  |  May 11, 2007; 3:10 PM ET
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