BKS: “a sense of heightened distress keenly felt by the self-important following a minor annoyance.”

Kudos to WCAX-TV’s Kyle Midura for coming up with a frothy little confection of a political story that’s sweet to the taste, vanishes in the mouth like a good meringue, and leaves you wanting just one more bite. Or maybe the whole damn pie.

The story’s about the Tuesday “news event” featuring Congressman Peter Welch and Transportation Secretary Sue Minter at a photogenically decrepit bridge in East Montpelier. They were backdropped by lime green and orange-vested construction workers as they bemoaned the lack of Congressional action on long-term transportation funding.

And it seems that there are some hurt fee-fees from a pair of politicos who think they ought to have been invited. Republican Pat Brennan, chair of the House Transportation Committee, and might-as-well-be-a-Republican Dick Mazza, chair of the Senate Transportation Committee, were left jonesin’ for a little camera time.

“We are heavily involved, so you would think we would’ve been asked to be there,” said Rep. Pat Brennan, R-Colchester.

As for Mazza, he cemented his well-earned reputation as the least Democratic of all Democrats by complaining that the presser included a partisan attack on Republicans in Congress. That’s right: a Democrat accusing Democrats of playing politics. The horror!

“I was told that it was a non-partisan news conference, but I didn’t see anyone other than the Democrats,” said Mazza.

Wait wait. He “was told”? That seems to imply he knew about the presser in advance. If so, he’s got no complaint. But let’s move on.

Everyone involved said there was no political motive in the non-invitations, and Minter was quick to apologize “if there was any oversight.” And WCAX’s “political analyst” d.b.a. highly paid spokesflack for National Life, Chris Graff, tried to have it both ways:

“The fact is, that anything Sue Minter does now is seen through a political lens.”

“If this was a message, it was probably unintended.”

Well, looks like he’s covered all the bases.

Although everyone involved is denying it, I have to admit I’m hoping it was a deliberate slight to Mazza. (Brennan, I’ve got no beef with.) I mean, the guy has already said he will support Republican Lt. Gov. Phil Scott if he runs for Governor, and he’s been a consistent Scott donor, supporter, and fundraiser for quite some time. If top Democrats decided to throw a little shade his way, I can’t blame them.

In fact, I’d argue that Dick Mazza has gotten a free pass for years. He has a lot of power in the Senate and he’s been allowed to keep his positions of influence in spite of (a) his nonexistent party loyalty and (b) the huge Democratic majority in the Senate. If the Democratic caucus had any backbone, and if they weren’t so obsequious in the face of seniority, he would have been banished to the back bench long ago.

So if he’s got his knickers in a knot, well, no sympathy here. He’s gotten far more than his fair share of deference already.