Reply #17: Yes, several.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

I understand. There was a small bio of him in the WSJ years ago in which it was mentioned that he enjoys working on Porsches.

Paper Tiger

by Michael Crowley
Post date 01.27.05 | Issue date 02.07.05

... But Thomas is no hack. Indeed, he is widely acknowledged to be one of the smartest members of Congress, particularly when it comes to gruelingly detailed policy like Medicare and Social Security. He won the title of "brainiest" House member in Washingtonian magazine's 2004 "Best and Worst of Congress" awards. "Intellectually, he's at the top of the heap on their side," notes one Democratic aide who frequently sees Thomas up close.

Unfortunately, Thomas seems forever cognizant of this fact, making him wildly intolerant of anyone who doesn't match his mental heft. As a result, Thomas didn't just win the award for "brainiest," but also for "meanest" and "hottest temper" (the latter in a runaway). You can sense his volcanic core just by listening to him. An unwavering tone of sarcasm, reminiscent of the late comedian Phil Hartman, oozes from his voice like lava. And his volatility is a constant source of mayhem. Most famously, in July of 2003, he called the Capitol Police in a fury after exasperated Democrats marched out of a Ways and Means hearing and tried to have them evicted from a committee library. (Thomas later issued a bizarre, tearful apology on the House floor.) But Thomas's mean spirit is apparent in even mundane interactions. In 1997, a tipster told The Washington Post that Thomas, driving his Porsche near the Capitol, became furious when a van stopped to pick up pedestrians, blocking his path. After blaring his horn, Thomas pulled around and cut off the van at a 45-degree angle--in what the witness described as "a totally '70s cop-show driving maneuver" that was "right out of 'Magnum, P.I.'"--before storming off to find a police officer. One former House staffer reports boarding a Capitol elevator with Thomas and seeing him "vigorously" jab the door close button as a group of tourists approached. When the doors shut in their faces, Thomas gleefully chuckled out loud, the aide says, "like a cartoon villain."