Lieberman did not return a call for comment. But people who know her — some of whom winced at what they regarded as the embarrassing public conduct by the White House aides — said there is no doubt that she would have been kicking butt if the Favreau-Vietor flesh shot, published by FamousDC.com, had happened on her watch.

If such bare-chested behavior had occurred in the West Wing, “Evelyn would have said the same thing she’d say to women in the White House whose skirts were too short,” said Jennifer Palmieri, a deputy White House press secretary during the Clinton years. “She would say, ‘Excuse me, I think you forgot your skirt.’ In this case she would say, ‘Excuse me, I believe you forgot your shirt.’” However, Palmieri said even White House aides get a longer leash for what happens in a bar on a weekend afternoon.

Some Democrats who wish Obama well say that he and his team could especially benefit from a Lieberman type. It is a group defined by its youth, casual style and a tendency toward brashness and vanity…

Favreau did not return a request for comment, and Vietor declined to discuss the incident. Both aides are well-liked by most colleagues and White House reporters, which may have limited the fallout, which was mostly limited to criticism from conservative websites.