Before the bombing of a recruiting office in Times Square this morning, New York’s Congressional representatives received copies of a letter with photos of the recruiting office and the claim, “Happy New Year, We Did It.”

And a 10-page anti-war rant. Imagine my surprise.

WASHINGTON - Police are investigating letters that arrived Thursday at Capitol Hill offices containing a photo of the Times Square military recruiting office before it was bombed and including the claim “We Did It.”

The manila envelopes contained a photo of a man standing in front of the recruiting station, according to a Democratic aide who spoke on condition of anonymity because the matter is under investigation. The photo was the kind commonly sent as a holiday greeting card.

The message on the card: “Happy New Year, We Did It.”

The envelope also contained a packet of approximately 10 sheets of paper that seemed to be a political manifesto railing against the Iraq war and a booklet. The aide didn’t know what the booklet was.

Postal inspectors were at the Capitol investigating the letters alongside Capitol Police, U.S. Postal Inspection Service spokesman Douglas Bem said. He had no details about the letters’ content. A second law enforcement official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the case is ongoing, confirmed some of their contents as described by the Democratic aide.

The Associated Press obtained a copy of an e-mail from the office of Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., to other lawmakers Thursday that reads:

“A few offices on the House side have received a letter today addressed to ‘Members of Congress’ with a picture of a man standing in front of the Times Square recruiting station that was bombed in New York today with the statement ‘We did it.’ He is standing in front of it with his arms spread out and he’s attached his political manifesto.”

UPDATE at 3/6/08 5:41:21 pm:

The Kos Kids tried to do some advance damage control on this one: Daily Kos: Times Square Bombing: ‘Left-Wing Terrorism’ Smear Coming.