WASHINGTON — Note to self: Don't drink on the job, don't swap insults about the "idiot boss" (aka the congressman) and, oh, don't tweet about it.

Three congressional aides for U.S. Rep. Rick Larsen apparently failed to follow that script, resulting in their swift sacking after they inexplicably broadcast their high jinks via Twitter.

Larsen, a Democrat from Lake Stevens, fired the three staffers Thursday, just an hour after being alerted to a stream of indiscreet tweets dating back to July. The Twitter feeds were filled with comments about watching Nirvana videos on taxpayers' dime, swigging "Jack" behind desks and other depictions of congressional staffers behaving badly.

NW Daily Marker, a conservative blog that first reported the story, identified the three as legislative assistants Seth Burroughs and Elizabeth Robblee and legislative correspondent Ben Byers. They all worked in Larsen's Washington, D.C., office.

Legislative assistants typically track and research bills and prepare for committee hearings; legislative correspondents primarily handle constituent mail and research support.

The tweets apparently went unnoticed by Larsen's other staff inside Cannon House Office Building.

Bryan Thomas, Larsen's communications director, said Larsen learned of the Daily Marker article at noon Eastern time. By 1:10 p.m., Burroughs, Robblee and Byers were gone.

"Congressman Larsen is disappointed by their actions and takes this very seriously. He has made it clear that he will not tolerate this kind of behavior," Thomas said.

Burroughs handled mainly budget-related issues, while Robblee worked on health care and transportation, Thomas said.

Even in a town full of both hard-charging young people and happy-hour spots, the tweets were notable for references to imprudent drinking.

All three Twitter accounts were deleted by Thursday. But the Daily Marker posted screen grabs of some tweets.

One tweet from @TheRocketship1, the handle for Burroughs, read: "I'm pretty sure I couldn't pass a field sobriety test right now. Looking forward to a day in the office."

On Dec. 1, Robblee asked Burroughs, "were you just drinking jack and coffee during your meeting?"

On July 21, Burroughs tweeted: "Dear taxpayers — I hope you don't mind that I'm watching YouTube clips of Nirvana at my government job. Thanks, you're the best."

In another tweet, Burroughs calls Larsen his "idiot boss."

Thomas said Larsen dismissed the three individually. Thomas said he did not know if they offered any apologies.

Will Larsen post a big sign in the office warning, "Tweets are not private?"

"We're still working on that," Thomas said.

Material from The Associated Press is included in this report.

Kyung Song: 202-662-7455 or ksong@seattletimes.com