The Demise of Congress

     Congress no longer has any claim to dignity – nor any claim to moral authority – after this display of unlimited venality:

     The patent absurdity that these Democrats would demand that Attorney-General William Barr appear before them, face their harangues, yet not permit him to speak goes beyond anything in American politics to date, including the felonious farce that was the “Russian collusion” hoax. At least that was mostly a “Deep State” operation, with little participation by elected Democrats until it was plainly a failure.

     As usual, Ace has some penetrating comments:

     The Democrats shredded the social compact today.
     As they shred it every day, lately -- there's not much left.
     Today they shredded the social compact by defending and justifying terrorist attacks on law-abiding Americans.
     They also shredded it by holding a Stalinesque show trial of AG Barr.
     They would "ask questions" -- really lob unfounded accusations -- and then cut off Barr as he attempted to answer. They would shout "I'm reclaiming my time!" as a way of telling Barr to shut up, as they did not want his answers to count against their five minutes of time.
     I wondered why Barr didn't just walk out of the hearing.
     I think that obese malignant dwarf Jerry Nadler might have actually tried instructing the Sergeant of Arms of the House to put Barr under arrest if he tried to leave.

     John Hinderaker expands on the theme:

     [T]he Democrats were outrageously rude to the Attorney General of the United States. The hearing was devoted to their abusing him on various ridiculous grounds. He barely got a word in edgewise. At one point, he said something like, “This is a hearing. Aren’t I the one who supposedly is being heard?” Of course not. Whenever he got to mid-sentence, the Democrats interrupted him. “I’m reclaiming my time” was the theme of the day.
     I am not sure who the Democrats think is the audience for this sort of nonsense. Sentient voters watching on television couldn’t possibly have been impressed. Maybe they are just looking for sentence fragments they can use in fundraising emails.
     Then there is the larger point. The Democrats are committed to the view that what is happening in Portland, Seattle, Minneapolis, Atlanta and other cities is mere “peaceful protest.” Thus, the Trump administration is unjustified in sending in federal officers to protect federal property, like courthouses. And to the extent that anything untoward happens, it is Donald Trump’s fault. This was the main theory that the Democrats tried to advance through their “questioning” of Attorney General Barr.

     Outrageous. Insupportable. If any of these vipers in human guise continue in office after the November elections, it will cast a final judgment of condemnation upon the Democrat Party.

     Was there nothing the Republicans on the committee could do to compel a degree of fairness (not to demand courtesy, which is plainly beyond any Democrat in federal office) toward the Attorney-General, who had appeared voluntarily before them? Are the “rules of the House” unable to compel fairness toward a Cabinet Secretary who has presented himself before a committee of his own volition?

     I’m more disgusted than I can say. Accordingly, I’ll stop here and fume silently, though I may be back later.