Let the Games Begin!
By Dana Milbank
Washington Post
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
For months, if not years, congressional Democrats had craved the chance to pounce on Doug Feith, the former No. 3 at the Pentagon and the brains behind the Iraq WMD claims, torture policy and other great adventures.
Yesterday, House Democrats finally had their quarry, wearing a tie almost as orange as a detainee's jumpsuit, compelled by subpoena to appear before the Judiciary Committee. And then -- an ambush! Republicans on the committee created a diversion, and Feith escaped unscathed.
Mere seconds after the subcommittee chairman, Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.), gaveled the start of the hearing with the usual words -- "without objection, the chair is authorized to declare a recess" -- Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) raised his voice.
"Objection! Objection, Mr. Chairman," the backbencher called out.
Nadler was puzzled. "The gentleman wants us to sit here through votes?
"I object to granting unanimous consent to the chair," King maintained.
(Continued here.)
Washington Post
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
For months, if not years, congressional Democrats had craved the chance to pounce on Doug Feith, the former No. 3 at the Pentagon and the brains behind the Iraq WMD claims, torture policy and other great adventures.
Yesterday, House Democrats finally had their quarry, wearing a tie almost as orange as a detainee's jumpsuit, compelled by subpoena to appear before the Judiciary Committee. And then -- an ambush! Republicans on the committee created a diversion, and Feith escaped unscathed.
Mere seconds after the subcommittee chairman, Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.), gaveled the start of the hearing with the usual words -- "without objection, the chair is authorized to declare a recess" -- Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) raised his voice.
"Objection! Objection, Mr. Chairman," the backbencher called out.
Nadler was puzzled. "The gentleman wants us to sit here through votes?
"I object to granting unanimous consent to the chair," King maintained.
(Continued here.)
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1 Comments:
King has pulled these games before. At a previous Sub-committee hearing, King was the only Republican that showed up but his antics were more than enough. When a member of the Committee appeared to ask a question, King objected since the committee-member was not a member of the Sub-committee. Nadler, asked him if he was serious as it was customary to allow committee-members to ask questions … in the end, Nadler had to rule against the member and King won.
These antics were also on display tonight as the Republicans were raising Parliamentary Questions which were really speeches hidden within the form of a question.
It’s these tactics that have driven Congress’ poll numbers so low.
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