To those whom consider Years Of Being worth reading (yes, both of you), this is to let you know that, for a variety of reasons, I have decided to restrict access to any political posts. If you would like to read these, please email me and request the password. Sorry for the inconvenience, but these are indeed times that try men and women’s souls.
Month: May 2019
Just Want To Testify
Robert Mueller will testify before Jerry Nadler’s Judiciary Committee. The only real question left to determine is whether anything beyond his opening statement will be televised, open testimony. Mueller has reportedly expressed his desire to take the committee’s questions behind closed doors, with the transcript to be subsequently made available to the public.
The visceral impact of hearing and seeing Mueller cannot be overestimated. Common wisdom says that it was the televised testimony in Watergate (John Dean in particular) that was instrumental in shifting public opinion against Nixon. And no one is ever going to read the transcript (though Rachel Maddow will surely enact great swaths of it for you!). Having said that, it is also clear that the current format that permits limited time for questions by committee members is a TERRIBLE format, encouraging posturing on both sides. It is understandable that Mueller would want to avoid providing fodder for such political theatre. The Republicans would make no honest attempts to uncover the truth, and would use their time simply to attack his credibility (which, in normal times, would be a pointless endeavor. I mean, it’s Robert Mueller, for Christ’s sake).
If, on the other hand, Mueller were to make a comprehensive opening statement, one that covered all the important questions and pulled no punches, that might be the best of all worlds: no chance for Republicans to publicly attack, Democrats don’t come off as political hatchetmen. Use the opening statement to say it all. Why the money trail was not followed, or what happened if it was? What happened with the counter-intelligence investigation? Did Barr short-circuit the special counsel’s investigation? Or did he NOT? It’s important to know either way. What were his explicit reasons for not making a prosecutorial determination for obstruction? The DOJ memo or something else?. Clarify the decision for no conspiracy charge in face of the overwhelming prima facie evidence of Russian-Trump connections and communications. Just lay it all out in front of the cameras.
Then, fine, go behind close doors and let the Republicans do what they will.
But starting with an uninterrupted flood of information, and opinion, would likely be damning. And Mueller certainly needs to set the record straight w.r.t. how Barr behaved in all this.
After all, Bill Barr did not shy from repeatedly using the cameras to mischaracterize Mueller’s work, and with no questions interrupting him. Seems only fitting that Mueller be given the same platform.
© 2019 Chuck Puckett