The Other McCain

"One should either write ruthlessly what one believes to be the truth, or else shut up." — Arthur Koestler

Democrats Debut New 2020 Campaign Slogan: ‘Reclaiming My Time!’

Posted on | July 29, 2020 | 2 Comments

 

Yesterday, while I was working on an American Spectator column, my office TV was tuned to the House Judiciary Committee hearing where Attorney General William Barr was testifying and the performance by the committee’s Democrats of a loathsome kabuki theatre. Every Democrat unloaded a sort of sermon accusing Barr of various malfeasances — treason, conspiracy, murder, etc. — and then, when Barr would begin to answer, his interrogator would interrupt: “Reclaiming my time!”

Barr remained calm during this abusive treatment. At one point, interrupted by California Democrat Lou Correa, Barr responded: “This is a hearing. I thought I was the one who was supposed to be heard?”

The Democrats’ complaints about having limited time to ask their questions was, of course, the fault of the committee chairman, Jerry Nadler, who had made the rule allotting five minutes to each member. This rule seemed to be intended to make sure each Democrat got a chance to stage a “gotcha” moment that might become a viral video clip on social media. Different members focused on different themes. Many wanted to talk about the Roger Stone sentencing recommendation, although the Attorney General’s intervention in that case became moot once President Trump exercised his authority to commute the sentence. Several members wanted to talk about the June 1 decision to clear protesters out of Lafayette Park. That incident happened after Antifa rioters set fire to historic St. John’s Episcopal Church.

Maryland Democrat Jamie Raskin asked Barr: “Are you aware that the director of the church that the Episcopal archbishop of Washington and the bishop of the Episcopal Church nationally along with the Catholic bishop of the Archdiocese of Washington, all denounced this police assault on the civil rights and civil liberties of the people?”

Barr answered: “Did they do that before or after the fire was put out?”

The Democrats on the committee seemed to have coordinated their strategy to use the hearing to attack Barr and “reclaiming my time” to interrupt his answers was probably a tactic planned in advance.

 

Ohio Republican Jim Jordan twice complained to Chairman Nadler about the Democrats’ abusive treatment of Barr:

“I don’t think we’ve ever had a hearing where the witness wasn’t allowed to respond to points made, questions asked, and attacks — attacks made. Not just in this hearing, not just in this committee, but in every committee I’ve been on,” Jordan said. “Particularly when you think about the fact that we have the attorney general of the United States here.”
He added, “I want the attorney general to be able to have enough time to respond to accusations and questions asked him, and you guys not cut him off.”
New York Rep. Jerry Nadler, the Democrat who is chairman of the committee, told Jordan that what he wanted was “irrelevant.”
A second clash between Nadler and Jordan happened later in the hearing.
“For months, you have tried to get the attorney general to come. He’s here. Why don’t you let him speak? Why don’t you let him answer the questions? Time after time. If you want the attorney general to come, at least let him answer the questions and the accusations made against him,” Jordan said.
Nadler said he would not allow Jordan to continue to speak, citing his “rudeness.”
“Rudeness is on the other side,” Jordan said. “Time after time, you refused to let the attorney general of the United States answer the questions posed to him.”

 

If you expected the hearing to be conducted in a civil manner — question asked, question answered — you don’t understand what the Democrats were actually doing. This was a campaign event for them, a chance to air their grievances against the Trump administration and depict Barr, a longtime public servant, as a corrupt tool of Orange Man Bad.

Ace of Spades calls it a “Stalinesque show trial,” but to be fair, it didn’t end with Barr being executed in the basement of the Lubyanka. The execution of dissenters won’t begin until after Biden is elected.




 

Category: Congress, Democrats

Comments

2 Responses to “Democrats Debut New 2020 Campaign Slogan: ‘Reclaiming My Time!’”

  1. If You Don’t Let The Man Answer Your Questions… | 357 Magnum
    July 30th, 2020 @ 8:39 am

    […] Why bother with the “hearing.” It’s called a hearing, because you are supposed to hear the testimony. Democrats Debut New 2020 Campaign Slogan: ‘Reclaiming My Time!’ […]

  2. The degeneration of the political class. - Dark Brightness
    August 6th, 2020 @ 2:35 am

    […] If you expected the hearing to be conducted in a civil manner — question asked, question answered — you don’t understand what the Democrats were actually doing. This was a campaign event for them, a chance to air their grievances against the Trump administration and depict Barr, a longtime public servant, as a corrupt tool of Orange Man Bad. […]