A gentle reminder

Hillary Clinton had a long day on Thursday. John Hayward recalls a longer stretch:

As for Hillary’s day of testimony, her media has sought to portray it as extraordinary or unreasonable, but they avoid using words like “unprecedented” because it isn’t. Hearings tend to run long for witnesses with limited availability. Lt. Col. Oliver North testified for six straight days in the Iran-Contra hearings, to cite one of the most famous examples of truly “grueling” testimony.

This is true. But the invaluable Hayward makes a larger point that merits greater consideration:

Republicans on the Benghazi committee don’t appear to have planned their media strategy for the aftermath very well. There were indeed some big revelations, including the final and indisputable proof that Hillary Clinton knowingly lied about the nature of the Benghazi attack while reserving the truth for her family and a few political insiders, but committee Republicans seem genuinely surprised the media quickly spun a “nothing new here, Clinton emerges unscathed” narrative.

The larger, and more disturbing, question is: why have congressional hearings at all, if accountability is dead? Everything can be delayed for years, subpoenas can be defied, laws and policies ignored with impunity. Is there any way to have anything resembling a comprehensive investigation without investing years of effort… and giving partisans ammunition to complain the inquiry is unreasonably long and expensive?

It will probably be harder for a Republican Administration to get away with such tactics, but not impossible, and they’re sure-fire winners for Democrats. If congressional oversight means nothing but theatrical productions years after the fact, we are one step closer to Congress becoming a vestigial organ, instead of a co-equal branch of government.

There may come a day when Democrats will understand the need for Congressional oversight.