Day of the Hunter

A friend called me yesterday, bewildered by why Hunter Biden would ever agree to testify before the Republican-led House Oversight Committee.  His main point was that he’s heard Hunter speak and doesn’t feel he’s the brightest bulb in the box, and therefore would be bulldozed by Republicans on the committee.  "Why would he does this??" he kept asking.
 
Me, I think it was a masterstroke.  It wasn’t that he agreed to testify, but to testify in public.  First of all, that’s something he and his lawyers probably figured Republicans would never agree to, so he had nothing to lose.  But a lot to gain, by going on record that he not only would be happy to testify, but do it openly so that everyone could see what was said.  Meanwhile, Republicans – not agreeing to this – would look small and empty, seeming to almost even appear afraid of what he had to say, and this would take away their main talking about that he was refusing to testify.
 
But even if Republicans agreed to holding the hearing in public, he had next to nothing to lose.  After all, he’s already been investigated and indicted by the DOJ already, and those charges not only hold overwhelmingly more weight than a House hearing, but are for far less than Republicans want their base to believe.  And as such, he’s been interviewed by the Special Counsel already, as well, a far more serious, meaningful event than a House hearing, and so he knows what questions will be asked.  And knows what his answers are.  Will House Republicans badger him more and make speeches at him?  Sure.  But he has an easy answer for many of their harshest, conspiratorial questions – “No, that’s not true.” 
 
And if Republican committee members talk over him, “Claiming my time, Mr. Chairman,” and don’t let him finish – there are Democratic committee members on the committee, too, lest we forget, who will let him finish his statements, and help from the GOP position as empty and conspiratorial.
 
And that’s if Republicans agree to hold the hearing in public, which seems unlikely given how they were squealing all day like stuck pigs.  The funniest thing all day may have been when committee member Jason Smith (R-MO posted a tweet, "I welcome Hunter Biden finally agreeing to testify. It's long overdue for him to come clean in front of the American people” – and then realized that this was totally opposite the party line and a terrifying concept to his fellow Republicans…and so he deleted his tweet of welcome.

However, before being able to disappear, it was first captured and saved for all to see by Stephen Neukam, a reporter for The Messenger.

Consider, after all, the horrified response from House Oversight chairman James Comer (R-K), who wrote, “Hunter Biden is trying to play by his own rules instead of following the rules required of everyone else.  That won’t stand with House Republicans.”
 
That won’t stand!  All he left out was the “Harrumph!!”  Unthinkable.  Testifying in public for the world to see.  How dare he!  The man who Republicans have wanted to have testify for the past year.  No, no, sire, that won’t stand.
But the best response in return came from Rep. Jamie Raskin the ranking Democrat on the committee. He released a statement that read –
 
“Let me get this straight,  After wailing and moaning for ten months about Hunter Biden and alluding to some vast unproven conspiracy, after sending Hunter Biden a subpoena to appear and testify, Chairman Comer and the Oversight Republicans now reject his offer to appear before the full Committee and the eyes of the world and to answer any questions they pose? What an epic humiliation for our colleagues and what a frank confession that they are simply not interested in the facts and have no confidence in their own case or the ability of their own Members to pursue it.”

Okay, "an epic humiliation."  That's a pretty good way to end...