The tactics of questioning a witness
The big blogs are covering all the twists and turns today, so, I'm just chipping in what I find interesting. Here's something that caught me.
Now, take a minute and watch how Chuck Schumer does it right. It doesn't result in a substantively different answer, but, it does undermine the dismissive certainty of "I don't remember" and forces "a lean" and a different characterization.
Feinstein asked Sampson today, "And are you aware that on May 10 Carol Lam sent a notice to the Department of Justice saying she would be seeking a search warrant -- of the CIA investigation into Dusto Foggo and Brent Wilkes?" And Sampson carefully responded, "I don't remember ever seeing such a notice." The obvious follow-up: "Are you saying you specifically remember that you never saw such a notice? Or are you saying it is possible you saw it and now you just don't remember?"
Now, take a minute and watch how Chuck Schumer does it right. It doesn't result in a substantively different answer, but, it does undermine the dismissive certainty of "I don't remember" and forces "a lean" and a different characterization.
posted by mikevotes at
4:05 PM
4 Comments:
My view of current congressional affairs may be clouded by my partisan leaning are toward the Dems, but I am struck by the calm, professional, patient -- yet resolved -- approach in conducting the many oversight hearings. I am not aware of any podium pounding tirades, or wild aspersions of character, or rants about personal morality, or the need to adhere to proper "Christian" thinking. It has all been about finding facts.
By
-epm, at 9:28 AM
Same. You can tell the guys who used to be trial lawyers by their technique. Schumer, Leahy, Lindsay Graham.
And, I would guess the no tirades is coming down from the top. That's what changes these from the appearance of witchhunts to investigations.
I don't know that for a fact, but the chairmen seem to be doing a good job in guiding things.
Mike
By
mikevotes, at 10:36 AM
And the chairmen have been very respectful of the rules of the Senate (House?) and of the minority members. Fresh air from the kangaroo committees of the past.
Leahy's respectful yielding to Senate rules and suspending the hearings when a Repub objected to the > 2hr duration, was very Zen... refusing to rise to the fight and letting the Repubs fall on their faces, exposing their attempt to hide embarrassing truths from seeing the light of day... or the eyes and ears of the American public. The Repubs did an about face before the news was 5min old.
By
-epm, at 1:23 PM
I saw the whole stall tactic afterwards, I wasn't watching, but he did handle it well.
(After a dozen years in the minority, I would guess the older Dem Senators probably know the ins and outs of all the parliamentary tricks and deal with them.)
By
mikevotes, at 1:42 PM
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