After Chairman Specter lifted tensions between Sen. Orrin Hatch and Sen. Russ Feingold by joking that any distractions were welcome at 5:30p.m., I decided the carrying hearings until 7:00 p.m. was a fairly brilliant move on behalf of the Judiciary committee. Specter's remarks led to Sen. Lindsey Graham making Abramoff cracks well-recieved by everyone in the room. In a flash, any of the bite Feingold hoped to have with his criticisms quickly dissipated.
If keeping senators late into the night keeps liberals from being taken seriously then, gosh, by all means, we should have hearings like this more often.
