Flint and the House Oversight Committee: Republicans Rampage in Alternate Reality

"Oh, you should resign."

Definition of chutzpah:  The man who murders his parents and asks the judge for mercy, on the grounds that he is now an orphan.

Mark Twain:  "Consider a pack of jackasses. Now consider the United States Congress. But then, I repeat myself."

If  they say he should resign, we say you should resign

Yesterday the House Committee on Oversight (what a name!) had before it the governor of Michigan, a Republican who likely  ignored the lead in Flint water, and who many Democrats have called upon to resign.  Republican members of the committe, not to be outdone, demanded a Democrat from the EPA testify, so they could point accusatory fingers at her and demand that she resign!

This is one of those moments when you'd like to see a little Donald Trump in some Obama appointed official. What you would have give to have seen that EPA Democrat simply junk that stupid deferential tone government officials adopt when testifying before Congressional committes, that pseudo tone of respect and civility. Who needs civility when you are dealing with barbarians?

Here's the script I'd have written for her teleprompter:

Just once, say what is really happening

"Mr. Chaffetz, you accuse the EPA of having failed to protect the citizens of Flint, which is the height of irony in that you and your Republican colleagues and candidates at every opportunity have  called for the abolition of the Environmental Protect Agency,  which you consider anti-business, and you and your Republican colleagues have attempted to eviscerate the EPA, have limited its authority, have defunded it. Disband the EPA: This is the hymn every Republican from mayor to Senator has sung in unison.

 And now we have a perfect example of how important the EPA is, or could be, you howl with indignation the EPA:  the very agency you so revile,  did not save a Republican governor and his administration from itself, from the very policies and philosophy which drives your hatred of the EPA.  

You have day in and day out complained that protecting the environment is a waste of  money and no Republican wants to spend money to protect the environment, or the people whose lives depend on it, especially if it benefits poor people or people of color.

So now you have been caught aiding and abetting the poisoning of the well, and you complain that the EPA didn't do a better job protecting the citizens of Flint from your own policies. 

Where were the police, where was the security after I did my best to remove them? 

Where do I begin with such hypocrisy? How do I answer such absurdity?

At long last, sir, have you no respect for truth, no respect at all?"

Or words to that effect.
Wouldn't that have been just so gratifying?

Much as I love President Obama and his people, they just are too reserved for the current tempestuous times; they simply wimp out and quake when attacked. That's the one thing missing. 

I cannot imagine Mr. Trump accepting the vitriol spewing out from the Republicans across the hearing room floor.
I cannot imagine Mr. Obama or any of his kith and ken speaking like this.
That is disappointing. 
If only.