Before Thursday's lightning fast House Judiciary Committee got underway, White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders sized up the proceedings as a sham. The key witness, Attorney General William Barr, did not show up, because Chairman Jerrold Nadler told him that staffers would be doing the questioning.
The Democrats already "embarrassed themselves" at Wednesday's Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, which Barr did show up to. The AG sat for hours as Democratic panelists grilled him about his summary of special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation and a new Washington Post report that suggested Mueller was not happy with his interpretation. Some of the more fiery exchanges were between Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-HI) and Barr, when the senator concluded that the AG had "sacrificed" his "once-decent reputation for the grifter and liar who sits in the Oval Office." Her words prompted a rebuke from Chairman Lindsey Graham, who said he wouldn't let her slander the witness from top to bottom.
Having endured those interrogations, Barr clearly would not have been "terrified" to similarly appear before the House, as Nadler asserted, ranking member Doug Collins (R-GA) observed. The blame for Barr's no-show lies with Democrats and Democrats alone.
Perhaps the House Democrats decided they're "incapable" of asking Barr questions, Sanders said on Fox News, adding, "that's why they have no witness."
Sanders had already lost confidence in Nadler, but now he's even "lost confidence in himself."
The press secretary added how "pathetic" it was that House Democrats were relying on staffers to do their own work.
As we've now read in his own words, special counsel Robert Mueller's two-year Russia investigation concluded without finding any evidence that President Trump colluded with Russia to win the 2016 election.
"This thing is over," Sanders said. "It's time for Democrats to move on."