Ah, the glorious spectacle of our Senate and House investigations! It’s a modern-day gladiator arena where the “honorable” legislators sharpen their tongues, ready to pounce on any poor soul who dares to show up. 

“Invited” resource persons are damned if they don’t show up and damned if they do. So what gives?

These resource persons, some not even suspects but mere informants, quickly find themselves in the hot seat, sweating under the studio lights as they’re grilled like it’s a cook-off. You’d think these public servants signed up for a reality show instead of public service, what with the way they flex their authority on national TV.

Sometimes we wonder whether these Congressional hearings are really “in aid of legislation.”  It seems our lawmakers are trying to hone their skills in case one day they become judges or attorneys in a real court of law.  Some do better than others. The spectrum runs between the compassionate and respectful to the arrogant and all-knowing, deciding for themselves that a witness is lying more than invoking the right to remain silent for fear of self-incrimination.

Perhaps next time, these resource persons should come dressed as superheroes to remind our esteemed solons of their actual duties. It seems they might need a little reminder that their roles involve more than just grandstanding for the cameras.