'Getting away with lying is funny to Republicans'.

The Big Republican Joke

by Chris Bowers

One thing that is growing increasingly clear to me during the hearings is just how fiunny Republicans in the Senate judiciary committee think they are for getting away with their basic strategy in the hearings, which is for Alito to answer as few questions as possible.

Earlier today, when Specter noted that Alito had actually taken an opinion on something, all of the Republicans on the judiciary committee laughed. Then they went right on urging him to not take an opinion on anything. Getting away with the stonewall strategy is funny to Republicans.

Yesterday, Lindsay Graham, who helped prepare Alito for the hearings, made a joke about how funny it was that Alito couldn't remember anything about Vanguard or Concerned Alumni for Princeton. Everyone laughed, and then they went right on telling Alito that it was perfectly acceptable to say that he didn't remember anything. Getting away with lying is funny to Republicans.

And, of course, when Graham made a comment about Abramoff in the same quip, everyone laughed. Because, of course, getting away with being corrupt is funny to Republicans.

Republicans are finding it hysterical that their strategy of stonewalling, lying and denying obvious corruption is working. They wouldn't be laughing if they didn't think that their own strategy on this matter was absurd. They wouldn't be laughing if they weren't so impressed with themselves for getting away with it in front of the entire nation. They wouldn't be laughing if they didn't think it was perfectly acceptable for them to keep doing it.

Maybe the hearings are a joke. Hey, I spent much of yesterday writing pretty snarky posts about the events down here. What particularly amazes me, however, is that we are seeing these jokes told in front of the entire media corps, and in front of the democratic leadership, and no one is really calling Republicans on it. If everyone believes the whole thing is absurd, why do they keep going through with it?

Man, this really must be the most cynical place on earth.