In the end, all he could do from the far front corner of the spacious House Commerce Committee room he once ruled with an iron fist was sit silent, except for a few, hopeless entreaties for reason and fairness as Republicans prepared to cite Vice President Gore’s real estate buddy from Tennessee for contempt of Congress in the Portals probe.
This was an odd sight, watching Republicans marginalize this hulking figure of a man feared by so many for so long. What made it all so astonishing (and hurtful to Democrats) was the genteel manner in which Rep. Joe Barton (R-Texas), chairman of the investigations and oversight panel, dingelled John Dingell and the Democrats last Wednesday.
Before being dethroned as Commerce Committee head in the fall 1994 Republican Revolution, Dingell drove government regulators-many in GOP administrations-to their knees (and to religion) with congressional investigations.
Pity the day you got served with a Dingellgram or, worse, were summoned before Him for questioning. The Godfather. The Great Inquisitor.
D I N G E L L.
No doubt, Dingell rooted out plenty of waste, abuse and fraud in the federal government. But when He was in charge, you did it His way. Challenge his authority? You didn’t dare even think about it. You don’t pull on Superman’s cape and you don’t mess around with Big John.
So when Democrats attacked the Portals investigation on legal, procedural and technical grounds, Republicans pointed to precedent and quoted liberally from the man whose many probes left a long paper trail. Republicans quoted Dingell, killing him softly with kindness. Democrats were left dumbfounded.
After the Portals meeting, Rep. Chris Cox (R-Calif.), a ranking member of the investigations subcommittee and chairman of the House select committee on alleged satellite technology transfer to China, told me all the Democratic motions to dilute and modify (filibuster) the contempt of Congress vote on Portals subpoenas during the four-hour meeting had one-and only one-purpose: delay.
Since many top suspects in the Portals probe are big-time Dems, Cox believes his Democratic comrades want to protect them at least until Dems try to reclaim the House from the GOP this fall.
If that happens, which is a possibility, guess what would happen to Portals, Chinagate and campaign finance-related probes.
… FCC wants more info from Qualcomm on compliance with hearing-impaired accessibility mandate. AirTouch could soon be first wireless carrier to feel the Wrath of Waldron.
… Screw up on last week’s nuptial announcements: Paige Darden eloped in the recent NTIA exodus.
