I thought there was something was wrong with the cspan coverage. This guy sounds like a chipmunk!

I had to stop watching during that self-aggrandizing opening statement. I take it from reading Josh's update that SenLeahy is having none of it?

what A. Fucking. Weasle.

I really can't believe it. he sounds exactly like Gonzalez. Where do they get these guys with these voices.

what the heck is it with this guy and his eyes? anyone else bothered by this guys' complete inability to hold a gaze?? I'd be interested in hearing what that type of behavior might indicate to someone skilled in psychology.

At least his voice, that of Mickey Mouse, is consistent with how the DOJ was run.

Ewwwww. Scholzman's testimony is even lamer than Gonzalez's. Damn. He can't remember anything. He can't talk about anything. He just doesn't know anything. Everything is okay.

Leahy and Schumer are hammering him--but giving him all kinds of outs. Argh. For example, all those "complaints" about voting "fraud" that he said (while smiling) were just "pouring in"? Well, okay, who made those complaints? Were they all from, say, people with speed dial buttons to Grover Norquist on their phone?

Does anyone know why the Republican members of the committee are absent? I may have missed an explanation because I tuned in to Cspan during Schlozman's statement.

Does anyone know why the Republican members of the committee are absent? I may have missed an explanation because I tuned in to Cspan during Schlozman's statement.

I was wondering the same thing. Are they trying to make the Dems look like partisan witch hunters? Or did they finally run out of scripted softballs to lob at DoJ officials?

Anybody know who is the devil-ish looking guy behind Schlozman 's right ( viewer left) shoulder???

I would hope you guys post LOOOOOOOONG and complete sets of questions and answers over on youtube today. CSPAN wasn't clear this morning which channel it would be on, so I didn't happen to DVR it. From the recaps, this sounds like good stuff.

They're in recess at the moment. During the first part of questioning, Leahy landed a good one by

1) Getting Schlozmann to admit that he had received 25-30 hours of prep from the DOJ Congressional Laison office. Looks like 3-5 public employees spent a week trying to obstruct the Congress and the law.

and

2) Who the publically financed DOJ employees who helped him not recall and maintain a fuzzy memory. Hertling was one...in case there was any question that he might not be part of the conspiracy.

Also a high point--in 2004 Schlozmann slowed down a local investigation and prosecution because that might have encouraged Native Americans in Minnesota to vote (against GOP interests), yet in Missouri, he hurried ahead with indicting Acorn workers the week before the 2006 election. Anyone else smell criminal conspiracy?

"I'm basing my recollections on the article from the LA Times."

As is every Bush administration official; that's what took 25 or 30 hours. I think they should delve into what they did for that time. For instance, was anyone else's testimony reviewed? What was said about it? This "process" of preparing witnesses seems to be a bit more than suspect. And, I don't trust his "recollection" about the composition of the group of people who briefed him. Something here smells very bad.

steve5117:LOL

Steve, 5117. 'Looking down to the left' as an indication of lying is only true for some folks who use one particular pattern [of several possible patterns] of processing information. Sorry, you need more specific information on the guy's patterns than that.

... he's also not responsible for anything whatsoever while he was heading the Civil Rights Division...

No kidding. I actually forgot he was the HEAD of the CRD while listening to his testimony. Based on his (non)answers I would have assumed he was, oh, an intern or something.

That exchange with Leahy about who helped him prepare his testimony was nice. First, he kinda waffles, then he says he can't say, then, after Leahy hammers him, he names a few names and kinda waffles. I wish Leahy had pushed a bit more. Based on how narrowly Schlozmann is answering questions, Leahy should have asked "Did you discuss this with anyone else? Who? Did you send or receive any e-mails or any other media about your testimony?" And so on. And, btw, what, exactly did he discuss with the people he named?

Wow--just finished watching the cspan senatorial committee grilling of Schlozman. Suddenly I connect the DOJ dots: listening to the voices of Abu G, Monica G, and Schloz the G(oniff), I realize that we are undergoing a terrorist attack by smurfs... This is serious. folks. We can withstand attacks by any sort of baddies, but an insidous attack by cute, cuddly critters, like smurfs or baby harp seals is below the belt. Perhaps we need to be defended by another stereotype, the Jewish or Italian mama who will smother our enemies against their capacious bosoms, and thus rid us of the threat. Can you imagine a Yiddische Mama Golem stumping through the land as a champion for truth and beauty?

Sorry, this got a bit wierder than I had meant to be, but the images are too delicious.

Schumer: Name the Conservative institutions you "reached out" to.
HeliumBoy: Federalist Society, Heritage Foundation
Schumer: What about liberal ones?
HeliumBoy: Sure…we reached out to some Native American groups.
Schumer: That's not a liberal organization.

LOL

Posted by: Donna
Date: June 5, 2007 03:53 PM

My point is that he is employing a technique to avoid looking any particular way>

My mother was watching the whole hearing with me and she is a judge and he was definitely lying-- all that evasive body language. Helium boy's performance was so bad, I thought we were watching "Sci Fi Theatre" and we were the puppets making the comments.