'Subpoenafest': Democratic Tigers and Republican Guerrillas

The Republicans' guerrilla war was just beginning. They introduced an amendment calling for the committee to subpoena Sandy Berger, the former national security adviser -- to Bill Clinton.

Waxman ruled the amendment out of order, causing the young and restless McHenry to explode. "Mr. Chairman? Mr. Chairman? Mr. Chairman? Point of order! Point of order!"

The Republicans continued to hurl procedural objections. "I appeal the ruling of the chair!" "I have a unanimous consent request!" "Reserving the right to object, Mr. Chairman."

Democrats grew frustrated. "This meeting was supposed to be over at 12 noon, and we have other obligations," Diane Watson (Calif.) complained. "I call for the vote."

Even the moderate and mild Shays joined in the abuse of the chairman. "While Rome burns, we're eating grapes," he protested, later adding: "I begin to feel like I'm in Russia right now, where one party that now has this opportunity is going to go after the other party using the government."

"You think you're living in a Stalinist country when a couple of subpoenas are being requested," Waxman retorted. "But you did allow the chairman of your own party to issue over 1,000 subpoenas."

Burton, the man who issued all those subpoenas, felt compelled to defend himself. He explained how he avoided just such a public fracas -- by approving subpoenas in private. "The only reason I issued those subpoenas without consulting with the minority," he said, "was because every time we tried to issue subpoenas on this issue, this is the kind of thing we went into."

Memo to Waxman: Next time you throw a Subpoenafest, limit the guest list.