Let the Games Begin!

The hearing was to have been a showdown between Feith and his main accuser, British lawyer Philippe Sands. Sands, in a recent book and magazine article, accused Feith of having a prominent role in the administration's discarding of the Geneva Conventions. The opening statements hinted at fireworks to come. Feith accused his accuser of "astonishing carelessness or recklessness," a "weave of inaccuracies and distortions," and "sloppy research, misquotations and unsubstantiated allegations."

Sands, in his opening statement, pointed out calmly that Feith was refuted by his own tape-recorded interview with Sands, which the lawyer offered to "make available to the committee."

But the showdown never materialized. In large part this was because of the antics of King and Issa, who were able to muzzle the Democrats, forcing them to adhere to the committee's oft-ignored five-minute limit for questioning. This proved debilitating: It takes most members of Congress that long to clear their throats.

During the five-minute questioning time for Rep. Artur Davis (D-Ala.), he managed to speak nearly 900 words. The witnesses had time for just 72 words. When Feith tried to answer, Davis silenced him by saying, "Sir, we can't talk at the same time."

Finally, Feith got his chance. "Well, I think that's very unfair, because, I mean, that's --"

"The time of the gentleman has expired," the chairman said.

Rep. Keith Ellison (D-Minn.) was so rushed as he questioned Feith that the exchange was unintelligible:

Feith: "No, it's --"

Ellison: "-- that happened here."

Feith: "-- it is --"

Ellison: "Wait."

Feith: "-- it is a --"