Speak Loudly, Carry a Big Gavel: If the past two days have been any indication, Senate Democrats seem to have become quite comfortable wielding committee gavels. Former Vice President Al Gore was supposed to be the main attraction at Wednesday's Environment and Public Works hearing, but chairwoman Barbara Boxer of California stole the show when she gave former chairman — and global warming skeptic — James Inhofe of Oklahoma a none-too-subtle reminder of who’s in charge. If you can't view the video, here's the exchange:
Boxer: Would you agree to let the vice president answer your questions, and then if you want a few extra minutes at the end, I'm happy to give it to you. But we’re not going to get anywhere …
Inhofe: Why don't we do this? Why don't we do this — at the end you can have as much time as you want. …
Boxer: No, that isn't the rule. You’re not making the rules. [holds up gavel] You used to when you did this. You don't do this anymore. Elections have consequences.
Then today, as the Senate Judiciary Committee prepared to authorize subpoenas related to the firings of eight U.S. attorneys, Chairman Patrick Leahy of Vermont cut off Pennsylvania Republican Arlen Specter, who suggested holding off on subpoenas until after conducting interviews the White House had offered. Leahy's angry response: "No, no, what we're told we can get is nothing, nothing, nothing, nothing!”
Back in the day, the Senate was known for its "clubby" atmosphere. It appears those days have long since passed.
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