[beckett]

It is, as the editorialist says, beyond the beyond of gobsmacking flabbergastery that two former members of Congress would walk out of historical and just about unprecedented formal interrogation of a sitting president of the United States.

I really just can't get my mind around it. Why would they do such a thing? What could possibly have been more important? Didn't they have the president's little interview penciled into their busy schedules before they made other plans?

Doesn't compute at all. What loathsome disrespect. I have never liked Kerrey (besides which, his story about what happened in that village long ago in Vietnam is not the whole truth, IMHO), but I have always thought of Hamilton as one of the very few Democrats who has some sense. His behavior really surprises me.

[MEG33]

Hamilton had a more legitimate reason than Kerrey.He is head of some Institute(think tank?) that had invited the PM of Canada to speak and was to introduce him.

Kerrey was having a meeting with Pete Domenici.The reporters will be asking Domenici,I believe, to see what was so earth shaking.

[YaYa123]

Keane is a grinning goose.

Hamilton has just been playing a good guy on television, while behind the scenes, he's given free rein to uber liberal lawyer, Ben Viniste. And Kerrey "went Hollywood" long ago, even before Actor's Studio and New School.

I think you got Kerrey pegged just right. "Not serious", even worse, a soundbiting showboater, and disrespectful of his duties. I'm thinking he took the job only because he knew the staff would do all the work.

Why did Hamilton and Kerrey rudely leave early? Most likely they were totally ticked that Bush was doing so well with the committee. And they were snoockered from the get-go. With Cheney there as witness, the committee wouldn't be able to leak lies without the White House's immediate response.