CTH has never pretended or played the game of pretending, but several people have discussed the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee hearing today on the Twitter censorship issue… and thus, some reminders and clarifications of inside DC politics are needed.
The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, hereafter called the House Oversight Committee or HOC, has a very specific function in DC circles that apparently too few understand. Once again, let us be clear while trying to explain decades of false information founded upon arcane legislative outlooks.
This article is specific only to the House Oversight Committee.
Within Washington DC, the HOC has a very specific and unique function. What Fox News is to corporate conservative punditry, so too is the HOC to the same DC system of pretending. The House Oversight Committee is the “Chaff and Countermeasures” committee. The HOC operates for both parties with the same mission.
The House Oversight Committee was/is created by the House legislative leadership to make money for the party in control of the Chair. When the House Speaker is notified of a DC corruption issue, inside his/her office they will often be heard saying, “give it to oversight.” The intent of that instruction is to give the issue to the HOC, so they can hold hearings, create soundbites and fundraise from the issue.
Making money for the party in control of the Chair is the primary function of the House Oversight Committee. The HOC does not exist to create accountability or oversight; the HOC exists to exploit the issue for fundraising and satiate the base voters of the party in control of the Chair. The HOC presents the illusion of accountability by constructing soundbites and member performances which are then broadcast on television for appearances to the voting audience. It is essentially theater.
The HOC is a “general oversight’ committee, not a committee of “specific jurisdiction.” Thus, the HOC is the vehicle where Democrats and Republicans publicly display their political initiatives, frame their narratives and then broadcast them on MSNBC, CNN (Democrats) or FOX NEWS (Republicans).
Depending on the issues at hand, the HOC committee members are generally those performance actors best known to the audience of both parties. This is not accidental; this is by design. Again, for emphasis, I am only talking about the HOC, a “generalized oversight” committee. Only this specific committee has this specific mission.
A hot button topic enters the committee ecosphere. Specifically trained staffers and performance artists, uniquely qualified to put on theatrical productions (both parties), are then deployed to assist the representatives in creating the soundbites that hopefully will go viral and assist them with fundraising and opportunities to say, “here’s what we are doing.” Outlining this construct is not an exhibition in cynicism; this is the reality of what the HOC is designed and created to do.
When you see the HOC performing at their best, you will see lots of soundbites created.
The Chair of the HOC is always part of the House Speaker’s close inner circle. From that association you will discover by training, by habit, and by consequence, the HOC framework is developed to sustain the process itself as an end result. The questioning is the sum total of all accountabilities. The performance is the interview; the conversation is the point; the smoke is the fire.
Oversight, in the HOC framework of narrative creation, has evolved into reveling in the endless process (a fundraising proposition) and, as a consequence, it completely ignores the end point, misses the bottom line, doesn’t actually SEE the subject matter, and never actually applies accountability toward what might be discovered. This is why you end up with high blood pressure, frustrated with the questions not asked, and throwing bricks at the screen or monitors when viewing.
The point of HOC hearings is to create what are now described as “viral moments” that can be used to generate money. The second, and lesser objective, is to give the illusion of accountability while not actually ever holding anyone or anything accountable. See prior HOC reference points like Fast and Furious, IRS targeting, Benghazi which outline the latest intent with the Twitter censorship issue.
If you watch the HOC Twitter hearing through the prism of expecting some form of accountability for the violations of the First Amendment, you will be frustrated and disappointed. However, if you watch the HOC Twitter hearing through the prism of how well the panelists will do at raising money from their performances, then you can evaluate the effectiveness; the proverbial winning and losing.
The HOC is designed by House leadership to perform the same basic function for both Democrats and Republicans. The HOC committee assignments are selected based on the theatrical skills of each representative. This is not to say the motives of the members are sullied or impure, it is simply to point out the motive of the committee itself is to generate fundraising from the skillsets of the members on the committee.
Once you fully grasp what the intent of the House Oversight Committee is about, and once you drop the expectation that any accountability in oversight is the intent, then you can watch the performances through the entertainment prism of partisan politics and genuinely enjoy them. There are, after all, some exceptional soundbites and moments created by the hearings themselves.
The HOC is called the “Chaff and Countermeasures” Committee, because that’s essentially what the committee does. It gives the appearance of targeting, steering the target to a controlled destination, and then distracting the audience from the outcome of accountability.
If sunlight is achieved, meaning the Mainstream Media cannot ignore the issue as presented and questioned, and if the general public become more familiar with the controversial subject matter or topic at hand, and if the party of the Chair can fundraise from the issue, then the committee has succeeded. However, if you are looking for something to change as an outcome of any HOC hearing, you will be disappointed.
All of the insiders in Washington DC know this to be true; but, when discussing the HOC specifically, the insiders cannot violate the DC code and make this reality a part of the public consciousness. To make this operational mission widely understood is to diminish the financial value of it.
Now, let’s ENJOY:
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As said elsewhere, and bears repeating – dictatorships have show trials, the US has show investigations.
As I viewed some of this “showstopper,” I knew in my heart this was the same old crap and those being questioned were playing along. It is deflating. Those panelists who we so much want to applaud should just leave the chambers and go home. Losers!
A pox on these punks for raising my blood pressure!
The IRS targeting was a grave disappointment for me…like donning polarizing lenses and really seeing underneath the swamps surface.
Once you see these bottom feeders operate you can never unsee the process ever again. It’s like Monday after your team wins/loses the superbowl…..nothing really changed!
(In particular Ryan/Pelosi.)
I feel that way with Benghazi and the perps are still walking around gloating that they can get away with anything and you can’t do a damn thing about it, and the system and people will enable every time to support the swamp………..ditto all over again. Wimps and crooks.
And we will probably have to endure it again from the 88,000 bullies the po ta to has hired.
So we lost the 1st Amendment. Free speech has lost it’s meaning. They did it without firing a shot. Thousands upon thousands of Americans have sacrificed their lives in vain. Heck they even took away our right to protest.
…..the US has
showfaux investigations.Kabuki for the cheap seats
Or Monarchies. I watched the poor fate of Anne Boleyn the other day, old Henry VIII was a gem.
Our so called government in DC, is not really much of a government at all. It is a distraction by marionettes controlled by the real government of the stateless intelligence community which have infiltrated everything from the fake-government to our media to corporations and financial institutions. With the willing assistance of the unelected multi-national corporations in the private sector, and a surveillance apparatus without oversight, it is amassing heretofore unseen power.
The insights are much appreciated that said when all is said and done.
“ Live your best life today”
I heard it here from Sundance and attempt to incorporate the saying into my daily activity.
Cheers to all!
Someone just one hour ago said the same thing: “Live your best life everyday”
“Seek to understand before being understood”. If that would be followed the “show” of these hearings would fall away.
The real purpose is publicity for the “askers” and just feeds the soundbite system of the Blue-stream media. It will all be gone by the next set of sound bites.
Pointless activity so they can look important. Sometimes even this beautiful site feels pointless with all our witty repartee.
Would a Minute-Man have stopped to get his next post in?
Yep!! Go to the beach. Or go Fish.
CUT THE CORD
Listen to this man people!
I would opt for fishing, to be clear.
Smile, God loves us
Cheers Bob! We cut cable news and sports after the 2020 election.
We live in ab oceanfront community, and have a view of the Pacific from the house.
My family are a commercial fishing family ( not me though.) but am around the Ocean daily.
We sure appreciate this site though. Terrific insights, and great information can be gleaned to assist in preparation for the days ahead.
👍
Yes, love our best life at all times. Politics is not the answer. Never has been. The problem is spiritual. Sundance and most Treepers grasp that. It is the reason I keep returning to this site. The truth on display here is painful. But it’s a reminder that that there will be a day of reckoning. Jesus will come in the clouds with His reward…and His judgement.
HOC . . . hoax?
Investigate to obfuscate.
So what you’re saying is the tree of liberty will not be refreshed by acts of Congress? Twitter is mainly on the hook only because of official US government involvement. If zero involvement due to politics despite criminal, the options to affect change fall to 1.
Gnashing of teeth against twitter folk was definitely for show, but how many government officials (in the Trump admin too no less) who were directly involved in criminal election interference and censoring activity, who will be arrested over the next 3 weeks?
What shall be the remedy and when?
Eliminate Twitter and the presumptuous personnel.
At least the other daytime dramas can run soap ads for revenue, and have syndication value.
I suppose it is asking too much for Fox News to not become politicized by all this mess. But the loss of integrity is painfully obvious. We’re sadly watching honest talking heads have to engage in dog-and-pony-show posturing. It’s all rather sad and embarrassing. I expected better of them. But then as Dr. Johnson once said, “Needs Musts”.
“accountability” is such a meaningless word. just sound and fury
better words:
indicted
convicted
sentenced
executed
I posted almost the same comments below, I didn’t mean to duplicate your post. I started writing when Sundance’s piece first appeared, took a break for chow and kitchen cleanup duty, came back to the computer, finished writing and submitted. When I scrolled through to see if my post went through, I saw yours. Sorry, mate; didn’t mean to repeat what you said. Anyway, I like the way you think and I agree wholeheartedly. (I liked the Macbeth reference: “It is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury signifying nothing.” I’m nearly 80, but I still read Shakespeare and if you’re interested, here’s a clip from a comic (Anthony Jeselnik) who tells a Shakespeare-related joke for “pretty much just people who read”… colorful language)
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Excellent…I’ll start following young Anthony. I enjoy his style…and his choice for Great Barrington, MA!
Thank you.
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We have theater.
That’s it.
They take our money, and then we get to watch them perform.
Only the finest of bread and circuses for our lot……..
Definitely some true drama queens today.
There is a blurring of reality vs the virtual vs theater vs sports
Lets face facts, politicians don’t give a rat’s ass about America and its problems, they are there to line their pockets. That’s why the most popular trait of the pols is being a Lawyer! Fixing issues is the least of their worries. Our Forefathers never envisioned that the politician was a life long position! Remember the pols all wanted to see Trumps tax returns? When do we get to see their returns? Kinda amazing how they get to be multi-millionaires on the public dime, no? Two Party rule is wings of the same bird! Government has a spending problem, fix that issue first!
Didn’t the founding fathers intend to ban those with “titles of nobility” from congress?
Why then do most members of congress hold the title of nobility of “esquire”?
Why have most members of congress pledged loyalty to the British Accreditation Registry to obtain their title of nobility?
Did we win the war against Britain or did the crown take the colonies back through legal shenanigans?
But tens of millions of Americans don’t care how corrupt the political leaders are as long as they get their “free” candy.
Just now watched a few of these episodes on YouTube . It was like Sundance knew we were watching. Although fun to see these Twitter jerks get blasted, I was left with the feeling that they didn’t care. And one congress critter even said he hoped the group had attorneys.
They don’t have to care, they know nothing is going to happen to them. It’s like being chided by the teacher in school. Fauci literally lied before Congress and nothing happened to him.
Me too…
The singularly most disappointing thing I have ever learned about Govt. Oversight. Now I am awakened
I have to admit I was fooled. I thought Jim Jordan was a good guy. He apparently is good in the same sense of Trey “the rooster” Gowdy. He highlights issues, but is ineffectual in changing things.
I feel that highlighting corruption and crime is a useful function and maybe it is unrealistic to expect much more from a politician trying to do good in an environment that is rotten top to bottom.
Maybe the murder of his nephew a few years back had an impact on him.
Actually, I believe Jim Jordan is a good guy doing what he can. I do not mean to disparage him.
Can’t actually get change without the Senate
“….I thought Jim Jordan was a good guy.”
Jim Jordan is a good guy. In spite of his best intentions he is operating within a system designed to accommodate the occasional “good guy” , and who will be placated as much as necessary so as to be prevented from becoming a burden to the overall objectives of the regime.
This is a featured in red headline article by Sundance that is posted over at the Liberty Daily! Hope it gets posted in a lot more places as well.
SD said what I was thinking when watching some of this charade. It is a show and fundraiser, we just don’t get any dinner with our ticket.
Boebart and MTG delivering their lines w/their added snark that they didn’t pull off very well was really annoying. I wonder how long they paraded about rehearsing? No doubt at first possible moment they watched their own performance.
Our entire gov’t is an embarrassing joke. It hurts.
Congress went to shit when they put cameras in the chambers.
So did courtroom justice. Right, Lance Ito?
I am pretty jaded by the whole process
however you cannot get me to believe
that MTG and Boebert are not genuinely
angry and doing their jobs.
Pretty cynical, Sundance. Wish you were wrong, dude, but afraid to take that bet.
But only democrats refer people to the justice department for further investigation , trial and jail.
Exactly … RINOS perform … RATS prosecute.
As we have seen, the DOJ ignores the republicans. Merrick the Terrible is running his own show.
“as a consequence, it completely ignores the end point, misses the bottom line, doesn’t actually SEE the subject matter, and never actually applies accountability toward what might be discovered.”
Sundance you have put into words and summed up exactly what I have observed for decades.
The way I have put it at times is that it all just fizzles out. Never really comes to anything– EVER!
When I heard so many Republican representatives the night of the speaker’s vote saying that Jim Jordan is their strongest member; I hoped it wasn’t true.
Because I had hoped that one of those 20 or maybe more than one might bring real change to the house.
But if Jim Jordan is the strong one –
He is the poster child for using strong language yet nothing is ever really done.
As Ecclesiastes so often repeats: “meaningless.”
So these hearings are absolutely worthless which is what most of us thought. I won’t waste my time on nonsense.
l was left wondering today why they hadn’t subpoenaed anyone from the Aspen Institute.
The other give away is the obvious lack of planning. Multiple Reps ask the same questions.
Was also struck by the apparent lack of in depth knowledge of the issues revealed in the Twitter Files so far.
they never subpoena their own.
they get rich and hope we get jaded.
Gowdy Never Saw Subpoenaed Records Before Exonerating FBI Spy Use (thefederalist.com)
Rooster Head thought that getting people removed from their Gov. positions was penalty enough. Just another S.Carolina RINO. Ya these people left government, went to work for NGOs, dRAT lawfirms, got book deals, legal bills paid for and low and beyold revolved back into Goberment again with the aid of the GOP Senate and China Mitch’s 20 stage props. At this point what part of DC and the US Government is worth fixing and saving?
Accountable/Accountability…those words are a big part of the problem: they mean nothing; truly, nothing. What is accountability? Ask a hundred people and you likely will get a hundred different degrees of answers. Our politicians are prodigious users of the word precisely because they believe it mollifies us; such as MTG in a recent tweet about balloon-gate: “We must investigate and hold accountable.” That’s like someone saying, “I really mean it!” — knowing full well the possible scope of meaning of the word is so broad as to be meaningless. (For example, it’s like saying “transparency” in government; yet just a moment of thought reveals complete transparency is invisibility – no substance at all!) When politicians tweet or appear as talking heads on TV and want to hold people accountable, like the old card game, I say “BS!” I want to hear “arrest” “convict” “punish”…those words also represent “accountability.” But because those words have more specific meanings that all of us understand, our corrupt politicians (Dems & Reps, all of them without exception) will never say them: too volatile, too upsetting to what’s normal in DC. And so our politicians, even the ones we think are the good guys, will continue to operate behind the protective ambiguity of great-sounding but meaningless words designed to convince us they are really working hard for us. I would rather listen to Wah-wa wa-wah teacher talk from Peanuts than listen to any of today’s politicians, especially when they are engaged in the kabuki theater of congressional hearings.
A couple thoughts…
It doesn’t look like any of the former Twitterites are enjoying the lambasting that they received today. Reports that Yoel Roth & family had to leave their home due to his actions at twitter being revealed are encouraging.
It should be apparent to all, after reading this explanation of how this committees is organized to function, why there are so few moral, qualified candidates who seek these positions in congress. I do not think of any of these flunkies as leaders or statesmen, including Jordan.
I do feel there are positives anyway, as exposure of the truth is never a bad thing.
What would be the equivalent demonrat led investigations. I can imagine those during the Trump years, but before that when many of us were still in the dark? And given the demonrat basic ideological mentality, they might actually mean business when they lead the committee.
“The HOC does not exist to create accountability or oversight;”
From the few clips I watched of this hearing online, it is clear two things should be done at a minimum if they were interested in accountability.
S230 protections removed.
Referrals for prosecution for lying to Congress.
If neither happen, Sundance will be proven right that this committee is a charade.
“then you can watch the performances through the entertainment prism of partisan politics and genuinely enjoy them”
Yes, faux-partisan politics. As for genuinely enjoying them, that takes a level of genuine Stockholm’s Syndrome I’m not willing to imbibe.
I don’t think most folks grasp just how insidious and encompassing controlled opposition is.
I maintain Jim Jordan is controlled opposition. This tends to inflame a lot of Jordan fans. Heck, I often catch myself liking Jordan too.
If I had to guess where he lies on the controlled opposition continuum, I’d say much closer to true believer (in his own scathing diatribes) than fully cognizant, duplicitous villain (red-blooded RINO).
Years ago, Chris Hedges referred to Bernie Sanders as a sheep herder. Sanders’ role is to flay about like a socialist nutcase, draw the energy and support of fellow nutcases, then fall dramatically on his sword near the finish line while thanking all those who accompanied him on his quixotic quest. A professional Quixotocrat.
Remember all the bawling college kids when he bowed out without a fight to Hillary at the convention?
I happen to believe Bernie is fully conscious of his role as anesthetist for progressivism, and I didn’t care for how he cynically exploited our nation’s 19-year-olds. Everybody was a Marxist for at least one semester in college. Leave the kids alone asshole!
This makes Sanders thoroughly unlikable in my book, on both an ideological and personal level.
So, is Jordan on-board ‘in his heart-of-hearts’ with the words that come out of his mouth? Frankly, my dear I don’t give a damn.
The point is, this system is so WELL-IN-HAND by its controllers, it matters not frankly to your children or mine where Jordan’s heart truly lies.
Though I’m willing to concede he may be on the unwitting end of the controlled opposition continuum.
What does oversight mean? “an unintentional failure to notice or do something.”
Except the Uniparty intends everything.
Hearing Fails to Establish Twitter Collusion with FBI in Blocking New York Post Story
https://www.theepochtimes.com/hearing-fails-to-establish-twitter-collusion-with-fbi-in-blocking-new-york-post-story_5044524.html?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=gettr
Excellent 5 min kabuki by MTG, Jordan, Luna, Boebeft, Higgins and more do show massive corruption by hundreds of feral government and press parrot traitors. The collusion includes election fraud, medical fraud and government control.
Vijina Gadde is an enemy of the American people and system, she should be deported from our country.
From one side, you wronged me blah, blah. The other side, waste of time questioning these patriots blah, blah, blah. New day same old rubbish. Send more money.
patriots? I doubt it. Compare with those who have served our country and died while defending it. These people you call patriots are disgusting.
As David Byrne sang – “Same as it ever was”.
I agree with the premise of the article but will point out that every function of Congress has become an HOC formatted theatrical soundbite.
Nothing should be expected to come out of Congress that does not benefit its members.
Nothing will change until there are a lot of short ropes hanging from tall trees.
I see, rather, only 21 or so red blooded Republicans bringing the first and long overdue effort at push back against a highjacked US government and I was grateful for them. Enough to cheer. I would have paid for the privilege of seeing what I witnessed in the House Oversight Hearing today. Muted too long has had its effects.
Good money, well spent, if these patriots can bring more public attention to the infiltration of our institutions, with getting a few Facts dislodged from the msm, and an untold story out of the hands of Anti-American interests.
James Baker gives weasels a bad name.
As Sundance has said previously.. FUBAR. And not just the HOC
I suspected as much, but was looking for confirmation. Thank you very much!
All the hearings are simply a worthless dog and pony show because no one is found guilty and punished. Whatever happened around Watergate a number of people really went to jail. Now, at worst, they get a rap on the knuckles but may even get promoted down the line. It would be far better to devote all the money and energy on these investigations to securing the border, balancing the budget, repaying debt, promoting energy independence and the likes.
I am beginning to think that the entirety if the Government of the USA is nothing but Theater.
If a bomb was dropped and it wiped out Washington DC I would find myself unable to care about it in the slightest bit.
I think that my problem would be to put up a sad facade so my friends would not think badly of me.
Inside I would be smiling from ear to ear.
Kiefer Sutherland, Designated Survivor.
WOW ! C-Y-N-I-C-A-L. No surrender !
Rome burns, as fiddlers fiddle. This institutional grifting is not reparable. Maybe if our cable and internet services were cut off like Twitter then the people would notice … something, anything.
How does their sound bite change the fact that I’m donating DIRECTLY to the candidates I wish to support and not to the RNC ?
I’m guessing I’m not the only one doing this now… so RNC how’s those sound bites working out for you so far Ronna McRobme ?
And it’s working as planned.
As reported by BB News today, “Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) raised $12.3 million on Wednesday in his first fundraising event since being elected Speaker of the House.”
There’s your accountability.
“I dont know”, “I cant recall”, “it wasn’t me”.
OK, next.
S0, do the HOC members get special kimonos when they are assigned to the HOC?
Is Sundance calling for real policy proposals to solve issues? Lord, I hope so. For 2 years the rank and file America First voter couldn’t get past “FJB!” and “Let’s Go Brandon.” The show of “this RINO” and personality politics left the GOP poor on actual ideas and solidly on the defensive. It’s stunning that the GOP loses to democrats, but the GOP finds a way. Any attempt to start a viable 3rd party is met with “you’ll just guarantee a democrat win”, but the GOP seems to do that all by itself.
I don’t believe it to be true of all of them.
There are MAGA on that committee now.
Please give them a chance before we
throw the entire committee under the bus.
I agree. It seems like some people are never happy. People throwing MTG and Boebert under the bus, insulting them..wow..maybe we should put Liz Cheney back on some committees.
So, at least we MAGA are represented in the so-called theater. In fact at this point we own the theater. It’s about time!
So, I am thrilled and I think it is great and fun to watch. Go for it MAGA!
What questions SHOULD be asked? Any suggestions?
Thank you for making this crystal clear. My husband was playing some of the clips from today.. all it did was make me angry and ill. MTG and Stepanik sounded like nasty school girls hen pecking a downed foe… totally disgusting
How about Mace? She cleverly threw the Covid jabs grenade into the discussion. I expect to see Pfizer executives being pummeled next by the HOC, maybe even an FDA or CDC flunky thrown in for optics, while not one answers for the death and destruction that the company and its regulatory agencies caused with the ” injected product”.