HUNTING FOR WITCHES

The other day on NBC’s Meet the Press talk show, former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani came to the defense of New Jersey Governor, Chris Christie over what Giuliani claimed was a partisan witch hunt. He was referring to the George Washington Bridge lane-closure fiasco that has been haunting Governor Christie over the past several weeks, along with claims that the Christie administration abused its power by denying Hurricane Sandy relief funds to areas controlled by the Governor’s political opponents. Mayor Giuliani charged that the New Jersey legislative investigation of these matters was not unbiased and suggested that the Democrat leading the inquiry should step aside.

Is Giuliani for real? Does he really think there’s any such thing as an unbiased legislative investigation? I certainly hope not, because that would mean he’s gone over the deep end, and I’ve always liked the guy.

Let’s face it, legislative investigations are always partisan affairs. That’s the nature of the beast. Whichever party controls the strings of legislative power strives to keep that power, and the most effective spell for smearing a political opponent is a legislative committee investigation. I’m not suggesting that’s a good thing. I’m just saying that’s the way it is.

Republicans in the United States House of Representatives have not been beating a dead horse during their Benghazi Embassy attack investigation because they really think there are security lessons to be learned by our flawed response during the attack. Nor have those same GOP legislators been dragging out their investigation into the ATF’s ‘Fast and Furious’ gun-running fiasco because they want to limit the number of guns in America. What’s really driving both investigations is the Republican desire to smear President Obama and his Democratic administration. That’s just how the game of politics is played these days.

And let’s not ignore the role both parties play in providing their opponents with reason to conduct witch hunts. After all, if you keep a boiling caldron in the middle of the room and a collection of broomsticks and potions on the wall, you’re kind of setting yourself up to be burned at the stake.

Legislative committee investigations remind me of lunches at Hogwarts. Two warring camps are seated in the same room at separate tables, but everybody has a wand and they’re itching to use it.

Expelliarmus!