Why the hell does it take so long for these Senators to ask a question?

[American Tragedy]

These Senate hearings are astoundingly inefficient. Each Senator gives a freakin dissertation, often wholly irrelevant, when quite often their actual question could be cut down to one or two sentences. I was half-expecting that Senator from Tennessee to start reciting the Gettysburg Address.

[demnan]

1. Yes they are fucking so full of wind!

I can't stand listening to them puff themselves up. They are playing to C-SPAN.

[Leilani]

2. Because they love the sounds of their own voices

[cruadin]

3. Because they're a collection of self-important gasbags...

who think this is about THEM getting some air-time instead of looking out for OUR interests.

[hector459]

4. I agree. How about "Why did you lie to the American people?"

"f there are no WMD, why is Saddam still in Jail?"
"When will our troops be home?"

[lapfog_1]

5. TV TIME!

so forget the formality of asking a Bushista an important question...
must make stmt which plays well back home! (either to constituents or
major donors)

(Apology to Barbara Boxer, I think, even though her questions WERE
long... she did try to hold KindaSleezy's feet to the fire)

[Galley_Queen]

6. Because They're Trying to Run with the Pack

and pissing like puppies.

I am so done with the Democratic party.

[Liberal Veteran]

7. Typical Senator's question:

Ms. Rice, first I want to say on behalf of myself, the American people, my posterity and my fellow senators (insert all senator names here) for doing your duty by showing up before the the people of this great country for this hearing that is required under Title IV of the constitution of the United States of America which was ratified by the States almost 200 years ago by our forefathers after being written by Thomas Jefferson blah blah blah blah blah blah blah (5 minutes later) I'd like to ask if you think you are qualified to be Secretary of State?

Answer: Yes I do.

[gratuitous]

10. That's DOCTOR Rice, you pinko!

Otherwise, the question was pretty good. The same paragraph could also finish off with, "I'd like to ask you what your favorite color is."

This would be followed by 10 minutes 38 seconds of haggling as to whether the question was appropriately framed ("Shouldn't it be 'what is your favorite color'?" and "Shouldn't the question mark in the re-phrasing of the question go inside the single quote?") before DOCTOR Rice finally smiles and says, "Gold, Senator."

[YNGW]

8. They're playing to the cameras.

It happens with every President's nominees. All of Bush's nominees will be confirmed. This is all for show.

[yurbud]

9. so you'll stop listening

and won't notice that their question is an embarrassingly empty softball.

[SoCalDem]

11. Face Time..

They simply MUST make a longwinded speech every time there is a camera present.. It's on page 124 of the "How to be a senator" handbook.

and of course, they know they only have a few minutes, so why not waste 2/3 of their time making stupid statements BEFORE they ask the question? The (non) respondent will evade the answer, so they gained....ZERO..

By obfuscating the process, they can claim to have been "hard and deliberative", yet they got no definitive answers, and the public gets nothing... Par for the course..

The whole "confirmation process" is a big JOKE.. The "votes" are counted before anyone opens their mouths.. It's just theatre.