Fetterman Apologizes to The Jerry Springer Show

 

by Pa Rock

Citizen Journalist

Just last week I had the pleasure of listening to an extended interview with Rep. Jasmine Crockett of Texas on the political podcast, "Pod Save America."  She is well-versed on a wide array of issues affecting not only her own district, but also the entire country, and she is razor sharp.   Duller minds who rise to challenge her do so at their own peril.

Chaos broke out last night at a meeting of the House Oversight Committee which was being held in the US Capitol.

That committee was trying to pass a motion to hold Attorney General Merrick Garland in contempt of Congress for refusing to hand over tapes of a Justice Department interview with President Biden.  The Justice Department had provided a full transcript of the interview in question, but Republicans were seeking the actual voice recordings, presumably to chop them up and use them in election campaign ads.

As yesterday's meeting was occurring, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, a Republican from Georgia, asked if any of the Democratic members of the committee had employed the daughter of Judge Merchan, the jurist who is conducting the Trump hush-money trial in New York City.  At that point Rep. Jasmine Crockett, a Democrat from Texas, said "Please tell me what that has to do with Merrick Garland."

Rep. Greene was apparently not in the mood to be lectured, however mildly, by the lady from Texas, and she responded, "I don't think you know what you are here for.  I think your fake eyelashes are messing up what you are reading."  There was some thought expressed after the incident that Greene might have made that particular remark in an attempt to associate Crockett, who is black, with the ghetto.

At about that point, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a Democrat from New York, entered the fray and referred to Greene's remarks as "disgusting" and "unacceptable," before adding "How dare you attack the physical appearance of another person." More commentary was exchanged between Ocasio-Cortez and Greene, with Greene finally agreeing to withdraw her remark about the fake eyelashes from the record - but refusing to apologize to Rep. Crockett.  At one point in the melee, Rep. Greene tried to goad Rep. Ocasio-Cortez into debating her, but the New York congresswoman declined, leading Ms. Greene to declare that Ms. Ocasio-Corte did not have "enough intelligence" to debate her.

When Chairman Comer finally regained some semblance of control over his committee, he said that Rep. Greene's insult (the fake eyelash statement) did not violate House rules, to which Rep. Crockett responded:  

"If someone on this committee then starts talking about somebody's bleach blond, bad-built, butch body, that would not be engaging in personalities, correct?"

Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, a Republican from Florida, took offense at what appeared to be a not-so-subtle disparagement of Ms. Greene, and demanded that Ms. Crockett's comment about the "bleach blond, bad-built, butch body" be stricken from the record - to which Ms. Crockett responded: 

"I'm trying to get clarification.  Don't tell me to calm down, because ya'll talk noise and then you can't take it, because if I come and talk shit about her, ya'll gonna have a problem."

Rep. Lauren Boebert, a Republican of Colorado, and a controversial political character in her own right, said that she had been embarrassed by Ms. Greene's behavior.  House Speaker Mike Johnson described the evening's events at the Oversight Committee hearing as "not a good look for Congress."

One member said that there was drinking occurring by some members before and during the late-night committee hearing.

The Oversight Committee eventually passed a resolution to hold Attorney General Merrick Garland in contempt of Congress,  It passed on a party-line vote of 23-19.

"In the past I've described the US House as The Jerry Springer Show.  Today, I'm apologizing to The Jerry Springer Show." 

             US Senator John Fetterman, yesterday on X (Twitter)