Thread by @DirkSchwenk

This will be a thread to put into context why this commitment to future public hearings IS SO VERY IMPORTANT @MuellerSheWrote First a bit of background, though.

https://twitter.com/MuellerSheWrote/status/1466548625572450308

I went to the University of Maryland law school in part because it had one of the best clinical (ie hands-on actual representation) programs in the nation. I knew I wanted some experience to go with the book learnin' because I suk at being lectured to and I was an educator myself

(A moment to say thanks to two of my professors Mark Feldman and Stan Herr, who died way, way, way too young and of whom I am reminded when I now think back to my experience in law school. They did so much for me and I miss them).

Law school - like most education - has a gaping hole in its center. It teaches you important stuff about contracts, torts, civil procedure, etc. But it barely touches on a litigator's most important skill -- asking questions of a witness. (right @lauferlaw ?)

You can spend YEARS (and a LOT of money) preparing a case for trial and if one witness answers a question the wrong way it can sink the whole goddamn thing. Great litigators are more defined by their questioning than they're arguments. AND QUESTIONING IS LARGELY PREPARATION.

One of the few things they teach you in law school is the old saw "never ask a witness a question you don't know the answer to" - which is especially key in cross examination of a hostile witness. But they barely touch on how to be sure.

The answer, unsurprisingly, is preparation. It's knowing the answer so that the witness has two choices: tell the truth or be revealed as a liar. @katieporteroc is magnificent at this.

https://twitter.com/GeorgeTakei/status/1463638307372421122?s=20

That's fine on publicly available facts - but what about the secret shit that the Jan6 Committee is looking into? How can they put witnesses that are known trolls and liars on TV and ask them questions ... if they are not sure what they are going to say? THEY CAN'T.

Putting trolls and liars on TV to spout their vile lies ... that's what got us into this mess. And I am thrilled to hear that the Jan6 committee isn't going to do that until they are damn well ready. How do they get ready? Subpoena documents and conduct depositions.

And that's what they're doing now. Hundreds of depositions. Probably hundreds of thousands of documents. And none of the witnesses know what they committee has, because this is all going on in secret. As @Teri_Kanefield points out:

https://twitter.com/Teri_Kanefield/status/1465824024248795137?s=20

And it's why I am thrilled to hear that public testimony is coming. The kind of public testimony in which professional question-askers with full knowledge of the facts get ask live witnesses questions THAT THEY KNOW THE ANSWERS TO but the witnesses don't know if they know

A witness in that situation only has three choices: 1) tell the truth; 2) plead the fifth on live TV; or 3) lie their way into the perjury trap they are always whinging about and face certain referral for lying to Congress. I'll take that.

So I too fear things are going too slow and I too hear the twitter rants that nothing is going to happen. But imma put on the rosies, play some guitar, and sit back and wait for the fireworks.

Dirk out.

I'll make an exception to my rule against boosting liars and trolls. THIS IS WHY YOU DON'T GIVE LIARS AND TROLLS AN OPEN MICROPHONE. And it's why the Jan 6 committee shouldn't broadcast seditionists until they know the answer to the questions.

https://twitter.com/thehill/status/1466467174776774664?s=20