Thread by @EamonJavers

There were several tactical and presentation decisions that made last night’s Jan. 6th Committee hearings so effective:
1. They dispensed with the dumb “every member gets 5 minutes” rule. Congressional committees cling to the format, and it makes many hearings incoherent.

2. It was bipartisan. Yes, Rep. Liz Cheney is on the outs with her fellow Republicans for her role here. But she is a leader and from one of the most prominent Republican families. The hearing showed Democrats and Republicans working together for a common cause.

3. They let the staff take a lead in questioning. You even got to see the staff engage witnesses. Most committee members want to hog the spotlight for themselves, ignoring the fact that not all congresspersons are actually good at this. And some are really bad at it.

4. Seamless integration of audio and video. Hearings barely ever do this.

5. They broke news. We heard, for the first time, eyewitness accounts of what Trump was doing and saying during the insurrection and saw raw, searing, previously unreleased video of the attack.

6. They teased ahead to more news. The committee said members of Congress sought legal pardons from President Trump for their roles in the insurrection. Who were they? Committee indicated we will learn their names in hearings to come.

7. Introduction of new characters in a known story. Officer Caroline Edwards’ testimony was riveting. She got knocked down, knocked out, got up and back in the fight only to be pepper sprayed and gassed again. Committee showed who was fighting to save democracy that day.

The lighting and camera angles were warmer and closer than typical hearings. It gave the whole thing a welcoming and intimate vibe, which is the opposite of the star-chamber effect hearings can have.

I’ve seen a *lot* of Congressional hearings over the years. As a hearing, this was - by far - the most effective I’ve ever seen.