Satisfied? No. You get no satisfaction from predicting the outcome of The Hearing. Instead, you experience that queasy feeling in your core, something akin to fear, because all along you hoped beyond hope you were wrong. It doesn’t take long for queasy to become disgust, followed by outrage, then a smoldering anger. The interrogators thought a preponderance of evidence would trap the woman in a corner, and have her stammering, stuttering and squirming. Gowdy, the relentless Prosecutor, wasn’t prepared for an adversary as ruthless, cunning and remorseless as the renowned Sherlock Holmes’ arch enemy Dr. Moriarty. He evidently forgot that, if Lying were an Olympic  event, Hillary Clinton’s trophy case would be heaped with gold medals. Which, by the way, he could have said, at the very least, to create a media buzz. Instead, he and the other committee members followed the expected line of questioning. Armed with “new information,” they wanted the world to know that Clinton lied about the Video; they wanted to prove she lied about the Video. God help us all, Matilda, everyone on the planet already knew she lied, and more important, too many people couldn’t care less. The Video was old news. And lying isn’t a sin, not in the Obama White House. Lying is a Right of Passage for any self-respecting villain. And Willy and Hillary made it popular, as modern day Supervillains. Why else would a servile media applaud her performance? The media had a single interest — simply to see if she could continue to lie with impunity, without blinking. She won because she sat regally composed, with smug smile, cold eyes, air of superiority, measured, friendly, non-combative and perfectly reasonable. She lied about lying, she knew she was lying, the audience knew she was lying (her mouth was opened) and she seemed to revel in the knowledge. The media ate it up.  And the Committee droned on, waiting . . . waiting . . . waiting . . . for what? Confession?  Following months of preparation, the Committee blew it by taking its eye off the ball — off the real issue of Benghazi — that the US State Department under Hillary Clinton, with knowledge and forethought, refused to rescue Americans under terrorist attack. Before any introductions, before any testimony, before any questions, the Committee should have taken the first hour to project  Bret Baier’s documentary 13 Hours At Benghazi. Then Gowdy should have done what prosecutors do. Make this woman explain why four men died because of her traitorous disregard and careless incompetence. If you remember, she took “full responsibility” for Benghazi even though she (said) wasn’t responsible for Embassy security. “What does ‘full responsibility’ mean to you, Madam?” Four men are dead and others live with life-long injury. Who is accountable? “Excuse me, Madam, you are currently waging a campaign to become the Nation’s Commander In Chief. How, in good conscience, can you expect the military to respect someone who abandoned her people on the field of battle?” If nothing else, one Committee member should have put an opinion on the permanent record and should have put it to her directly. “Madam, I must suggest to you that by qualification, character and performance, you are unworthy to hold any public office, much less Commander in Chief of our nation’s finest.” Of course, this sort of thinking is all fantasy. Congressional decorum would never allow such an insult. Too bad. So you must be disappointed in Gowdy. Based on his previous dogged interrogations of lesser bureaucrats, you expected nothing less than a prosecutorial juggernaut. But he stared at the face of Evil.  And gave her a pass.

Twas the night before The Hearing when all through the House, the Members were rowdy — cheering  and clapping and calling for Gowdy. The evidence was strong, the case prepared, waiting for Hillary  to take the chair. The media were unsettled, smug in their deduction, that Gowdy  would find not a  smidgen of corruption. For God’s sake, people, don’t be naive. Rampant corruption occupies The White House and all other levels of the U. S. Federal Government. And nowhere was that corruption more prolific than in the office of Secretary of State under Clinton’s watch. With apologies to  shameful media apologists, Hillary broke the law. Witness this fact: she was entrusted with  life and death and the Nation’s secrets;  she put that information on her private, unprotected server; and then purged thousands of emails and lied about it. Witness the fact that the individual occupying 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue had the temerity to say  Hillary made a mistake but not one that threatened the country’s national security. You’re relieved to know that, in addition to his other legendary accomplishments, the POTUS  is also an IT expert. Witness the fact that former CIA Director David Patraeus made an email mistake with classified material that cost him his job and a heavy fine. Witness the fact that thousands of ordinary Americans make mistakes every day — driving under the influence, shoplifting,  using illegal drugs, committing perjury under oath and evading taxes; and thousands of them are doing time in governmental housing. Witness the fact that Richard Nixon made a mistake by obstructing justice and was run out of town. Witness the fact that dozens of other high ranking elected and appointed officers made mistakes and bit the dust, never to hold office again. Nixon committed a petty crime to compete with political competitors but nothing he did risked lives or compromised his nation’s safety.

Hillary Clinton broke this law:

US Code Title 18, Part I, Chapter 101, Section 2076

(a) Whoever willfully and unlawfully conceals, removes, mutilates, obliterates, or destroys, or attempts to do so, or, with intent to do so takes and carries away any record, proceeding, map, book, paper, document, or other thing, filed or deposited with any clerk or officer of any court of the United States, or in any public office, or with any judicial or public officer of the United States, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than three years, or both.

(b) Whoever, having the custody of any such record, proceeding, map, book, document, paper, or other thing, willfully and unlawfully conceals, removes, mutilates, obliterates, falsifies, or destroys the same, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than three years, or both; and shall forfeit his office and be disqualified from holding any office under the United States.

You’ve certainly heard of “open and shut” cases. This is one. Not a kernel of ambiguity. But you’re confused. You were under the impression that Hillary Rodham Clinton is running to become President. You might have thought by now she would be busy laundering her orange jumpsuit. Which raise questions: What could be the purpose of a Congressional hearing? If Clinton broke the law, as you did last month doing 75 in a 55 zone, there would be no need of a hearing. Have you figured it out yet? Pay attention, class. When Clinton was not indicted two years ago on multiple charges, the fix was already in. The Hearing today has no intention of honoring and upholding the Law. The Hearing is all about theater, about drama, about Congressmen making a valiant effort to prove they are doing the People’s business. When the dust settles, the evidence will not be conclusive, Benghazi and four dead Americans will be tragic footnotes in history and corruption will continue to metastasize in Washington. Clinton will flash her phony smile to adoring followers and the actors will vacate the Hearing . Exit stage left.

The Donald has the media moguls and political analysts sweating and swearing because he’s just a thin-skinned, name-calling, juvenile who has no clue about anything; and his public speaking skills don’t belong on a street corner, much less the international stage. He is, in fact, the antithesis of one Barack Obama — a person who swept into power on the wings of oratory, on a public speaking (or reading) ability that charmed and coaxed and soothed millions of wide-eyed, adoring nitwits. Beyond talk, Obama has an empty resume, devoid of material contribution. Obama talks, Donald does. Obama plays golf. Donald builds golf courses. Obama spends taxpayer millions. Donald makes his own millions. Obama frowns on American supremacy. Donald loves American greatness. Obama is a Marxist but denies it. Donald is a Capitalist and proclaims it. Obama hides his college transcripts. Donald is an open book. Yet, this comparison apparently doesn’t resonate with the pundits who question Donald’s qualifications. Perhaps because Obama had dark skin and a dulcet delivery, no one dared question things so trivial as his suitability, experience, attainment, competency or accomplishment. In effect, to use the tritest of terms, talking the talk is infinitely more admirable than walking the walk. it was true in 2008 and 2012 and true today. Donald can not articulate the issues in a way that satisfies the pundits. He is no Obama. He’s no Rubio — who doesn’t miss a syllable when he forcefully and glibly outlines his understanding of all the issues — issues he’s been discussing every day as part of his job in committee meetings and hearings with colleagues who talk and travel and meet and talk. He’s no Carson whose calm, gentle non-confrontational demeanor overrides his critics. He’s no Fiorina who doubtless earned an A+ in Advanced Speech 400, as she prepared and practiced and rehearsed to deliver core beliefs in her sleep. He’s no Cruz who sharpened his debate skills as an advocate before none other than the Supreme Court. Of course, Trump doesn’t care about the realities of presidential politics and that dismissal will very likely dismiss him. In his gut, he probably thinks people will place more value on his get-it-done experience and excuse him for his adolescent rhetoric. He should take another gut check. Because getting elected is not about having an accomplished life and proven leadership skills — it’s about sounding as if you know what you’re talking about; it’s about speaking skills; it’s about persuasiveness; it’s about like-ability. “It’s about Politics, Donald. And nobody in power on any side of any aisle wants you, Donald, because you’re not one of them. They want you to go away and maybe come back to visit with your checkbook.” Meanwhile, there are some Trump supporters who want to see him become President for one simple reason — to see him in action at his White House News Conferences — knowing for sure that it would preempt the need for Live, this is Saturday Night.