Thursday on CSPAN’s coverage of the Senate Judiciary Committee meeting on subpoenas related to the Russia investigation, Sen. Ben Sasse (R-NE) accused his colleagues of “bullshit” grandstanding for cameras.
Sasse said, “Mr. Chairman, before we go to Sen. Cruz, can we get a sense of how long we’re going to be here? Some of us have other committees. With all due respect, I don’t think anybody in private ever disagrees with me when I say it’s bullshit the way people grandstand for cameras in here. The reality is if we did not have cameras in this room, the discussion would be different. The Senate doesn’t work. It doesn’t diffuse the partisan tensions that are leading the country toward dissolution. I’m for transparency. I’m for print reporters being everywhere. I’m for audio transcripts being everywhere. But 90 percent of our committees are about trolling for soundbites. That’s what actually happens. So some of us have other work to do. People can troll for soundbites whenever they want, but can we at least have a sense of when we are going to take our vote so people can come back?”
Committee Chairman Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) said, “Senator Sasse, I don’t think they’re trolling for soundbites. I think they’re genuinely upset with what I’m doing.”
Sasse said, “My criticism here is bipartisan.”
Graham shot back, “I don’t think I’m trolling for a soundbite. I’m trying to defend what I think we need to be doing as chairman. There happens to be a TV camera. I think we’d be having the same conversation if there wasn’t a television camera. So no, I find the whole comment offensive.”
Follow Pam Key on Twitter @pamkeyNEN