Lois Lerner Takes the Fifth for the Second Time; Elijah Cummings Explodes, Calling the Proceedings "Unamerican;" Daryl Issa Cuts Off His Mike

Some Partisan Theater for your morning enjoyment. Video at the link (Mediaite), or below.

Issa asked Cummings if he had any questions for the Fifth-pleading witness, Lois Lerner. Instead of asking a question, Cummings offered another rant. Issa asked him to yield, and Cummings refused, so Issa turned off his microphone and called for an adjournment. Cummings continued to rant (turning off his microphone had little effect given that he was yelling).

Buzzfeed's takeaway will be Issa's "cut him off' gesture, drawing his hand across the neck.

I'm pretty sure that's racist.

While making a statement before the committee, Issa stood up and asked Cummings to yield.

“If you will sit down and allow me to ask a question,” Cummings insisted. “I am a member of a Congress of the United States of America.”

“I am tired of this,” he continued. “You cannot just have a one-sided investigation. There is absolutely something wrong with that, and it is absolutely un-American.”

USA Today adds this:

In response to a series of pointed questions from Issa, Lerner repeatedly said, "On the advice of my counsel, I respectfully exercise my Fifth Amendment right and decline to answer that question."

After less than 15 minutes, Issa adjourned the hearing. "I can see no point in going further," he said.

When the ranking Democrat on the panel, Rep. Elijah Cummings of Maryland, tried to ask a question, Issa told Republicans on the committee they could leave and the hearing was over.

"Shame, shame," Democrats called out.

Hot Air adds this explanation from Issa:

“He was actually slandering me at the moment that the mics did go off by claiming that this had not been a real investigation.”

Video stolen from Hot Air below.

(I hope @drewmtips pardons the light stompening, but I figure people want to discuss this.)

posted by Ace at 10:54 AM

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