[Steve_Seattle]

"If you look at the committee members, almost all of the Republican ones are old men who don't have too much of a political or legal background. Thus, they are feckless, lazy and easily cowed by leftist screeching."

It's hardly true that they don't have much of a political background (Gorton, for example, was a long-time U.S. Senator), but they DO seem "easily cowed by leftist screeching." They all seem to be RINO's or borderline RINO's, and two of the defining characteristics of a RINO are (1) to want to be approved by the media and (2) to be a bit full of one's self. Hence they don't want to make waves and want to fortify the image of the commission as something terribly important and professional.

[GulliverSwift]

I didn't say they were all non-politicians. Some of them are. Almost none of them is a lawyer. This matters greatly when being able to come up with talking points on the fly and knowning how to deflect an opponent's move. The Republicans on the committee are like sheep in a forest of wolves. They have no idea just how vicious their "colleagues" are and are continually being eaten alive.

[WestCoastGal]

"to want to be approved by the media and (2) to be a bit full of one's self."

Ted Olson said exactly that on Larry King last night. I don't know if transcripts are available for that interview, but it's definitely worth looking up if you didn't see it.