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I saw a bunch of talking heads discussing this on Fox this afternoon, and to paraphrase, they all agreed to this premise, "This is the most highly anticipated appearance before congress in many many years, so they had no choice but to take his testimony behind closed doors."

In other words, the standard for government hearings are - the more interest the people have in the content, the more imperative it is that the people can't listen in.

And all the talking heads acted like this was not only acceptable, but necessary.

Our country is upside down like Guam with an army on it.

“the standard for government hearings are - the mote interest the people have in the content, the more imperative it is that the people can’t listen in”

That’s not exactly right. You must realize hearings are not an inquietude into the truth, nor even an adversarial contest like a trial, though they can drift into either accidentally. They arr dog and pony shows. The less control they have over it, or a combination of that and the more potentially damaging is what might be revealed, the more imperative it is the people not listen.

I realize of course that they can be adversarial as when the parties squabble or the witnesses stray from their role of grandstander or scaredycat—whichever is called for in the script. But that’s merely them trying to hostage eachother and steal the show. Then there’s actual sensitive information that they have a responsibility to hide. Government occassionally does its job. Can’t rule that out altogether.