The differences between being a Republican and a Democrat in Congress seems to be that fine line between being simple and being stupid. I would say that as a general rule, Republicans misrepresent complex issues by over simplifying while Democrats grasp issues better but fail to communicate or address them properly because of stupidity.
Case in point, here is Rep. Alan Greyson (as
previously seen on this blog) doing his best to catch Federal Reserve General Counsel Scott Alvarez in a gotcha statement (Spoiler! he fails miserably.)
Ok. I know that Greyson has become a kind of progressive internet hero for his willingness to ask "tough questions." I will also agree with the broad idea of questioning the role of the Fed and its goals with regard to the US economy. Still, Greyson stumbles over his own incompetence when he first assumes that attorney client privilege has any bearing on Alvarez's role as legal council and then when accuses the Fed of "market manipulation," a term that has
specific legal implications that Greyson seems to know nothing about. Alvarez is absolutely on the money when he states that questions about market manipulation are over broad. Generalized charges of manipulation are the equivalent to accusing the NIH of causing disease or the Pentagon of murdering people. These charges are so broad that they almost have to be true when applied to such large institutions with broad mandates. What Greyson really should be doing is asking about the effects or outcomes that
specific policies are
designed to have.
In contrast, here's Sen Al Franken asking some pointed questions of Mark de Bernardo regarding the alleged sexual assault of
Jamie Leigh Jones. Is Franken grandstanding? Probably. But, at least he knows what he's doing.
UPDATE!
Greyson redeems himself in my eyes with this.
