From Yahoo News (HT: Drudge):
Televised congressional hearings often serve as a platform for members of Congress to berate, bloviate and showboat for the cameras, but at a House Natural Resources Committee hearing Tuesday, historian Douglas Brinkley wouldn't stand for it.
The topic at hand was drilling in the the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. The trouble began when Alaska Republican Rep. Don Young misstated Brinkley's name after referring to the hearing as "an exercise in futility." In a certain breach of protocol, Brinkley cut him off.
Young didn't like that one bit.
"You just be quiet," Young demanded.
"You don't own me," Brinkley shot back. "I pay your salary!"
Washington Republican Rep. Doc Hastings, the chairman of the committee, tried to break it up, but then Brinkley interrupted him.
"I work for the private sector," Brinkley said.
When the chairman returned the floor to Young, the rumble began anew.
"We're the ones who ask the questions, and you're the one who answers the questions," Young said. "Boy I'm really pissed right now."
Obviously, it's a must-watch; you can see the exchange in the video above.
Me: My, my. As one person suggested, it's worth watching the reaction of the girl sitting behind the Congressman. As far as policy goes, I don't agree with Brinkley, a history professor at Rice University and author of “The Quiet World” about efforts to protect the Alaskan wilderness. He advocates making ANWR a national monument to protect it from oil and gas drilling. But Brinkley is absolutely right. As a taxpayer, he does pay the Congressman's salary! Luke Miller, a spokesman for Representative Young, said the fiery exchange was “nothing more than a publicity stunt by Mr. Brinkley in order to sell books.” If so, it may prove an effective strategy. At the least, I don't think the Congressman's supercilious attitude will play well with the viewing public.