Is every Congressperson a narcissistic asshole

Every question to Geithner is a rambling accusation and when he attempts to answer they cut him off.

Most.

And then they start yelling because they can't get a straight answer to their nonsensical question.

Quit all the fire-breathing outrage and just ask the damn question.

"Would you repeat that in English, please?"

One of them said the question was poorly worded.

but it helps.

Even the best of them are compelled by rampant self interest. When you have so many lips constantly kissing your ass, as they do, it's difficult to remember you're just a person. Each one is their district's personal rock star, a Lord of the realm while walking among that pocket of three quarters of a million humans. With staffers, lobbyists and constituents all constantly offering to kiss their ass, they almost all get pretty unbearable.

You can see why Bill is such a popular guy. The American public likes seeing narcisstic assholes beat up on scapegoats.

you almost have to be to have pursued politics hard enough and long enough to become a national figure

Answered Woody, "Only if it's done correctly."

:sarcasm:

Just let them answer the damn questions already! Geez. This must be why everyone hates congress so much.

Have a cup of STFU and let him answer the question Sherman.

their constituents back home but its all so fake and over the top. We get it already.

it's the manifestation of that personality that seems to show itself in these instances.

Sadly, our system rewards these narcissistic assholes in lieu of rewarding the people that actually use a hearing to get answers, not make points.

I was pretty disgusted.

and indicates that many of them aren't very bright.

Narcissism might end up being a pathological off-shoot of the attention, power, and confidence that comes with getting into office.

Maybe they all are assholes to some degree after serving for awhile.

I would fight to the best of my ability not to testify. Definitely not in public.

Even if it were a truly trivial matter.

Why? Because regardless of what I was there to say, there'd be somebody who thought I was wrong.

Because different congressfolk ask the same question several ways so that they're "on the record" asking the question, yet get annoyed when you repeat yourself--and if you add information or don't repeat yourself correctly then you're guilty of trying to deceive them; they lecture and pontificate in the interests of saying they got information from you; they cut you off because they want to hear your testimony; they're rude and offensive because it's red meat for their supporters, not because torture gets useful information; they make threats they have no intention of executing to get information that you probably don't have. It's a show trial where the trial is the punishment, a lose-lose situation for you and a win-win situation for them.

In short, it's a circus, they're the animal handlers and you're the animal, except that instead of having one animal per trainer, it's one animal for a dozen trainers, all with different goals. You will be whipped, in other words.

And heaven help you if you actually try to defend yourself. Don't you know that as a citizen you're far inferior to your servants, and need to be put in your place?

You know that if it were held behind closed doors it would be a much more informative and civil process, *and* it would take far less time. You also know that if the transcript weren't going to be released there'd be even less pressure for them to perform because actors tend to cut performances short if there's no reward in it for them. And yet, because all the Congress is both stage and audience, there's always going to be some reward and so there'll always be some lion tamer up there whipping the hamster in front of them just to show the other lion tamers how it's done.

I've never liked circuses, even if it's just because I feel sorry for the animals.