Mueller and Dems Fall Flat

 Robert S. Mueller III was evasive and impenetrable
yesterday in his two appearances before Congress.

An unconvincing star and a congressional cast held in contempt by most of the public combined for instantly forgettable political theater yesterday.

"[T]he movie Americans tuned into on Wednesday was not the blockbuster Democrats had sought," summed up the New York Times in its fair-minded coverage.

It didn't have to be.

Two congressional chairs could have made it plain to former Special Counsel Robert S. Mueller III in opening statements what they were looking for:

Look, we're not looking for a reading list. You just took an oath to speak the truth. That's what we want. Tell us what you think. Explain your reasoning. Tell the American people the truth. The stakes are high.

Plain-speaking candor was absent yesterday.

There was no Sam J. Ervin Jr. winning the country's hearts in the Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities.

''Because I can understand the English language. It's my mother tongue,'' said Ervin famously in an exchange with the odious John D. Erlichman who claimed national security explained the break-in of Daniel Ellsberg's psychiatrist.

Make no mistake, for the purpose of the committees eliciting truth, Mueller was a hostile witness.

Few appeared intent on holding Mueller to account.

The American people have cause to doubt the integrity of Mueller's team, and the commitment to truth in the evasive man on national television yesterday.