What and When

Glen Reynolds of Instapundit notes the passing of two Watergate-era figures:

Howard Baker, who famously asked “what did the President know and when did he know it?” and Johnnie Walters, the IRS Commissioner who refused to go along with Nixon’s efforts to target his enemies. Both were Republicans who stood up for the rule of law.

Where are the Democrats willing to stand up for it under this Administration?

It is striking to watch the Democrats during the investigation of this scandal. The IRS has targeted American citizens for their political beliefs. The resultant lies and stonewalling by the IRS and the Obama administration should be condemned by anyone who believes that government agencies should not be weaponized. And that includes leading Democrats in Washington.

Instead we hear Democrat members of the committee suggest that this is a "witch hunt." We hear others suggest that the investigation is being conducted solely for political purposes. And still others try to protect IRS bureaucrats who are either blatantly lying or breathtakingly incompetent.

Do the Democrats on the House committee honestly believe that there is nothing serious going on? Do they honestly believe that we have all the answers and that we've had "enough" or "too many" investigations"? Do they honestly believe that this president has done all he could to ensure that this never happens again?

A lot has changed since the Watergate era, but good men and women should still put the law and the country ahead of their political party. Howard Baker did. So did John Walters. I'm still waiting for the first Democrat to stand up and say, “what did the President know and when did he know it?”