It’s not a game. It’s war. And the Democrats think they are entitled to set the rules of engagement. I have a message for Jerry Nadler. No matter what you call this obsession of torturing the Republicans through your Impeachment Hearings or Impeachment Inquiries or Impeachment Interviews, it is an affront to this country and its citizens.

The latest warrior (what else would be an appropriate label?) to take on the House Judiciary Committee was Corey Lewandowski. Now I’m not a fan of Lewandowski; he’s struck me as a hothead and his pushing a reporter (or whatever he did that led to his firing) was unwise, at the very least. But I was impressed with how he handled himself at his hearing yesterday, and essentially controlled the dialogue with the Democrats. Although others have pushed back on the committee in the past (interim Attorney General Matthew Whittaker, for one), Corey is now a private citizen and was savvy enough to know how far he could push the committee. Others who are called up before the Judiciary Committee should take notes. Here’s what I observed:

• When they insult you—don’t be defensive. When one representative accused him of being “chicken” (a very dignified characterization) when he didn’t communicate a request from President Trump to AG Sessions, he said he’d decided that taking his kids to the beach was a higher priority. He not only pushed back, but he was making a statement about the lack of seriousness in the workings of government.
• When they try to lecture you—about your lack of disclosure, decorum, or cooperation, interrupt by asking them to express their questions. Let them know that you’d rather not be a victim of their grandstanding and insults.
• When they attack the President—remind them that the Mueller Report didn’t find any evidence of obstruction or collusion. They already know this truth, but it’s a valuable tactic to remind the viewing public that the hearing is a sideshow.
• When they ask you to remember a situation described in the Mueller report from months ago—ask them to refer to the page and paragraph. This tactic will not only annoy them, but it will remind everyone that the committee is going over the same information that has already been covered, in an effort to intimidate others they may interview in the future.
• When they question your motives—remind them that you came willingly to the hearing, and that you’ve come before them several other times. (The fact that it bolstered his image when he may be running for Senate in New Hampshire, was, well, a bonus.)

There are probably many other lessons from Corey Lewandowski’s testimony that we can glean. I believe that it’s important not just to annoy the committee or make their job more difficult, but to demonstrate to citizens that the Democrats’ actions are wasting the money of citizens, are hyper-political, and are preventing a group of Representatives (Democrats and Republicans) from doing the jobs for which they were elected: governing the country.