The contradiction of the just

In this seven-minute video the nation's most perceptive, penetrating and articulate politician, Sen. Chris Murphy — I'm objectively biased — tears into cabinet secretary Kristi Noem concerning her flagrant illegal activities. (My thanks to Tom Sullivan at Hullabaloo for highlighting the video, and to a reader for pointing me to Sullivan's post, which expands on the visual.)

Every Murphian word is true, beginning with the senator telling Noem that her "department is out of control." Murphy's aggressive clarity was refreshing. Ultimately, though, the video depressed me (like I needed more of that). Noem's department is perfectly free to be "out of control," because her boss is. And there is no power, other than Congress, that can stop him. Yet as Murphy briefly mentions, the congressional majority is not the least interested in reining in this out-of-control tyrant, pardon the redundancy.

Still, though these seven minutes may serve to heap despondency on you as well, Murphy's virtuoso performance is a must-see — far too rarely seen among the country's elected representatives who swore to uphold the Constitution of the United States. One gathers that they — Republicans all — have decided that that portion of their oath was either a gag or an intended dismissibility.