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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

All These Hearings And No Listening

Anne Windishar/For The Editorial

Ted Kennedy has Bob Packwood to blame. Packwood can look to Waco and Whitewater. Democrats under fire are being punished for decades of dominance over hostile Republicans.

When did this game of political ping-pong begin? Maybe with the Iran-Contra hearings? Watergate?

Regardless, congressional hearings in the Beltway are as common this summer as humidity, hanging in the air and stifling the true duty of elected officials: governing.

Instead, accusations are flying; investigations are under way. Forget whether or not someone did something wrong, politicians just want to make the other side look bad.

The latest laugh comes from Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky, who as Ethics Committee chairman is threatening to bring up misconduct hearings against Sen. Edward Kennedy for the drowning incident at Chappaquidick - 26 years ago. His threat was in response to Barbara Boxer’s promise to force a vote to require public hearings for Packwood, something McConnell is backing away from.

Currently our most prestigious governing body is tossing around ultimatums like the Mafia.

U.S. senators have better things to do than try to one-up each other on the embarrassment meter. That’s not to say there’s no need for congressional hearings, but the motives are all wrong.

In Packwood’s case, questions have been raised about the Oregon senator’s treatment of women over his three-decade career. Some of them are old complaints of sexual harassment; the most recent is from 1990. Packwood has also drawn fire for altering his personal diaries when he learned the ethics committee might subpoena them, and for soliciting a job for his wife from lobbyists and businessmen with legislative interests.

His friends say he’s been set up. His detractors say his true colors are showing. The public doesn’t really know yet and certainly won’t come any closer if Republican interests continue to stonewall hearings.

The goal of all the recent hearings should be finding the truth - not grandstanding, not campaigning. Hearings on Packwood shouldn’t be held to send a message against sexual harassment, or to hand-slap a long-time politician.

The hearings are important because the reputation and integrity of Congress is not a small issue. It’s worth defending.

, DataTimes The following fields overflowed: CREDIT = Anne Windishar/For the editorial board