Senators may (appear to) be naive, ignorant, unteachable. It might even be true. Their staff and advisors most certainly are not. When Sen Orrin Hatch is askin

Senators may (appear to) be naive, ignorant, unteachable. It might even be true. Their staff and advisors most certainly are not. When Sen Orrin Hatch is asking stupid questions about facebook and ads, it's most certainly an act. For the benefit of the blue hairs back home. As a former activist, I assume any public hearing is performance art. Personal anecdote. One time the rules were suspended and I was allowed to testify about a bill being considered. I pointed out the vendor they were about to award an important contract appeared to be out of business. No phone, website offline, offices shuttered. (I had prev made sure some contacts from the local media were present.) Whoops! Immediate recess. Hour later they reconvene. That bill is promptly tabled and onto next order of business. Exactly zero comment made about the matter. That council never repeated the mistake of letting me go off script.