Taking a stand for ... lack of accountability?

So, as you probably heard, AG Alberto Gonzales is taking the stand today on Capitol Hill to give testimony in the hearings over the illegal wire tap scandal. So what is the first thing that the the Republicans on the committee do?

SPECTER: So the question is, should the ruling of the chair be upheld that Attorney General Gonzales not be sworn?

HATCH: Aye.

GRASSLEY: Aye.

DEWINE: Aye.

GRAHAM: Aye.

KYL: Aye.

CORNYN: Aye.

SPECTER: By proxy, for Sen. Brownback, aye. Sen. Coburn – We’ve got enough votes already. Sen. Leahy?

LEAHY: Emphatically, no.

KENNEDY: No.

BIDEN: No.

KOHL: No.

FEINSTEIN: No.

FEINGOLD: No.

SPECTER: Aye. The ayes have it.

FEINGOLD: Mr. Chairman, I request to see the proxies given by the Republican senators.

SPECTER: Could you repeat that Sen. Feingold?

FEINGOLD: I request to see the proxies given by the Republican senators.

SPECTER: The practice is to rely upon the staffers. But without counting that vote – Well, we can rephrase the question if there’s any serious challenge of the proxies. This is really not a very good way to begin this hearing.

So the GOP members decided that the Attorney General, testifying before Congress in this explosive matter, should not be sworn in and testify under oath. Specter was right when he said it's "not a very good way" to begin, but for entirely different reasons than he intended.