I love New Yorkers. I mean, I am one, and I also love them. Us.

Anyhow, Rep. Kathleen Rice (D-NY), ranking Dem on the House's Subcommittee on Counterterrorism and Intelligence, asked if top DHS officials agreed with our intelligence agencies' assessments (and the Senate Intelligence Committee's assessment) that Russia interfered with our elections in 2016. Two of those top officials, Soraya Correa and John Zangardi refused to take a position.

This did not go well for them. Let's just say Rice's bullshit detector was set on high, and her threshold was low. Just a few words into Correa's fumbling non-answer to the Yes or No question, Rice pulled the classic, sharp-toned "I have stop you there." This drew a comically contrite response from Correa, who immediately recoiled, placed her hands in her lap, and said, "I'm sorry." And yet...

Correa ultimately claimed she had no opinion on whether Russia interfered.

Rep. Rice told her, "That is frightening. FRIGHTENING."

Then, pointing to Zagardi, Rice said, "How 'bout you?"

ZAGARDI: Yes, thank you for the opportu...

RICE: YES OR NO? Do you agree with the findings?

ZAGARDI: Ma'am, I'm here to testify to the authority...

(Oh, John. John. That was a piss-poor idea.)

RICE: No, you're here to ANSWER MY QUESTIONS...If we can’t get people here … to acknowledge that there was interference in the 2016 election, none of you should be in the positions that you’re in to protect us in 2018, or 2020...So, Yes or No?

She gave him another chance to say whether he accepted the obvious or if he was a spineless POS who cared nothing for our democracy or our safety. Because we New Yorkers may be tough, but we do have hearts, right?

AND HE SCREWED IT UP AGAIN!!! Again, with the, "Ma'am, I'm not here to..."

So, I'm sure you agree Rep. Rice had no choice but to drag him sideways until he finally answered. Unfortunately, it was the same answer as Correa's. The drubbing would have been beautiful to watch if not for the fact that these twatwaffles are actually in charge of protecting our electoral process.

Thank god the other two on the panel quickly said they do, indeed, agree with the IC's findings about Russian interference, which resulted in a relieved Rep Rice exclaiming, "THANK you. I appreciate you both answering a question that everyone on the panel should be able to answer."

The whole episode did, however, also lead to a grand hot mic moment at the very end of the hearing. It happens at the 1:23:49 mark.

“It’s just f---ing outrageous. They have no right being in the positions that they’re in, if they don’t take a position like that. No right,” Rice, the ranking Democrat on the House Homeland Security subcommittee on counterterrorism and intelligence, could be heard saying once the hearing concluded. Rep. J. Luis Correa (D-Calif.) replied: “They are not going to put their jobs at risk.” “Well guess what, then are you American, or are you, do you, you know, get a job somewhere else,” Rice said. “Give me a f---ing break.” The exchange was first reported by Politico’s Eric Geller.

Funny thing, too — the very next day, Deputy AG Rod Rosenstein announced indictments of twelve (TWELVE!) Russian military and intelligence officers in the hacking of the DNC and Hillary Clinton's campaign. But, nooooooooo. Two of the four senior officials from DHS just the day before were either in denial or not interested in protecting our elections. Don't expect any number of indictments, or any amount of questioning from the toughest and smartest New Yorkers to change that.