The televised hearings that begin Thursday into the deadly attack on the U.S. Capitol will need to produce show-stopping moments to grab a divided, distracted nation that has largely moved on.
It’s a tall order.
At their best, congressional hearings capture the public’s imagination, reveal scoundrels, lead to landmark reforms, and even make stars of questioners and witnesses. Exhibit A is the Watergate testimony in 1973 that helped end a presidency.