Call it a draw

If you were expecting surprises or a gotcha moment at yesterday’s joint hearing about NASA inspector general Robert Cobb, you were probably very disappointed when the three-and-a-half-hour hearing finally ended. Everyone stuck to their scripts: former OIG employees described their encounters with Cobb when they worked for him, key members of the House and Senate reiterated their demands that Cobb resign, while Cobb himself, other than admitting to the use of some strong language, professed his innocence to the other claims about his actions. The whole affair seems no closer to an end now than it was before the hearing: Cobb shows no signs of stepping down, while his Congressional critics made vague statements about taking further action. As Congressional Quarterly notes, “Though Congress has no formal role in determining Cobb’s employment status, lawmakers can exert pressure on the Bush administration to remove him.”