Bob Sirott's One More Thing About Rahm Emanuel's Residency Hearing

Chicago - One more thing about the Rahm Emanuel residency hearing. That's a nice sounding name for what it really was: an inquisition of insanity.

Next time there's an important legal issue to be resolved, how about limiting who can ask the questions to just people who can be understood by earthlings.

I don't know where he's going to blow off steam tonight, but I think Rahm Emanuel is going to need a place that serves harder liquor than Manny's.

One lunatic asked in all seriousness: "Do you or the President have the book of secrets from the Nicholas Cage movie 'National Treasure?'"

So what did all this accomplish? It's probably the best thing that could have happened to Emanuel in this campaign: No matter what your political views, you had to feel sorry for him.

Only in America can someone be in the Oval Office negotiating with leaders of the free world one minute, and the next -- in a Loop basement being degraded by rejects from an old "Let's Make a Deal" audience.

Just when Rod Blagojevich has faded from the national memory, we give this gift of comedy to the nation so we can be embarrassed again. If only we spent this kind of time, money, and effort questioning mayoral candidates about crime, education, and the city budget.

And there's nothing funny about that.