Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA) asked questions of key public import and interest during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing with FBI Director Christopher Wray on Tuesday, including some about Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador.

That should be expected of a United States senator. Unfortunately, most senators have a tendency to use hearings to posture for political appeal and generate made-for-TV soundbites. Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) offered an example in kind when questioning the FBI director. Did Van Hollen ask Wray about Chinese or Russian intelligence service threats? Did he ask him about the domestic terrorist threat? Did he ask him about Iranian assassination plots? Did he ask him about election security?