Getting a straight answer in Washington can be impossible

Anybody who has ever had to try to get something fixed in a record held by a federal agency knows what a frustrating process that can be. Uncooperative bureaucrats can make life miserable, callers can be transferred from one faceless department to another, and endless forms and reviews can make purgatory look like a better place.

But take heart because sometimes congressmen run into similar obstacles when questioning high-ranking government witnesses.