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AG Bill Barr refused to show up to Democrat-run House hearing a day after sparring with senators about his role in vetting and releasing the Mueller report
House Democrats had demanded Barr submit to questioning from staff lawyers as well as elected congressmen and women
They convened the hearing anyway, with Barr's chair left empty and only the chairman and ranking Republican allowed to speak
One Democrat arrived with a bucket of KFC, eating it at 9:00 a.m. to underscore the claim that Barr was too 'chicken' to show up
The food ended up on the witness table along with a plastic chicken
Chairman Jerrold Nadler insists Barr must show up and must hand over an unredacted copy of the Mueller report, something that would be illegal
Federal law prohibits disclosure, even to Congress, of info related to grand juries; the DOJ has already unmasked all the other redactions for lawmakers

By David Martosko, U.s. Political Editor For Dailymail.com

Published: 10:05 EDT, 2 May 2019 | Updated: 11:26 EDT, 2 May 2019

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The latest chapter in the battle between congressional Democrats and Bob Barr played out in big-top circus fashion during an abbreviated hearing Thursday, with President Trump's attorney general represented by an empty chair and his enemies gloating that Barr was too 'chicken' to show up.

Tennessee Democratic Rep. Steve Cohen brought a bucket of KFC to drive the point home, eating a piece at 9:00 in the morning while reporters gawked and camera shutters clicked. The food ended its brief cameo on the witness table, along with a ceramic chicken, next to what would have been Barr's name placard.

Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler opted to convene the hearing rather than waste a made-for-TV tableau after Barr refused to show up, with the Justice Department citing Nadler's demand that staff attorneys should be able to question him in addition to elected lawmakers.

'Given the Attorney General’s lack of candor before other congressional committees,' Nadler said in an opening statement, referring to Barr's hours-long grilling Wednesday on the Senate side ofthe Capitol, 'I believe my colleagues and I were right to insist on the extended questioning.'

Ranking Republican Rep. Doug Collins of Georgia hit the roof, saying Democrats were treating Barr as a proxy for Trump because they 'can't' or 'don't want' to publicly impeach him.

Democrats in the House Judiciary Committee held an abbriviated hearing on Thursday with a plastic chicken standing in for Attorney General Bill Barr, who refused to attend because the chairman demanded he submit himself to questions from staff lawyers in addition to lawmakers

Hearing organizers arranged a bipartisan tableau facing an empty chair on Thursday

House Judiciary Committee Chair Jerrold Nadler slammed Barr for refusing to appear, and threatened the Justice Department with action for refusing to turn over an unredacted copy of Special Counsel Robert Mueller's report on Russia election interference

Cut off: Trump-loving Florida Republican Matt Gaetz started protesting noisily after Nadler gaveled the House Judiciary Committee - and then had his microphone cut off

Barr, who spent house testifying in a Senate hearing on Wednesday and was seen leaving his house Thursday, can't release an unredacted copy of the report to anyone, including Congress, because federal law requires him to protect material related to grand juries; all the other redactions have been uncovered in a copy made available to congressional leaders from both parties

'The stunt and the circus continues over here,' he boomed.

'They wanted to have a staff member ask questions?' Collins asked. 'If that staff member wants to ask questions so desperately, run for Congress! Put a pin on. Find a committee.'

Nadler quickly gaveled the hearing to a close, ignoring other Republicans' demands for parliamentary questions about the event's format and whether they would have a chance to speak.

One, Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz, complained as Democrats stood to leave that he wasn't allowed to 'seek legitimate inquiry as to the procedures —'

Tennessee Democratic Rep. Steve Cohen brought a bucketof KFC chicken to the hearing room on Thursday and ate a piece as reporters gawked; it was 9 o'clock in the morning

Seeing that his microphone had been cut off, he stood and left, still steaming.

Nadler also objected on Wednesday to President Trump's vow that he would fight 'all' the Democrats' subpoenas, a victory-lap move that ratcheted up already boiling political tensions in the wake of a positive Mueller report.

'It is urgent that we see the documents we have subpoenaed,' Nadler said, venting about the Justice Department's refusal to unmask all the redacted material in Mueller's report.

'The average person is not free to ignore a congressional subpoena, and neither is the president.'

Ranking Republican committee member Doug Collins of Georgia blasted Democrats for holding a 'circus' hearing, while Nadler paid no attention

Nadler set up a showdown on Thursday that could see legal steps to compel Barr's appearance, or a contempt citation if he refuses

Democrats in the hearing room cut off a lone Republican dissenter's microphone, but enjoyed the spotlight moment fueled by Cohen's chicken props

The DOJ has already sent a version of Mueller's report to congressional leaders, removing all the redactions except those related to grand jury testimony – a category that it can't legally intrude on.

CNN reported Wednesday that only Collins and South Carolina Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham have checked into the secure room where that copy is kept.

Graham said he had not read the full report.

Nadler, though, insisted that Barr will be held responsible if Democrats aren't handed a clean copy without any redactions at all.

'If he does not provide this committee with the information it demands and the respect that it deserves, Mr. Barr’s moment of accountability will come soon enough,' he said.

Barr faces the possibility of a civil or criminal contempt citation for declining Nadler's demand to appear on Thursday, and for refusing to turn over the unredacted Mueller report.