Committee Chairman Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah, tried to inoculate himself by declaring: "I love the FBI. My grandfather was in the FBI," But the the theme of the day was that Comey practiced a double standard of justice: one for ordinary people and one for the powerful. Comey replied that prosecuting Clinton would have shown a double standard.

Chaffetz inexplicably name-checked Rep. Trey Gowdy, R-South Carolina, who brought the country the Benghazi hearings. That was like turning to the captain of the Titanic for pointers on sailing.

Gowdy conducted a lengthy law school tutorial on intent and exculpatory statements, while instructing Comey to please keep it short. It's a given, he said, that Clinton was "treated differently than the rest of us" and this was not presented in the form of a question.

Apropos of nothing, Rep. John Mica, R-Florida, asked Comey if he'd seen "Hamilton." Neither had. After all, they are men of the people, and tickets to the blockbuster Broadway musical can cost $1,000. It was just a long windup for Mica to call Comey's decision "choreographed." It brought forth Comey at his G-man best: "Look me in the eye and listen to what I'm about to say: I did not coordinate that with anyone."