Romney: If Chen reports true, 'it's a day of shame for the Obama administration'

[CBHagman]

14. The Republicans are mounting rapid response on this...

...even before we can verify what happened.

Today Congressman Chris Smith (R-NJ) and Congressman Frank Wolf (R-VA) had a hearing on the case of Chen Guangcheng...and duly trotted out people with conservative credentials who would praise the Reagan administration and lambaste the Obama administration.

Here's a link to Frank Wolf's statement, and please notice the respect he accords himself (Wolf is nothing if not self-referencing):

http://wolf.house.gov/index.cfm?sectionid=34&itemid=1931

Excerpt:

I have to wonder if there were other forces at work.

Had word come down from on high to resolve the Chen situation, no matter what, prior to the arrival of Secretaries Clinton and Geithner who were headed to Beijing this week for high-level economic and foreign policy talks?

Was there even a hint of coercion or pressure involved?

What were the internal embassy, State Department and White House deliberations?

When the dust settles, I intend to formally request to review all cable traffic, classified or otherwise, that surrounded these negotiations.

Further, the administration has an obligation to release the details of the deal that was struck with the Chinese government, especially given how quickly it appears to have unraveled.

If I can find quotations from the witnesses called in (Michael Horowitz of the Hudson Institute, for instance), I'll post them.