Lieu pounced. “Let me just conclude here by stating the obvious,” he said. “If you want positive search results, do positive things. If you don’t want negative search results, don’t do negative things. To some of my colleagues across the aisle, if you’re getting bad press articles and bad search results, don’t blame Google or Facebook or Twitter. Consider blaming yourself.”
It was an electrifying performance. When King got around to his questioning, he pressed the issue of a “built-in bias” against conservatives, an attack that felt more toothless after Lieu had made an example of him. And in the aftermath of a relatively uneventful and un-gratifying session of testimony, Lieu managed exactly the outcome he had predicted. A Google News result for his name this morning yields headlines that buff his prowess and power: “
Democratic Rep. Ted Lieu Tears Into Republican Colleagues”; “
Rep. Ted Lieu to GOP Colleagues: ‘Consider Blaming Yourself’ for Negative Google Results”; “
Dem Knocks GOP Colleagues: Blame ‘Yourself’ for Unfavorable Google Search Results.” The proof is in the pudding.