But the Mueller report’s legal errors are so significant that the House committees have a duty to press him to correct them through something like cross-examination. Cross-examining such is no simple task. Moreover, Mueller has promised to be such a reluctant witness that any questioning must be done by experienced experts with enough time for follow-ups. Cross-examining a smart and experienced lawyer —and rightly a hero to many—is a hard needle to thread legally and politically. And those complexities underscore the need for members of Congress to step aside and get some expert help.

Relying on expert questioners in place of elected officials isn’t common, but shouldn’t be so unusual. In moments of great national crisis—most notably Watergate, and also in the Iran-Contra scandal—members have been willing to concede the spotlinght and let more experienced lawyers handle the proceedings.

In Watergate, when members of Congress had questions for some of the most high-profile witnesses, or when they knew that the questions would produce bombshells, they didn’t keep the airtime for themselves. They graciously and wisely assigned the questioning to the committee counsel, and gave them time to probe and follow-up.