"The Republicans have found time to have Waco hearings," Mr. Panetta said, "they've found time to have Whitewater hearings, they've found time to have roundup hearings."

The Waco hearings - conducted in the same room where the Judiciary Committee conducted its historic debate on the Nixon impeachment - seemed even further removed from the paramount issues that have been at the heart of some memorable investigations of years past.

Not only is the Coalition's director of voter education a former N.R.A. official, but last week Pat Robertson used his daily TV show, "The 700 Club," to lend his powerful endorsement to the N.R.A. script for the Waco hearings.

In addition to watching snippets of the Waco hearing, he wore headphones to monitor a local radio talk show and casually thumbed a copy of the local paper.

Whether or not the Waco hearings produced any new information about the Texas catastrophe, they certainly generated a sizable fresh round of bilious vox pop amid the larger daily flow of reaction.

He has been busily waging the Administration's defense from the minority side at the Waco hearings, his speech script cued up with the best time to wave an assault rifle before the cameras.

Mr. Burton's assertion came after it was disclosed on Friday that an incomplete version of a 1993 F.B.I. lab report had been sent to the Government reform panel as the committee was preparing for Waco hearings in 1995.

"I'm with the Waco hearing team that is putting together the Waco hearing," the message said.

A1 WACO HEARINGS BACKFIRE News Analysis: Democrats prevented Republicans from gaining much traction in their efforts to use the Waco hearings to embarrass the Clinton Administration.

The Waco hearings may accomplish the important task and lead to responsible Congressional oversight of executive branch conduct.