But what was nonetheless revealing about the meeting was the fact that Republicans — who had weeks to prepare for this particular event, and have been campaigning against reform for a year — didn't bother making a case that could withstand even minimal fact-checking.
Their goal is to extract what they call minimal facts.
From the start, McCain's involvement in the scandal appeared to be minimal — in fact, Robert S. Bennett, who served as special outside counsel in the investigation of the senators, suggested that McCain and John Glenn be dropped from the case.
At the Floating Pool, beautifully designed by Jonathan Kirschenfeld with its dramatic and symbolically resonant views — Rikers Island in one direction, the Manhattan skyline in another — trouble has been minimal, a fact owing to the ennobling capacity of good architecture or, perhaps more realistically, to engaged, preventative policing.
Rather than being keen on taxes and public spending, European liberals are often derided (notably in France) for seeking minimal government in fact, for denying that government has any useful role at all, aside from pruning vital regulation and subverting the norms of decency that impede the poor from being ground down.
Later phase investments will be relatively safer as the antibiotic nears completion of all regulatory hurdles, but the savings will be subsequently minimal In fact, if the call option is fairly priced, as it enters the final phase of testing it will reflect nearly the market cost of the soon to be approved drug.
His policy differences with Mr Sharon over the withdrawal plan are, in fact, minimal.
However, contact was in fact minimal and Costa seemed to throw himself to the ground after squandering a glorious scoring opportunity.
Spanish TV channel Cuatro felt compelled to dredge up one scored by the "Blond Arrow", Alfredo di Stéfano, against Atlético Madrid in 1954 to hold up against it, although the resemblance was in fact minimal.
It was salty but not revolting as he drank, urinated, drank again, peed again, in a cycle that felt as if it was providing at least minimal hydration; in fact, it was exacerbating their dehydration.
But the two American officials, who have knowledge of the investigation, say the inquiry by the American-led coalition has made scant progress in large part because top Afghan generals and Defense Ministry officials have provided only minimal cooperation, a fact that has deepened American suspicions.
