James Murdoch has been hauled back before Britain’s Parliament to answer questions about what he knew and to what extent he is culpable in the News of the World/phone hacking scandal. In the BBC clip linked below, MP Tom Watson asks Murdoch if he knows what “omerta” means (Murdoch demurs). Then Murdoch embarks on a “mistakes were made” (well, “it is regrettable that things went wrong”) statement that culminates with Watson asking Murdoch if he felt a comparison between News UK and the Mafia was apt. Murdoch disagrees. Watson finishes by noting that Murdoch must be “the first Mafia boss in history who didn’t know he was running a criminal enterprise.” To which Murdoch replies, “Mr Watson, please.”
It’s quite a moment.