Fox News contributor Ari Fleischer said that House Democrats held "secret hearings where Republicans

[Sugarcoated]

..... got to pick no witnesses,” asking, “Why is that fair, but this isn’t fair?”

Why do they keep saying this and how do I combat this talking point? Google isn't helping me.

[BigmanPigman]

1. It's one of their BS talking points.

I heard it a lot today during the trial, especially from the GOP lawyer. Schiff said that it is BS since skiffs were used for privacy in viewing documents and both GOP and Dem reps were allowed to see them. It's another lie they keep repeating to confuse people.

[jimfields33]

7. Who were the ones who broke into the skiff?

They could be referring to that. That was illegal but republicans did it anyway.

[SunSeeker]

2. The GOP did pick their own witnesses, they just backfired against them.

For example, they called Jonathan Turley on the issue of what consitutes an impeachable offense. http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/impeachment-hearings-even-the-gops-witnesses-are-hurting-trump

It may seem like the GOP called no fact witnesses during the House impeachment hearings, since none of their (Tim Morrison & Kurt Volcker) testimony helped them, but they absolutely did call witnesses of their own:

In impeachment hearings, even the GOP's witnesses are hurting Trump

Yesterday was the first day in which the House impeachment inquiry featured public testimony from witnesses requested specifically by Republican members of the panel. As NBC News reported, these witnesses "were expected to provide testimony helpful to the president."

The report added, succinctly, "They did not."
...
Morrison went on to describe a conversation with Sondland, following the ambassador's conversation with Trump, who said Zelensky had to make a statement the White House wanted to hear as a condition for security assistance to be released.
...
Volker amended his testimony from his Oct. 3 closed-door deposition, telling the members of the committee Tuesday that he now sees that others in the Trump administration sought an investigation into the Biden family and that they told Ukraine's government that millions in military aid depended on it. [...

http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/impeachment-hearings-even-the-gops-witnesses-are-hurting-trump

Of course, none of this was reported on Fox News, so if that's the only place Ari Fleisher gets his news, he'd never know any of this.

I don't know why Google didn't help you. I got the above simply by Googling "Republican witnesses in House impeachment hearings" and lots of articles came up.

[Garion_55]

3. If they were secret how did he know about them?

[DeminPennswoods]

4. Thanks for letting us non-Fox News viewers know Ari

Fleischer is as big a liar as ever.

[Duppers]

5. "A lie...

"A lie gets halfway around the world before the truth has a chance to get its pants on."
- Winston Churchill

Not much help but posters above have explanations. The Rethugians actually have think tanks helping create these lying talking points.

As Rachel said: Oil $$$$ is their bottom line. All roads lead to it.

[JHB]

6. "Lying Bush admin mouthpiece Ari Fleischer lied that..."

Fixed some things in your subject line. After all, what's Ari known for?

[riversedge]

8. The RW media is out is full force putting out these lies over and over and MAGA fans

are sucking up the lies.
The lies get more sinister as time goes on.

[Pacifist Patriot]

9. Unfortunately, the combat to this talking point is very easy.

He's lying.

I say unfortunately, because that won't sway anyone who wants to believe otherwise.