We’ve now passed the hour mark on Ward 3 Councilmember Mary Cheh’s oversight hearing on the hiring policies of Mayor Vince Gray and his administration. But so far, the most notable news is who isn’t testifying at the hearing: Sulaimon Brown, former Gray Chief of Staff Gerri Mason Hall, Gray campaign chair Lorraine Green and campaign consultant and alleged bag man Howard Brooks, who weren’t even on the hearing’s witness list. (UPDATE: Brown told media that he didn’t receive an invitation to come to the hearing until today; Cheh staffer Jay Carmona says that “Mr. Brown did not respond to several calls” inviting him to testify.) During his opening statement, Councilmember David Catania (I-At-Large) said that the witness list “does leave me a little wanting.” Cheh’s office told Alan Suderman that the Councilmember is planning to hold a second hearing on April 7 with more witnesses, but for today it sounds like — barring someone crashing the hearing — we’ll have to settle by being entertained with Catania and Marion Barry’s grandstanding/sniping at one other. To wit: Barry accused Catania of basing his criticisms of the administration on his distaste for Gray and making “loose and wild statements that the government is for sale,” after which Catania responded, “I will respectfully decline having my Ward 8 colleague serve as my moral and ethical compass.”

The hearing is streaming here, for those interested in following along.