On a day where the unemployment rate fell to pre-financial crisis levels, and a month after private insurance enrollments through the ACA exceeded all expectations, Republicans decided to focus on the only thing they now think they can hammer President Obama on — Benghazi. Yes, nearly two years after the tragic events that unfolded on September 11th, 2012 and took the lives of four Americans, House Republicans are pushing for additional investigations into, well, I’m not even sure exactly what it IS they are looking for. It seems to be something to do with talking points and Sunday shows and the White House trying to save face, or something like that.
On Friday, Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA), Chairman of the House Oversight Committee, subpoenaed Secretary of State John Kerry to appear before yet another hearing on Benghazi, this one scheduled for May 21st. In the letter that Issa sent to Kerry, Issa used threatening and disrespectful language, giving the impression that he feels that Kerry may not appear or take the hearing seriously. It also gave Issa the chance to show how big a man he is.
“The State Department’s response to the congressional investigation of the Benghazi attack has shown a disturbing disregard for the Department’s legal obligations to Congress…Compliance with a subpoena for documents is not a game. Because your Department is failing to meet its legal obligations, I am issuing a new subpoena to compel you to appear before the Committee to answer questions about your agency’s response to the congressional investigation of the Benghazi attack.”
On top of that, Speaker of the House John Boehner (R-OH) announced that he will put together a select committee to further investigate into Benghazi. This is on the heels of the ‘smoking gun’ emails that conservative watchdog group Judicial Watch posted earlier this week. Conservative media has gone wild talking about the emails that were written days after the protests in the Middle East, which included the attack on the consulate in Benghazi. ABC’s Jonathan Karl pushed White House Press Secretary Jay Carney on the content of the emails shortly after they were released. Carney insisted that the emails mostly just discussed foreign policy as it related to the events that transpired in the Middle East, as opposed to formulating a specific strategy with how to frame the attacks in Benghazi.
While anyone who has actually read these emails can see that Carney is telling the truth and that it is more of an overall discussion of policy as it relates to the Middle East, and that there is no ‘smoking gun’ showing that the White House purposely looked to mislead the public about what transpired in Benghazi, Boehner has decided to jump on board with the rest of the crazy train and go all in on Benghazi. He released a statement detailing the reasons why he is forming this select committee.
“The House will vote to establish a new select committee to investigate the attack, provide the necessary accountability, and ensure justice is finally served,” the Speaker said in a statement…The administration’s withholding of documents – emails showing greater White House involvement in misleading the American people – is a flagrant violation of trust and undermines the basic principles of oversight upon which our system of government is built. And it forces us to ask the question, what else about Benghazi is the Obama administration still hiding from the American people?”
Previously, Boehner had stayed pretty much clear of Benghazi, allowing other House Republicans like Issa and Jason Chaffetz of Utah to be in the forefront. However, with the economy looking up, the unemployment rate decreasing and Obamacare looking like a rousing success, Republicans need something to hammer the President and Democrats with as we head into campaign season. Benghazi appears to be their new key issue. Boehner jumping in on Friday and announcing that a select committee will be established shows that the GOP will pivot from Obamacare and refocus their energies on Benghazi.
While Obamacare and the economy were going to be losing issues for the Republicans this summer and fall, at least those are legitimate policy issues. Trying to focus a campaign around a conspiracy theory which centers around talking points, Sunday shows and the use of the word ‘terrorism’ seems like a terrible proposition. Yet, it seems like that is the direction the GOP is going in these next few months.
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