The GOP’s Benghazi house of cards has collapsed, and now Democrats are eviscerating Darrell Issa and his fellow Republicans for overreaching and politicizing a tragedy.
Rep. Elijah E. Cummings the Ranking Member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform blasted Rep. Darrell Issa for going back on his word to hold a public hearing with the Accountability Review Board that examined the security situation in Benghazi.
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Today’s subpoena is a stark example of extreme Republican overreach and the shameful politicization of this tragedy. Chairman Issa’s accusations keep getting shot down one by one, but he simply resorts to even more extreme measures. After falsely accusing former Secretary Clinton of lying to Congress, falsely accusing the White House of deliberately misleading the American people, and falsely accusing the military of withholding critical assistance on the night of the attacks, the Chairman is now accusing Admiral Mullen, the former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Ambassador Pickering, a seven-time U.S. ambassador, of being complicit in a cover-up.
Both Admiral Mullen and Ambassador Pickering have made clear that they stand ready and willing to testify at a public hearing to respond directly to these reckless accusations, but Chairman Issa is now imposing new conditions to keep them behind closed doors. The Chairman should reverse his decision, conduct a responsible and bipartisan investigation, and allow the American people to hear directly from these officials.
As the ranking member on the committee, Rep. Cummings is leading the Democratic pushback against Rep. Issa, Sen. Lindsey Graham, and other Republicans who have politicized Benghazi. There is no cover-up, but Republicans keep moving the goalposts in their never ending quest to find the scandal that never was.
A backlash is growing against these relentless Republican attempts to drum up an Obama scandal. While Darrell Issa chases conspiracy theories while the walls are crumbling around the Republican Party. Republicans have politicized a tragedy to the point where it has become an insult to the victims, and for that there will be a price to pay.
Gallup recently concluded that the number of Americans who are paying attention to the Benghazi and IRS stories is well below average. The Republican habit of looking for a scandal in everything President Obama does has resulted in most Americans tuning out their cries of wolf.
Instead of being the scandal that would bring down Obama, Benghazi is turning into another reason for many Americans to not trust, or vote Republican.
That’s what’s called a Benghazi backfire.
Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
