Darrell Issa Declares War on John Boehner as Benghazi Investigation Turns Into a Circus

The big House Benghazi investigation has turned into a full blown circus, as John Boehner has lost control over Darrell Issa, who has gone rogue, and is trashing Boehner’s big plans.

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Here is a transcript of Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-MD) explaining the meltdown in the House GOP to CNN’s Wolf Blitzer:

BLITZER: What exactly is going on?

REP. CUMMINGS: I think the Speaker has lost control of Issa. Mr. Issa’s trying to interject himself into the Select Committee’s business. Keep in mind, Wolf, when the Select Committee was formed what the Speaker said was everything comes under the Select Committee. Now, here we have Mr. Issa trying to bring the Secretary in, and the Secretary is saying, you know, I’m going to come, but I’m just going to come one time. This is it. By the way, Wolf, it undermines the Select Committee. It undermines them. This is the very thing they were worried about.

BLITZER: I thought if there was a Select Committee, it would supersede the other committees.

CUMMINGS: That’s exactly right….I can tell you. I would think that Trey (Gowdy) would be a little upset about this. In other words, it’s his committee now, the Select Committee, and now he sees Issa operating on the outside, and the Speaker said it would not be a circus, but we’ve got a circus on the side.

Blitzer and Cummings both agreed that Sec. of State Kerry wouldn’t know anything, because he was a senator and not the Sec. of State at the time of the attack.

Yesterday, Issa sabotaged the Select Committee by disclosing details of a memo that confirms that the White House was telling the truth about Benghazi. At the time, it was speculated that Issa was bitter about the Benghazi investigation being taken away from him. Rep. Issa’s behavior today proves that he is actively working to sabotage Boehner’s Select Committee investigating Benghazi.

This whole sideshow has turned into an epic circus before the Special Committee has even formally been seated. I agree with Rep. Cummings. Boehner has lost all control of Issa, who is now acting on his own. The whole let’s get Obama with Benghazi plan is melting into complete chaos and dysfunction.

The great Benghazi investigation is a total joke, as Boehner, Issa, and company are getting what they deserve for trying to exploit the deaths of four Americans for partisan political gain.

Jason Easley

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