The only ones who are buying this Benghazi crap it the 15-20% of willfully ignorant FOX news watchers who already hate
Obama and and would never vote for him anyway.
I am constantly amazed at how diluted the GOP is about it. It’s real effect on any elections is going to be minimal to nonexistent
A boycott is a bad idea. The average Joan and Joe on the street don’t understand the concept of high-minded protest, and it will never be properly explained by the MSM. It will look like the Dems are afraid to participate. I suggest they take their places and disrupt the phony narrative whenever and wherever possible. Hammer away at the vulgar politicization of the tragedy and the sordid fundraising efforts that Republicans have engaged for months. If that doesn’t work, insist on explanations for the absence of Republican outrage and investigations for each of GWB’s many, MANY security failures, including 9/11. Spare nothing and no one. Take them apart.
I think 3 should sit on the Democrats’ side of the panel: Elijah Cummings, Bernie Saunders, and Elizabeth Warren.
“Run, Forrest, run…” This is nothing but a fool’s trap…
It is very hard for civilized people to believe the depths that savages will sink to. This is a show trial, nothing Dems do will affect the outcome, so why dignify it with their presence? Better to be working the press day after day pointing out all the ways Dems have been fair to Republicans about real atrocities, and how Republicans are responding.
Now can we investigate the crimes of the Bush administration?
Goddamn right! Hard nosed, bare knuckled, take no prisoners, down and dirty political knife fight and make them pay a price in November.
This is a House “investigation”, Sanders and Warren aren’t allowed.
If they get the mic. Remember Issa wouldn’t let Cummings talk?
Whatever findings the committee comes up with, they will be the same regardless of whether Democrats are involved or not. Zero Democrats should be involved.I’m leaning towards participation. We already know that Republicans will take snippets of emails and testimony out of context if given the chance.
I think they should seat five Dems and if they cut the mic, or otherwise stonewall in any way the Dems can always walk out in protest.
A single Democrat makes it a “bipartisan panel”. Which means that stupid people will think it is fair, or has meaning.
There is no ‘defense’ possible in this sort of committee, it is specifically set up so that the Republicans control 100% of the proceedings. Having Democrats there accomplishes precisely nothing other than grant legitimacy to the Republicans.
The result of the committee will be the same no matter what, so the Democrats need to maintain the line and do not have even one Democrat present.
There is no ‘if’.
The sole intention of this committee is to impeach Obama and ruin Hillary Clinton. Any set of rules that prevents that outcome are null and void (even if those rules are agreed to beforehand, they will be broken if they stop the GOP from impeaching Obama or embarrassing Hillary Clinton).
Best to go ahead and break off from this now, not later. The GOP did not plan for us refusing to participate at all and they have no game plan for dealing with that.I think you have a point, to attend and then walk out when it inevitably turns into a witch hunt would be a more dramatic way to get news coverage that this is a show trial.
I also like the idea of a Senate Select committee Dems control, perhaps set up in response to the outrages of an Issa-style committee.
I’m also thinking of all the stuff Republicans have done where Dems gave them a pass. Surely there are some real crimes that the Senate could give long overdue attention to? Perhaps some backroom dealing by Bush with Wall Street executives as they fleeced the country? Maybe some evidence that Bush knew all along that there were no weapons of mass destruction? Or maybe some hearings about how many times the Bush administration was warned about terrorist attacks brewing with no response before and special planes for Saudis after? Surely somewhere in there are a few skeletons Republicans would rather not display.
If Dems participate, can’t they stage a dramatic walkout when things get too outrageous? It’s not as if this a serious investigation. It’s theater.
A walkout won’t accomplish anything that just not participating at all won’t also accomplish. Just walkout before it even gets started. Remember the conclusion of this committee will be that Obama has to be impeached no matter what else happens.
And no, don’t have a counter-attack Senate committee or spend any more time on this stuff. Focus on real issues, act like adults. People know partisan games when they see them.
Participating at all even a little bit is giving in to a false narrative already. Zero cooperation, absolutely none from the beginning. Focus on real problems and issues and let Obama handle this.
Boycott.
Then sit back and watch Hillary carve up Tea Trash Gowdy like a Thanksgiving turkey.
At some point the Democrats have to refuse to participate anyway, so they should go ahead and refuse to participate now and not be stupid and grant their imprimatur to the proceedings.
There is NO MECHANISM by which the Democrats can ‘disrupt’ the committee. The rules are Democrats sit there and shut up and do nothing and have no power, while Republicans issue subpoenas and conclude that Obama must be impeached.
DO NOT PLAY THE GAME IT IS RIGGED
If even one Representative is present, that is a mistake. They are absolutely powerless to ‘check’ or ‘assist’ anyone. All they can do is sit there and shut up and watch.