Yesterday, Hilary Clinton spent 11 hours testifying before the Benghsazi committee of twelve – 7 Republicans and 5 Democrats – about what happened at Benghazi. This investigation has lasted for 17 months and, depending on who’s talking, has cost between $4.5 million to $20 million. Congress has held 21 hearings on the Benghazi attacks, in which four Americans were killed; it held 22 hearings concerning the events of 9/11, where 3,000 people died.
George Bush, Dick Cheney, Paul Wolfowitz, John Yoo – remember those names? Not a single person in the Bush administration has ever been called before a Congressional committee and questioned about torture at Gitmo or about why we invaded Iraq and Afghanistan. In 2004, Bush and Cheney testified for just three hours during a private session to the 9/11 commission.
If you watched any of this hearing, you undoubtedly noticed the chairman of this committee- Trey Gowdy, a former prosecutor and Republican Congressman from South Carolina.
Rep. Trey Gowdy, R-S.C., chairman of the House Select Committee on Benghazi, holds the panel’s first public hearing to investigate the 2012 attacks on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya, where a violent mob killed four Americans, including Ambassador Christopher Stevens, on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, Sept. 17, 2014. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
This guy is creepy, the paragon of the Republican tactic to make Clinton look bad and to undermine her campaign for president. In fact, House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy admitted as much on Fox News.
“Everybody thought Hillary Clinton was unbeatable, right? But we put together a Benghazi special committee, a select committee. What are her numbers today? Her numbers are dropping. Why? Because she’s untrustable. But no one would have known any of that had happened, had we not fought,” McCarthy said.
As the Washington Post noted, “McCarthy’s statement gave Democrats what they have long sought: a rather strong public hint that this investigation was never on the level. ‘This stunning concession from Rep. McCarthy reveals the truth that Republicans never dared admit in public,’ said Congressman Elijah Cummings (D- Maryland), the committee’s ranking Democrat. ‘The core Republican goal in establishing the Benghazi committee was always to damage Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign and never to conduct an evenhanded search for the facts.’”
And that ploy was certainly evident during the hours of the hearing that Rob and I watched this evening. Bernie Sanders is my choice for president, but honestly, after watching Clinton during these hearings, I was blown away by her endurance, her crisp answers, her certainty, her utter cool. The Republican members of this committee, particularly Gowdy, kept trying to trick her, asked the same questions in different ways, hoping to grab a Gotcha! moment. But he and the other Republican members of the committee – in particular Lynn Westmoreland from Georgia, and Martha Roby from Alabama – came across as foolish inquisitors cut from the mold of the Salem witch trials.
At one point, Roby’s line of questioning collapsed into absurdity. She was trying to depict Clinton as a cold, heartless bitch who didn’t give a damn about her employees or about the people who were killed in Benghazi. She asked Clinton about the night of the attack, when Clinton left her office and went to her home in Northwest Washington:
ROBY: Who else was at your home? Were you alone?
CLINTON: I was alone, yes.
ROBY: The whole night?
CLINTON: Well, yes, the whole night. [Laughter]
ROBY: I don’t know why that’s funny. Did you have any in-person briefings? I don’t find it funny at all.
CLINTON: I’m sorry, a little note of levity at 7:15 [p.m.]. Noted for the record.
This entire hearing backfired on the Republicans. I think they handed Clinton eleven hours of uninterrupted publicity – and the presidency.
As Rob remarked later, “Can you imagine Trump sitting there for eleven hours? He would’ve gotten angry and started criticizing the committee members’ looks, and then walked out.”
I dislike the sense of entitlement that Clinton brings to this campaign. Two Bushes were more than enough for me, thanks. But the ideas of two Clintons is sweetened by the fact that she’s female. And yet, Hilary voted for the Iraq war and is much more hawkish than I like. And she’s a Scorpio – the most secretive sign in the zodiac – and, like Bush, has a cluster of planets in the 12th house, the most private and secretive house in the zodiac. That said, after seeing her in this hearing, listening to her measured, intelligent responses to even the most ridiculous questions, her composure never cracking, I was impressed.
If she turns out to be the Democratic candidate, I will vote for her – not because she’s my favorite, but because she’s resilient and the alternative – Trump? Ben Carson? Marco Rubio? – would be grounds for moving to another country.
This campaign is like something from The Hunger Games. As they said at the beginning of that movie, Let the games begin!
If Hillary is the Dem candidate, I’ll vote for her knowing she is experienced and qualified to hold that office, even if she isn’t my first choice. The insanity on the other side makes my head spin, especially Trump who is deliberately inflammatory in the most reckless way and so ignorant, it boggles the mind that he’s considered by many a serious contender. Ay, caramba!
I didn’t watch the hearings. These issues are smoke and mirrors, as far as I’m concerned. Too much theatre and too little focus on the real issues. If we have a woman president it should be Elizabeth Warren, not Clinton. Let’s not forget it was the Clinton adminstration that set us up for the problems we are now facing. Ending Glass-Steagall, NAFTA, not to mention that 60% of those incarcerated during the Clinton years were for non-violent drug crimes. The beginning of prisons for profit. Which leads me to believe the Clintons are not on our side of the great socioeconomic divide in this country.
I’m glad she held her own against the obviously devious Republican neanderthals, however.
It is time for a change. A big one. Bernie for me.
A sanders/warren ticket would be ideal. But Warren isn’t running and if Bernie wins the nomination, we don’t know who his VP pick will be. I hope Bernie does win the nom; but if he doesn’t, I am less resistant now to voting for Clinton.
Trish–I totally agree with everything you said (well, the Scorpio piece was a little to close for comfort for me but…). Thanks for articulating this so spot on.
I’ve been an admirer of Hillary for years, and am able to see her down-sides as well as her up-sides. I think it’s time for an intelligent, experienced, savvy woman to be our leader, and in spite of several questionable things about her, my opinion is that she might be able to get the job done. How would you guys like to be married to a spouse who is an avid cheerleader for Trump? My husband thinks The Donald is the greatest thing since chocolate, and I have to leave the room. I can’t conceivably comprehend my husband’s idiocy. I DO believe that there is not a politician alive or dead without skeletons in the closet, just as every person in the world has, pretty much . I will, however, vote for Clinton if she is the candidate. But Politics are a war zone in our house, so I just don’t discuss them with him. But I give him a look telling him that he has lost his marbles somewhere along the way, then I go read my books and leave him talking to the TV!
Too funny. That’s a vivid picture you draw.
I totally agree with everything you said, Trish. I was out hiking yesterday but watched the highlights when I got home, and I was impressed, too, by her cool demeanor. I am also a Bernie fan, but Hillary is a close second. 🙂
How come elections seem to be having to choose between two evils, instead of supporting someone who deserves it??? Someone who cares about the people? Who’s elected because they stand for the right things? Who are honest? Options like that are not around anymore.
As a result of this enquiry it has been discovered that Bush & Blair agreed to go into Iraq 1 year before! Not conspiracy theory, mainstream news here. Looking forward to them being tried for war crimes.
As for Hilary Clinton I don’t share your enthusiasm for her at all. There is much to come out that would shock you I think. I don’t follow politics very closely but what I have seen of Bernie Sanders I definitely would support him.
There was episodes of the Simpsons that portrayed a twin towers scenario long before it happened and also an episode with Donald Trump as president, apparently America had a terrible time with him as President! Interesting how many clues to future events are hidden in films & cartoons long before the event.
Bernie is my choice, Jane. But I was impressed with how Hilary stood up to the republican inquisition. Am familiar with the simpson’s thing. We have used it in our new book on precognition. It’s in the chapter on artists, writers etc who have sensed the future through their creative endeavors.