Boehner taps Gowdy to lead Benghazi select committee

[DonViejo]

Source: The Hill

By Russell Berman - 05/05/14 01:38 PM EDT
Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) has named Rep. Trey Gowdy (R-S.C.), a second-term Republican and former federal prosecutor, to head a new House select committee investigating the deaths of four Americans in Benghazi, Libya, on Sept. 11, 2012.

Gowdy was the preferred choice of Boehner and Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) to take on what will be a high-profile assignment for the GOP over the next several months. The deep-voiced South Carolinian is known for his prosecutorial style in questioning witnesses at hearings as well as his impassioned floor speeches.

“Trey Gowdy is as dogged, focused, and serious-minded as they come,” Boehner said in a statement announcing the appointment on Monday. “His background as a federal prosecutor and his zeal for the truth make him the ideal person to lead this panel.
“I know he shares my commitment to get to the bottom of this tragedy and will not tolerate any stonewalling from the Obama administration,” Boehner continued.

-snip-



Read more: http://thehill.com/homenews/house/205205-gowdy-tapped-to-lead-benghazi-select-committee

[Blue Owl]

1. Now the least-envied man in America!

But hey, if insanity validation is your thing...

[Archae]

2. And when (not if) he comes up with nothing...

What will his cheerleaders, Boener and Cantor say?

"Obama sellout!"

[Laf.La.Dem.]

3. they are only "looking for the truth"

[PumpkinAle]

4. Gowdy will be

hog heaven now - his hatred of the truth regarding Benghazi is well known. As for facts - pfft - they don't want no stinking facts they just want to stir up their base with the "look over there" comments and fairy tale scandals

[No Vested Interest]

5. PLease, please - have the Democrats boycott the hearings. nt

[HooptieWagon]

6. I dunno. Maybe a few Dems on the committee could stir shit up.

Would they have supoena power? They could haul in Issa for questioning and stuff.

[No Vested Interest]

7. I have seen it suggested that if the Dems boycott the Benghazi hearings

it will be seen as the one-sided, partisan spectacle that it is.
It will be a clown show at best.
Just look at the photo of Trey Gowdy.
Does he look like a level-headed person?
And when he opens his mouth, he sounds like it's full of grits.
(Sorry, Dem. Southerners - I love you and sympathize with your situation.)

[AlbertCat]

8. Better yet....

..... have them walk out when it it clear it's a joke.... about 3 minutes in....

[No Vested Interest]

9. That could work....

I expect they'll try to drag it out for weeks, though.
They've got donors (named Koch, etc.) to satisfy.
We've got to let media - networks, etc. - know that we're not having any of it.
Heck, I'd rather watch the going-nowhere search for flight 370 than Gowdy-led Benghazi hearings.

[HooptieWagon]

12. Maybe.

If the Select Committee is just a dog and pony show like the 4 other House Committees looking in to Benghazi, then Dems are better off just boycotting it and publicizing what a circus it is.
OTOH, if the Select Committee appears to be more serious about an investigation than the other 4 clown acts, then maybe Dems should play along? I dunno. I guess it depends who the other Rs are on committee. Should be easy enough to predict if they're going to put their foot in mouth and make some ridiculous and preposterous statements.

[wildbilln864]

17. I await anxiously!

He's from right up the road here. It's going to be very interesting IMHO.

[karynnj]

13. It's a trade off

1) They don't join and send message that it should not exist (even this has down side as it quickly becomes that they don't care enough about those that died - even though it will focus - not on what happened in Libya, but what happened within the administration. )

2) They make it harder for those testifying as EVERY questioner is a Republican. Democrats can provide helpful follow up letting a witness fix something that was ill stated or incomplete.

I think the best is to complain that it is excessive, but then to join.

[louis-t]

10. Bed head?

[joe_stampingbull]

11. looks like an old fashioned lynch mob

with white sheets

[LynneSin]

14. To me this is nothing more than rearranging of the deck chairs on the Titanic

With the Titanic being the GOP party.

I'd have more respect for all these investigations if the GOP had used this same kind of determination to discover why there were over 10+ embassy/consulate bombings during the Bush Administration (something like 60+ were killed in them).

The fact that Issa first brought up the new round of subpoenas (on twitter no less ) only a few hours after the good jobs report shows the desperation that is the GOP party. They really want something to sink Obama with and they are grasping at straws.

They are an embarrassment to this country!

[Blue Idaho]

15. What the hell is wrong with that guy's head?

Conehead Truther... this should be amusing...

[DallasNE]

16. Leader Pelosi

Do not name any Democrats for this McCarthyism revival effort. It would be a huge mistake.

[Cha]

19. +1 sounds about right.

[Cha]

18. Facinating. another repub who looks like he's best suited

to be on a Wanted Poster.

[UTUSN]

20. He looks straight out of the Spanish Inquisition. n/t