Editor’s Note: Paul Begala, a Democratic strategist and CNN political commentator, was a political consultant for Bill Clinton’s presidential campaign in 1992 and was counselor to Clinton in the White House. He is a consultant to the pro-Hillary Clinton super PAC Priorities USA Action. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the author.
Story highlights
Rep. Kevin McCarthy, in line for House Speaker, told Fox news that Benghazi probe aimed at hurting Clinton politically
Paul Begala: This is not surprising, but the 8 separate probes from this partisan harassment a reprehensible waste of taxpayers money
Once in awhile they surprise you with the truth.
U.S. Rep. Kevin McCarthy, R-California, the leading candidate for speaker of the House, told Fox News the House Republicans’ investigation of Hillary Clinton was politically motivated.
In other news, water is wet.
Lest you think I am taking this out of context, look for yourself:
McCarthy went out of his way to brag to Sean Hannity about the political impact of a congressional investigation. He was not browbeaten into admitting it. He boasted about it:
“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 that any of that had happened had we not fought to make that happen.”
Photos: Benghazi attack hearing
The Benghazi Committee has now passed the Watergate Committee as the lengthiest investigation in congressional history. As Ari Ravin-Hapt noted in The Observer, the committee has a Republican staff of 18 people, who are paid an average of $128,000 apiece. Apart from harassing Hillary Clinton’s friend (and mine) Sidney Blumenthal, the committee has no substantive accomplishments. And for good reason: It’s not on the level.
Benghazi has already been investigated by a blue-ribbon independent review board led by career diplomat Thomas Pickering and retired four-star Adm. Mike Mullen. It’s been investigated by the House Intelligence Committee , which produced a bipartisan report that thoroughly debunks numerous conspiracy theories;the Senate Intelligence Committee; the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform; the House Armed Services Committee; the House Foreign Affairs Committee; the Senate Armed Services Committee, and the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
For those keeping score at home, that’s eight – count ‘em – eight investigations into Benghazi. Now, in their relentless quest to damage the former secretary of state politically, the Republicans have seized upon her use of a private email server. Clinton has admitted that was a mistake and apologized for it.
What does that have to do with the tragedy of Benghazi? Well, let me quote the campaign manager – err, chairman of the House Select Committee on Benghazi, Trey Gowdy, R-South Carolina: “Well, probably not much of anything.”
Seriously. Fox News’ Chris Wallace asked Gowdy, “What does this [email controversy’] have to do with investigating what happened around Benghazi?” Gowdy responded, “Well, probably not much of anything.”
By their own admission, both the leader of the House Republicans and the leader of the Benghazi Committee have revealed their true partisan intentions. The use of taxpayer funds to turn a congressional committee into a super PAC to launch political attacks – well, that’s a real scandal.
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