(This cartoon image is by Drew Sheneman from the Tribune Content Agency.)
(This chart ifs Think Progress.)Most of the news media yesterday was concerned with Hillary Clinton appearing before the House Committee supposedly investigating the Benghazi tragedy. But we know that was not the real purpose of that committee. The real purpose was to try and smear Hillary Clinton, and create a better chance for the Republican nominee (whoever that turns out to be) that has to run against her for the presidency in 2016.
We know that is true because two GOP representatives (Rep. McCarthy and Rep. Hanna) have admitted it was true, and a committee aide has resigned after realizing the committee was not interested in the truth, but only in attacking Hillary Clinton. We also know that because of the ridiculous number of committees formed to "investigate" Benghazi. This is the eighth committee to investigate Benghazi -- four times the number of committees that investigated any other attack on Americans (including the 9/11 attack, which killed far more people).
Seven committees have already investigated the Benghazi tragedy, and found no wrongdoing. But that wasn't good enough for the House Republicans. They still thought they could use this tragedy to hurt Clinton, so they created an eighth committee, and they seem to want to keep this one going through the election campaign (regardless of the fact that they also have found no wrongdoing). The committee has already existed for some 72 months (far longer than any other committee in House history), and there is still no end in sight.
And the American public knows that this committee is strictly for the purpose of trying to embarrass Hillary Clinton. Note the chart below. It shows the results of three recent polls -- the Monmouth University Poll, the ABC News / Washington Post Poll, and the CNN / ORC Poll. In all three, poll respondents were asked whether the committees purpose was to find the truth or to create a political advantage for the Republicans.
Note that majorities in all three polls say the committee's purpose is to gain political advantage, while about a third (or less) thought it was to find the truth (which is about the number of Republicans and GOP-leaners, who cannot be expected to admit the truth about their elected officials).
I watched this committee try to embarrass Clinton. As the day wore on, their attacks became more pointed (and made less sense). They were doing their best to make Clinton look bad -- and they failed miserably. Hillary Clinton came prepared, and she deflected the attacks and explained the truth in a patient and calm manner -- and she fully answered every question, no matter how silly or misinformed it was.
In my opinion, Hillary Clinton came out of that hearing looking very competent, and very "presidential" -- and that was certainly not what those House Republicans wanted.
