GOP Benghazi hearings a partisan disgrace

{mosads}The latest Issa public relations event, under the guise of a congressional hearing about the assault on the U.S Consulate in Benghazi, is the latest attack in the hyperpartisan and obsessive GOP war against President Obama, and it is the first failed attack against the most popular leader in America, who may well be the next president, Hillary Clinton. 

Issa, whose abuse of congressional hearings for partisan political purposes sometimes makes him resemble a farm team Joseph McCarthy, joined Chaffetz and most Republicans in battling to cut embassy security spending before Benghazi. 

As Welch said to McCarthy: Have they no shame? It will be a test of the integrity and professionalism of the media to watch whether Issa and Chaffetz are asked to apologize for their efforts to cut diplomatic spending every time they parade before the cameras in their partisan schtick.

There is more. After the Benghazi tragedy, Obama and Clinton designated retired Admiral and former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Michael Mullen and Ambassador Thomas Pickering, who both served Republican and Democratic presidents with distinction, to investigate who was responsible for the Benghazi tragedy. 

In a recent statement, Mullen and Pickering stated: “We had unfettered access to everyone and everything including all of the documentation we needed. Our marching orders were to get to the bottom of what happened, and that’s what we did.” 

Are Issa and Chaffetz questioning the integrity of Mullen? Be careful, gentlemen. One of McCarthy’s last acts before being brought down was attacking the integrity of the U.S. military. 

There is more.  I am one of Hillary Clinton’s strongest supporters but have always said that mistakes were made before Benghazi and she should not be immune to criticism. But Clinton, to her great credit, stepped up to the plate and accepted responsibility long ago. 

Will Republicans accept their responsibility for fighting to cut diplomatic security spending? 

There is more. Now comes former Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee, talk show host and employee of Fox News, in the latest example of what increasingly looks like a GOP freak show, predicting President Obama will be forced to leave office early because of Benghazi. 

There is more. Now comes the ubiquitous birther and former Republican front-running presidential candidate Donald Trump adding his one cent about Benghazi. My advice to Issa is cut out the public relations, cancel any further show-horse hearings, prepare an intelligent and bipartisan report, and stop wasting taxpayer money on these one-party spectacles. 

Clinton took responsibility long ago. These GOP attacks have the force of being savaged by a dead sheep, and they have only left Clinton more popular than ever. Take a hint, Mr. Issa.