When Speaker of the House John Boehner spoke to the media yesterday, again about his decision to create a special commission on Benghazi, he made it abundantly clear that the investigation would not be a partisan witch hunt or a show trial designed to score political points. Rather, it was intended to be an impartial inquiry convened for the sole purpose of finding out the truth about what happened that night:
“It’s about getting to the truth. This won’t be a sideshow. This won’t be a circus. This is a serious investigation.”
Rep. Trey Gowdy (R-SC), who you’ll recall was hand-picked by Boehner to lead the investigation, echoed his boss’s comments in an op-ed published yesterday in USA Today. In this article, he outlined the reasons why the select committee is necessary – and indeed crucial – to the ongoing House investigation:
House Speaker John Boehner, D-Ohio, rightly appointed a special committee charged with uncovering all pertinent facts related to Benghazi, just as the House jurisdictional committees rightly conducted an earlier investigation into Benghazi. Even after 20 months, there are still unresolved issues.
Why has the security of our facility in Libya been inadequate, and why have repeated calls for additional security been ignored and even explicitly rejected? Was our military response during the siege sufficient? In the days and weeks after the attack, was the Obama administration see-through and candid with our fellow Americans in describing the impetus of the attack?
Moreover, no one has been arrested, charged or punished for the murders of our compatriots. These and other outstanding questions are legitimate, and the search for answers to these questions should be an apolitical process.
And yet, despite these unanswered questions, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Wednesday that creating a special commission on Benghazi is essentially waste of time: :
Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Wednesday that she is “completely” satisfied with what she knows about the Benghazi terrorist attack, questioning the intentions of House Republicans heading a special committee to investigate the matter.
“I mean, of course, there are many reasons why, despite all the hearings and all the information that has been given, some people are not satisfied and continue to act,” he added. Clinton said during an appearance in New York.
“It’s their choice and I don’t think there’s any reason for it continue this path, but it is they who decide in Congress,” she said.
No reason? Here’s one: Pat Smith and others who have lost loved ones are still waiting for answers. Thus creating a bipartisan commission asking lawmakers to investigate what happened seems to be the best way to win them over.
