Posted on 01/31/2015 7:17:53 AM PST by upchuck
A bitter partisan battle is developing among members of the House committee investigating the 2012 Benghazi attack chaired by Rep. Trey Gowdy and Democrats bent on limiting access to witnesses.
And a potential clash between Gowdy and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is waiting in the wings.
The Democratic members, headed by Maryland’s Elijah Cummings, seek veto power over the committee’s subpoenas and object to Gowdy’s examination of witnesses by only the GOP members.
The Democrats would rather debate the matter than hear what the witnesses have to say.
Gowdy, a former South Carolina prosecutor, knows that giving Democrats veto power over issuing subpoenas would mean no witnesses would be called at all.
“I am unwilling to let the minority party veto subpoenas when it is clear they have prejudged the outcome of the investigation,” Gowdy said, according to the Washington Examiner.
“The minority has repeatedly indicated it is unwilling to issue any subpoenas. If subpoenas are necessary for the committee to talk to relevant witnesses or access relevant documents, they will be issued.”
Gowdy is having none of it.
“But I will not allow the minority’s political games and unreasonable demands to interfere with the investigation,” he said. “The time for negotiations has passed, and the committee is moving on under the rules and scope approved by Congress.”
The most compelling witness would be Hillary Clinton, the secretary of state when the U.S. foreign mission in Benghazi was overrun by Islamic militants on Sept. 11, 2012.
Although she has testified on two previous occasions — once in each chamber of Congress — she indicated a willingness to appear before the special select committee, according to Cummings, who claimed he’d broached the subject to her last year.
“She immediately said she would do that and she wanted to come in December and then she said, ‘Well, if you can’t have me in December I’ll come in January.’ She said … ‘I’ll do it, period,’” Cummings said, according to CNN.
Gowdy has long expressed a desire to hear from Clinton, but not until the panel has had a chance to subpoena and review all relevant State Department documentation, including emails to and from Clinton and her own notes.
In June of last year, Clinton indicated to NBC News that she had taken numerous notes during the attack, but declined to say whether she’d be open to handing them over to the committee.
Gowdy’s position is that it’d be fruitless to have her testify before the panel has reviewed the documentation.
“We intend to access all of the information necessary to do the job the House instructed us to do,” Gowdy said in his opening statement at a committee meeting on Tuesday. “And we need to access that information now. Talking to only some of the witnesses will not work. Accessing only some of the documents will not work.
“If you want all of the truth, you need all of the information.”
Gowdy undoubtedly knows enough to blow this open if he wanted to—but he’s an Establishment guy. There’s no other way he’d have his position with this committee.
We don’t hear any denials of this. Remember she show up to the Senate hearing with some weird glasses???
Sorry I am a little skeptical since talk talk talk. When will the hell Gowdy will get it done. Subpoena the rats. Now!!!!!!! Is he going to wait until after the 2016 elections? Looks like it!
Keep dreaming. My fear is that Gowdy doesn’t get all of the documents he wants, from Hillary and whoever else, and just shuts down the committee for lack of cooperation and evidence.
We don’t her much denials of this posted, WHY, hmmm???
She’s be sunk in a heartbeat for lack of qualifications. Yeah, they bought her husband without any, but he’s been exposed and I’m not sure our nation’s idiots (liberals) will buy this a third time.........
Link to this parody at post #7 ... Paul Shanklin is Rush’s parody guy.
They have been exposed so many times already, but no one is paying attention.
For their faggotry, call them Stonewall Democrats.
No it won't. The great unwashed are fat, dumb, and happy. If this doesn't affect them personally, they could care less!
Wonder if they will actually figure out how to put her under oath this time.
When she made the famous “What difference would it make” declaration, she was not.
Fakeohauntas...
OMG a very BIG THANK YOU!!!!! I could not remember Shanklin’s name for the life of me!!!!!! Thank you sooooooo much for the link you are totally AWSOME!!!!!!!
He's laying the ground work for what will manifest themselves as internal contradictions in what will be Clinton's testimony and written documentation as well as possibly evidence of outright obstructive collusion on the part of Cummings.
He will have the guys from "13 hours" testifying openly and in person. Imagine if Hillary Clinton is forced to sit there and listen to their account, then have to explain the stand-down order to which they will refer. It had to come from the Executive Branch but who will take the fall?
(R)'s may have already quietly been able to access testimony from those folks that the Administration secreted away. Let new names surface that Hillary Clinton is not expecting and whose damning testimony may reveal the actual chain of command in the decision process for obfuscation.
Timing is everything if the larger goal is to destroy (D) presidential prospects for 2016. You want her to continue to suck all the wind out of the sails of other possible (D) contenders to the point that when Hillary is taken down, others don't have the time the cash or the ability to mount an alternative candidate to pick up where Clinton's candidacy leaves off.
Catching Hillary promoting bald faced lies re: the YouTube video, together with what will show was her real time knowledge of Benghazi arms shipments to Syria through Turkey is going to I believe seal the political fate of this witch once and for all.
Gowdy's team may have already quietly been able to access testimony from those folks that the Administration secreted away. Let new names surface that Hillary Clinton is not expecting and whose damning testimony may reveal the actual chain of command in the decision process for obfuscation.
This will be delicious.
FReegards!
If she pull that "I don't recall" BS, then someone should question whether she had a stroke, and if she is medically qualified to run for president in 2016.
She can't play stupid games and then expect to be taken seriously in a run for president.
Gowdy can bury Hillary with this investigation...
Go get ‘em Trey!
I agree that Hillary will not be running for POTUS. She has already been told by the PTB that it’s not going to be her for a host of reasons. She will be of no assistance whatsoever to Gowdy’s investigation, however. Trip down Memory Lane to the most horrific Govt/Military assault on its own citizens - Waco. Hillary had her bloody hands in that one along with Holder. These people have made Stonewalling an artform. Hearings were held on Waco, and nothing happened to hold anyone accountable. It’s just the same old same old... blah blah blah. Nothing of substance will happen with Gowdy’s investigation whether he likes it or not.
My guess on who will be promoted for the Dems: Elizabeth Warren (a horrible woman, but she will be transformed before your very eyes).
Al Sharpton?
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