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| Meet the chief prosecutor in the GOP’s Benghazi show trial | Meet the chief prosecutor in the GOP’s Benghazi show trial |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Rep. Trey Gowdy, the tea party Republican tapped to lead the new committee investigating the 2012 Benghazi attacks, made a telling slip Wednesday morning in describing his mission. | Rep. Trey Gowdy, the tea party Republican tapped to lead the new committee investigating the 2012 Benghazi attacks, made a telling slip Wednesday morning in describing his mission. |
| Asked by MSNBC’s Joe Scarborough about the possibility that his panel’s work would continue into the 2016 election campaign, Gowdy replied that “if an administration is slow-walking document production, I can’t end a trial simply because the defense won’t cooperate.” | Asked by MSNBC’s Joe Scarborough about the possibility that his panel’s work would continue into the 2016 election campaign, Gowdy replied that “if an administration is slow-walking document production, I can’t end a trial simply because the defense won’t cooperate.” |
| A trial? And the Obama administration is the defense? So much for that “serious investigation” House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) promised; his new chairman intends to play prosecutor, proving the administration’s guilt to the jury — in this case, the public. | A trial? And the Obama administration is the defense? So much for that “serious investigation” House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) promised; his new chairman intends to play prosecutor, proving the administration’s guilt to the jury — in this case, the public. |
| As a legal matter, Gowdy, a volcanic former prosecutor, is on shaky ground declaring his committee a court and his investigation a trial. But his honesty is refreshing, and it confirms what seemed implicit in Boehner’s selection of the second-term South Carolinian to head the panel over more experienced and less combative colleagues. | As a legal matter, Gowdy, a volcanic former prosecutor, is on shaky ground declaring his committee a court and his investigation a trial. But his honesty is refreshing, and it confirms what seemed implicit in Boehner’s selection of the second-term South Carolinian to head the panel over more experienced and less combative colleagues. |
| In a broader sense, Gowdy’s rapid ascent in the party fits closely with what House Republicans are doing in this midterm election year: abandoning any pretense of legislating in favor of unremitting hostilities with the White House. | In a broader sense, Gowdy’s rapid ascent in the party fits closely with what House Republicans are doing in this midterm election year: abandoning any pretense of legislating in favor of unremitting hostilities with the White House. |
| Gowdy, who deploys courtroom theatrics on the House floor and in committee hearings, often wears his gray hair long and slicked back and has gained attention for wild-eyed, high-volume bursts of pious indignation. The rise of another Southern white male to the top of the GOP probably won’t improve its demographic difficulties, but Gowdy’s climb is a key example of how the Republican Party has blunted the tea party threat in large part by co-opting the movement. | Gowdy, who deploys courtroom theatrics on the House floor and in committee hearings, often wears his gray hair long and slicked back and has gained attention for wild-eyed, high-volume bursts of pious indignation. The rise of another Southern white male to the top of the GOP probably won’t improve its demographic difficulties, but Gowdy’s climb is a key example of how the Republican Party has blunted the tea party threat in large part by co-opting the movement. |
| On Wednesday, Republicans were celebrating victories Tuesday night by establishment candidates in primaries in North Carolina and elsewhere; Boehner resoundingly defeated a primary challenge on a night that was kind to incumbents. But much of this recovery of the Republican establishment comes from establishment figures talking and acting like right-wing insurgents — particularly in their zeal to expose wrongdoing in the Obama administration. | On Wednesday, Republicans were celebrating victories Tuesday night by establishment candidates in primaries in North Carolina and elsewhere; Boehner resoundingly defeated a primary challenge on a night that was kind to incumbents. But much of this recovery of the Republican establishment comes from establishment figures talking and acting like right-wing insurgents — particularly in their zeal to expose wrongdoing in the Obama administration. |
| GOP leaders are apparently aware that their Gowdy new look could be problematic. Republican House leaders emerging from a closed-door caucus meeting declared to the TV cameras that they were all about creating jobs — omitting from their opening statements any mention of their investigatory obsession. | GOP leaders are apparently aware that their Gowdy new look could be problematic. Republican House leaders emerging from a closed-door caucus meeting declared to the TV cameras that they were all about creating jobs — omitting from their opening statements any mention of their investigatory obsession. |
| “I hosted my fifth-annual jobs fair,” began Rep. Lynn Jenkins (Kan.). | “I hosted my fifth-annual jobs fair,” began Rep. Lynn Jenkins (Kan.). |
| “Today I wanted to talk more about jobs,” announced Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wash.). | “Today I wanted to talk more about jobs,” announced Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wash.). |
| Boehner asserted that there are “nearly 40 pro-growth jobs bills” in the Senate passed by the House, while Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) said the House will “take up a big jobs bill,” extending the research-and-development tax credit. | Boehner asserted that there are “nearly 40 pro-growth jobs bills” in the Senate passed by the House, while Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) said the House will “take up a big jobs bill,” extending the research-and-development tax credit. |
| But their actions on the House floor told quite a different story. On Wednesday afternoon, House Republicans took up legislation holding former IRS official Lois Lerner in contempt of Congress (Gowdy’s objection to Lerner refusing to testify in committee had set this in motion), and a second bill calling on Attorney General Eric Holder to appoint a special counsel to look into the IRS. On Thursday, the House plans to debate a measure to create | |
| Gowdy’s committee. | Gowdy’s committee. |
| Those 40 jobs bills Boehner was talking about are a bunch of tax breaks and deregulation measures (“Farm Dust Regulation Prevention Act”) that can only be called “jobs” bills under the most elastic definition. And the R&D legislation, which violates Republicans’ budget, is necessary only because GOP leaders have rejected taking action this year on an overhaul of the tax code. | Those 40 jobs bills Boehner was talking about are a bunch of tax breaks and deregulation measures (“Farm Dust Regulation Prevention Act”) that can only be called “jobs” bills under the most elastic definition. And the R&D legislation, which violates Republicans’ budget, is necessary only because GOP leaders have rejected taking action this year on an overhaul of the tax code. |
| Reporters didn’t take the jobs bait; most questions were about the scandal agenda, including the Gowdy committee. | Reporters didn’t take the jobs bait; most questions were about the scandal agenda, including the Gowdy committee. |
| “This is all about getting to the truth,” Boehner asserted. “It’s not going to be a circus. This is a serious investigation.” | “This is all about getting to the truth,” Boehner asserted. “It’s not going to be a circus. This is a serious investigation.” |
| To demonstrate the seriousness, the National Republican Congressional Committee, under the control of House Republican leaders, started a fundraising campaign Wednesday urging donors to become “Benghazi watchdogs” along with “Chief Benghazi Watchdog Congressman Trey Gowdy.” | To demonstrate the seriousness, the National Republican Congressional Committee, under the control of House Republican leaders, started a fundraising campaign Wednesday urging donors to become “Benghazi watchdogs” along with “Chief Benghazi Watchdog Congressman Trey Gowdy.” |
| “House Republicans will make sure that no one will get away from Gowdy and the Select Committee,” it said, adding, “Help fight liberals by donating today.” | “House Republicans will make sure that no one will get away from Gowdy and the Select Committee,” it said, adding, “Help fight liberals by donating today.” |
| Gowdy disagreed with that approach in his MSNBC interview, saying, “I have never sought to raise a single penny on the backs of four murdered Americans.” | Gowdy disagreed with that approach in his MSNBC interview, saying, “I have never sought to raise a single penny on the backs of four murdered Americans.” |
| It emerged later in the day that Gowdy had, in fact, spoken about Benghazi at a fundraiser. But perhaps he should be forgiven this memory lapse. As chief prosecutor in the show trial of the president, he has a lot on his mind. | It emerged later in the day that Gowdy had, in fact, spoken about Benghazi at a fundraiser. But perhaps he should be forgiven this memory lapse. As chief prosecutor in the show trial of the president, he has a lot on his mind. |
| Twitter: @Milbank | Twitter: @Milbank |
| Read more from Dana Milbank’s archive, follow him on Twitter or subscribe to his updates on Facebook. | Read more from Dana Milbank’s archive, follow him on Twitter or subscribe to his updates on Facebook. |
| Read more: | Read more: |
| Greg Sargent: DCCC chair suggests Democrats boycott Benghazi hearings | Greg Sargent: DCCC chair suggests Democrats boycott Benghazi hearings |
| Jennifer Rubin: Republicans’ attentiond deficit on Benghazi and Lewinsky | Jennifer Rubin: Republicans’ attentiond deficit on Benghazi and Lewinsky |
| Dana Milbank: How the White House gave the Benghazi matter new life | Dana Milbank: How the White House gave the Benghazi matter new life |
| Marc Thiessen: Release Obama’s Benghazi intelligence briefings | Marc Thiessen: Release Obama’s Benghazi intelligence briefings |
| Greg Sargent: The real reason for the new Benghazi committee | Greg Sargent: The real reason for the new Benghazi committee |