Rising Republican “young gun” Kevin McCarthy was a shoo-in to replace John Boehner as Speaker of the House until his boast on FOX News that Republicans’ creation of this “special Benghazi committee” was dragging down Hillary Clinton’s poll numbers. McCarthy all but confessed the committee’s true purpose on national television. Now, NY Republican Rep. Richard Hanna, in a fit of conscience, just admitted the same:
“This may not be politically correct, but I think that there was a big part of this investigation that was designed to go after people and an individual, Hillary Clinton.”
Other young gun Jason Chaffetz likewise may have ruined his Speakership opportunity owing to his humiliation while trying to take down Planned Parenthood, since he hadn’t researched his “evidence” before presenting it at his televised Committee inquisition of Planned Parenthood president, Cecile Richards. Both fiascos telegraph chaos in today’s Republican Party, whose leaders are doubling down on social issues while pretending that bashing Democratic presidential front-runner Hillary Clinton is an adequate campaign platform.
Author and commentator Anita Finlay states “I’m not sure what kind of a broad coalition they are trying to build going into 2016. Surely these tactics cannot appeal to more than 20% of the electorate.” Republicans were warned several years ago, when embarking on eight previous Benghazi “investigations,” not to overplay their hand. Once again, a powerful segment of the Party has drowned out more reasoned voices and is drunk on their obstructionism and self-righteousness, even if they are lite on the facts.
Media strategist Shawna Vercher offers “a message to all GOP elected officials – even if some Republicans claim to hate Hillary Clinton, they love their country more.” This is to say that many on the ground regardless of politics may not take kindly to $4.5 million+ in taxpayer dollars being spent on a phony hunting expedition when there are vital kitchen table issues not being addressed.
Both parties have a long way to go to prove they can do better than kicking the can down the road. But at the very least, Democrats’ first debate was a discussion of issues, not insults. How will Republicans define themselves as a serious Party with effective solutions helpful to the American people when they remain obsessed with these sorts of adventures?
Shawna Vercher and Anita Finlay offer their take on the latest edition of Dare We Say.
