DNC Chair: Pelosi Should 'Seriously Consider' Boycotting Benghazi Panel

[DonViejo]

Source: TPM

SAHIL KAPUR – MAY 7, 2014, 10:30 AM EDT

Democratic National Committee chair and Florida Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz told reporters Wednesday that her House leadership should "seriously consider" boycotting the GOP's select committee to investigate the Benghazi attacks of 2012.

She called the panel "nothing more than a political ploy" designed to animate conservative voters and boost Republican turnout in the November congressional elections.

"That's going to be a decision for Leader Pelosi and likely Whip Hoyer to make. I absolutely agree that the select committee, if it's going to be fair, would be evenly split," Wasserman Schultz said at a breakfast hosted by the Christian Science Monitor in Washington, DC. "This is an investigative committee. If they want to ensure that the investigation ... [is] fair there is no reason to reject the leader's request to have the committee be evenly split."

"And I do think that our leadership should seriously consider not participating if the process is not going to be fair," she said.

Read more: http://talkingpointsmemo.com/dc/debbie-wasserman-schultz-benghazi-committee

[Blue Owl]

1. Boner's Itty Bitty Benghazi Committee

Please Nancy, don't waste a single fucking minute of time on this bullshit.

[groundloop]

2. I have mixed feelings about that....

If the Democratic members are allowed to call witnesses it may be possible to bring up all the embassy staff that were killed while Bush was in office, as well as cuts to the funding of embassy security.

On the other hand, this entire thing could turn into nothing but a lesson in futility. If it comes to that, then I say boycott it.

[DallasNE]

3. Debbie Wasserman Schultz Must Read DU

I know I said the same thing 2 days ago, when I first heard about this "select" committee.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1014&pid=797064

[bvar22]

6. I PRAY Debbie Wasserman-Schultz reads DU,

...because she has never adequately explained WHY she wouldn't endorse DEMOCRATS in Florida,
and THIS woman is the Chair of the DNC?
This is exactly HOW the Democratic Party had drifted FAR to the Conservative RIGHT over the last 25 years.

Debbie Wassrerman-Schultz refused to endorse DEMOCRATS in Florida,
and was seen at fundraisers for Republicans in 2008.

Debbie Wasserman-Schultz, the co-chair of the Democratic Red to Blue committee at that time, refused to endorse of campaign for the following 3 Democratic challengers for Republican seats:

Miami-Dade Democratic Party Chair Joe Garcia

Former Hialeah Democratic Mayor Raul Martinez

Democratic businesswoman Annette Taddeo

All three had won their local Democratic Primaries, and were challenging Hard Core Republican incumbents with whom Wasserman-Schultz had become cozy.
Not only did the head of the DCCC Red to Blue Program REFUSE to endorse these Democratic challengers,
but she appeared in person at at least one (possibly more) Campaign/Fundraiser for their Republican opponents.

FL-18, FL-21, FL-25: Wasserman Schultz Wants Dem Challengers to Lose
by: James L.
Sun Mar 09, 2008 at 7:15 PM EDT
<snip>

Sensing a shift in the political climate of the traditionally solid-GOP turf of the Miami area, Democrats have lined up three strong challengers -- Miami-Dade Democratic Party chair Joe Garcia, former Hialeah Mayor Raul Martinez, and businesswoman Annette Taddeo to take on Reps. Mario Diaz-Balart, Lincoln Diaz-Balart and Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, respectively.

While there is an enormous sense of excitement and optimism surrounding these candidacies, some Democratic lawmakers, including Florida Reps. Debbie Wasserman Schultz and Kendrick Meek, are all too eager to kneecap these Democratic challengers right out of the starting gate in the spirit of "comity" and "bipartisan cooperation" with their Republican colleagues:

But as three Miami Democrats look to unseat three of her South Florida Republican colleagues, Wasserman Schultz is staying on the sidelines. So is Rep. Kendrick Meek, a Miami Democrat and loyal ally to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. [...]

This time around, Wasserman Schultz and Meek say their relationships with the Republican incumbents, Reps. Lincoln Diaz-Balart and his brother Mario, and Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, leave them little choice but to sit out the three races.

"At the end of the day, we need a member who isn't going to pull any punches, who isn't going to be hesitant," Wasserman Schultz said.

Now, you'd expect this kind of bullshit from a backbencher like Alcee Hastings, but you wouldn't expect this kind of behavior from the co-chair of the DCCC's Red to Blue program, which is the position that Wasserman Schultz currently holds. Apparently, Debbie did not get Rahm's memo about doing whatever it takes to win:

The national party, enthusiastic about the three Democratic challengers, has not yet selected Red to Blue participants. But Wasserman Schultz has already told the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee that if any of the three make the cut, another Democrat should be assigned to the race.

http://www.swingstateproject.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=1537

The bloggers also are furious with Rep. Kendrick B. Meek (D-Fla.), who similarly refuses to endorse the Democratic challengers to the three Cuban American Republicans.

They are calling for Wasserman Schultz to step down from her leadership role at the DCCC. And they're not letting up, even after one Florida liberal blogger reported that the congresswoman seemed "frustrated" by the blogs and had asked to "please help get them off my back."

This prompted even harsher reaction from perhaps the most influential of the progressive political bloggers, Markos Moulitsas, a.k.a. Kos, founder of Daily Kos, who wrote on his blog Wednesday: "On so many fronts, the Republicans are standing in the way of progress, on Iraq, SCHIP, health care, fiscal responsibility, corruption, civil liberties, and so on. Those three south Florida Republicans are part of that problem. And she's (Wasserman-Schultz) going to be 'frustrated' that people demand she do her job?"

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/03/19/AR2008031903410_3.html

Here are Kos comments on the Wasserman-Schultz betrayal of the Democratic Party:
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/03/20/480511/-DCCC-Says-Uproar-Over-DWS-Recusal-Much-Ado-About-Nothing



A lot of time has passed since 2008, but I don't take these kinds of betrayals lightly,
and don't forget them easily.

---bvar22
cursed with a memory


http://sync.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=4478022

Here is another interesting thread concerning Wasserman-Schultz and Party Politics:
Dem Power Brokers kept many "liberals" out of FL races. Bvar22 is right about "beat downs".
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10024588159

[passiveporcupine]

10. Thank you for posting this. I hadn't heard this.

It is disturbing and alarming to say the least. I wish someone would challenge her publically for an explanation. I'd like to hear her "reasons".

[Cha]

19. You did.. I was thinking about that..

[YarnAddict]

4. Seriously?

We need Dem representation on that committee in order to avoid it spiraling out of control!

[montanacowboy]

5. "If the process is not going to be fair" ?????????????

IF ? WTF
this shows the weakness of the Dems, they will not boycott, they are too afraid. I am so fucking fed up with this shit. Time to tell them to stuff it. Let them be their own echo chamber. If Dems participate in any way in this kangaroo court it will be labeled legitimate by the crackers.

Enough already

[OldHippieChick]

7. I love Schultz, but I also love

Randi Rhodes who pointed out last nite that if the Dems boycott, the entire news cycle will be Rethugs and their questions. It's a quandary

[c588415]

17. Shultz and Rhodes are 2 of my favorite people.

As a subscriber to Sirus XM Radio, I would like to see Rhodes get a spot on " Prgressive Talk radio, station 127". From my understanding, her show on AM radio is being pulled.

[rtracey]

8. I tweeted her before

I also think D. W. Schultz needs to bring up the 12-13 consulates attacks under Bush and how they were never addressed like this, she also needs to bring up the fact that consulate funding was voted on and cut before this attack. She also needs to reiterate this was a CIA outpost, that the majority of funding went to the American Embassy in Tripoli. She also needs to reiterate that the Libyan army had an agreement with the US that they were offering security. These need to be addressed to the American people, not just the witch hunt that is going to be the new Benghazi committee. I also believe ALL the witnesses testimony that have been in front of the Issa BS committee, needs to be part of this new record, and I also believe any information the Senate committee has come up with, including the GOP response that there was no time for the AF to reach Benghazi in time.... I believe all information about the turning down of additional security offered to Benghazi CIA outpost was rejected. and so on.....

[Vincardog]

9. She needs to make sure there are real democrats on the committee to ask "Who cut funds"?

Who eliminated the funding for the security?
IYHTA is was the GOP

[csziggy]

21. Yes! Every time a Democrat gets the mike on that committee, they should ask

"Why do the funds for embassy security keep getting cut?"

Keep doing it until it makes the news. Most people don't realize that REPUBLICANS cut the money for this and KEEP cutting the money to keep our embassy staff safe, so the Democrats should keep pushing until it gets the media's attention.

[libodem]

11. Oh Hell, yeah!

But will that leave the truth undefended? No one to counter the utter BS?

Bread and circuses.

[libodem]

12. This:

[img][/img]

[frylock]

13. can't believe that i side with DWS..

but she's dead right on this one.

[blkmusclmachine]

14. But, impeachment is STILL "off the table," right, Ms. Pelosi?!!

[ellennelle]

15. on the other hand....

if they attend, at least they will have the modicum of opportunity to call the repugs out for their nonsense. and this will be publicized; fox would not miss it for the world, tho they'll likely scoot to an ad when a dem gets up to speak. there's always c-span.

here's how i hope pelosi handles it.

yes, yes, my caucus has pressed me to say we'll boycott this. but, ultimately, the way i see it is, heck, we're not doing anything on the house floor anyways, and the committee should be pretty amusing, if you can get past the infuriating, boring parts.

i mean, a bunch of old white men have an extended adolescent girlie hissie fit on national TV; what's not to love?

so sure, i'll go; i think we'll sell popcorn and give out prizes to the one dem of those five who can keep a straight face the longest.

[Mz Pip]

22. I tend to agree

Who knows how the Republicans will spin it if the Dems boycott. And spin it they will.

[Cha]

18. Thank you, Debbie!

[jimlup]

20. I strongly agree that the Dems shouldn't participate

This circus/witch hunt has nothing to do with "truth". I'm so feed up with the f**$ing Republicans

[firesalesman]

23. The Republicans want to get Hillary under oath on TV

They want her "on the defensive." Not a good spot to be in for a potential Presidential candidate.

[HoosierCowboy]

24. Not!

The Dems need to be in this dog and pony show. The Dems need to copyright the name "BenGhazi" so every time it's mentioned it becomes a copyright violation and hit them with a bill for $300.
Another form of fund raising.
If the Lara Logan clusterflop wasn't enough to deter these guys, let'em have at it.
Make the embassy deaths under Bush an issue on top of it all....

[green917]

25. I disagree!

I think the dems, specifically speaker Pelosi, should take an active role in this "investigation"! The American people deserve to hear why every republican in the house voted to cut embassy security funding in the year before this attack occurred, they deserve to hear about the more than 50 foreign service personnel deaths that occurred under president GW Bush with no fanfare or investigations, and, most notably, they deserve to hear about the collusion of a member of the United states Senate with a reporter on a bogus and specious story about this tragic event (one which should have easily been sniffed out as a fake)! I think that there is too much downside to them boycotting this event, as much of a waste of time as it will be!

[Rhinodawg]

26. Tough call.

They should go and wreck havoc.