The New York Times editorial board on Wednesday called for the House Select Committee on Benghazi to be disbanded, citing House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy’s (R-CA) recent “gaffe.”
McCarthy, widely expected to succeed outgoing House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH), celebrated the Benghazi committee’s negative effects on Democratic presidential frontrunner Hillary Clinton’s poll numbers last week. The remarks came under fire from both Democrats and Republicans, forcing McCarthy to walk back what Democrats characterized as a moment of candor about the committee’s real purpose.
“Lawmakers have long abused their investigative authority for political purposes,” the editorial board wrote. “But the effort to find Mrs. Clinton, who was secretary of state at the time of the Libya attacks, was personally responsible for the deaths has lost any semblance of credibility. It’s become an insult to the memory of four slain Americans.”
The editorial board also called on Democrats to quit the whole enterprise, which it dubbed “the Inquisition of Hillary Rodham Clinton,” should Republicans insist on soldiering on with the committee’s work.
Notably, Clinton’s presidential campaign accused the Times of doing damage to her prospects earlier this year. Staffers and surrogates for the Democratic presidential frontrunner assailed the newspaper after it erroneously reported in July that the Justice Department received a request to open a criminal probe into Clinton’s exclusive use of a private email account at the State Department. The newspaper later issued multiple corrections to and an editor’s note about its report.
Welcome to the party, NYT.
You’re late, but whatever.
Wow. The NYT has some serious problems with its reporting on the Clintons, particularly HRC, so for them to be saying this is kindof a BFD.
Good that the NY Times is saying this, since it is past time to quit using the death of those who died in Benghazi as a political tool. It is not only dishonorable to the family of those who died in Benghazi, but is becoming an embarrassment to the whole republican party. Republicans themselves should be appalled and calling for the committee to quit.
About time. The NYT should look at a couple of its own journalists who peddle this piffle in “Mourning Joke” assisted by another professional Clinton hater - Ron Foooonier. If there is a case to be made on the use of a private email account: make it. But do a serious job. All this leaking and peeing to reporters who happily act as water carriers has gone on for too long. The Benghazi Committee’s Republican members under Issa and Gowdy are an bunch of assholes. Good for McCarthy to expose this crap, accidental or not!! Let Clinton be judged on the merits of her campaign and policy offerings. I will look at Sanders, too and make up my mind. Sorry, Joe your pals are turning you into Biden Soap Opera. Piss or get off the pot.!
What a turn around for the Times. Most of the smears and lies they have reported concerning Hillary have been leaked to them by members/staff for that committee.