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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsJosh Marshall: It's Getting Embarrassing
http://talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/it-s-getting-embarrassingIt's Getting Embarrassing
ByJosh Marshall
Published October 22, 2015, 1:43 PM EDT
Listening to the questions from Republicans questioning Hillary Clinton, it's hard not to step back and ask what it is they're even trying to prove or what their point is. The lines of questions are disjointed and they're pressing points she either freely concedes (yes, it was terrible and she's ultimately responsible) or the point of which isn't even clear (why did Sid Blumenthal send you so many emails?). It's not going well for the committee at all. What's most revealing about the testimony so far is that they definitely get that: they know it's going badly for them. And that's led to a rather churlish and defensive tone to the whole proceeding that's further deflated any sense that this is more than a clown show where the clowns are struggling.
As I've now said several times, it's a world of difference that this happening post-McCarthy and not pre-McCarthy. The questions wouldn't necessarily have been different. The arguments from the GOP would not have been any better. But now the assumption from the press is that Hillary is on the upswing (both in her poll numbers and on the 'Benghazi' question) and the committee members are on the defensive. At least to a degree, she's been vindicated in this whole drama and the committee has been discredited.
If that weren't the case, whatever the fairness or the logic of the questions, the press would have seen the whole drama through the prism of Hillary's on-going undoing. Whether it was fair or made sense would be secondary.
But with a different governing narrative the whole things looks different. There's a very different sense of who's winning and losing and that sense has taken root with Hillary and the committee Republicans themselves, which just magnifies the effect.
Because of all this, Republican committee members just seemed pissed because this was supposed to be awesome - after all, a committee designed to bring down Hillary and circulate all those numskull conspiracy theories about Chris Stevens wearing a chest cam and how President Obama was watching everything happening live on his iPhone. Hillary's yet to get at all flustered and has even had the opportunity to gently explain to Republican members how the State Department works. She looks poised; they're radiating spittle.
It all doesn't help that Chairman Gowdy is such a comical figure. But the real thing is that they're having their big moment - HILLARY ON THE STAND!!! - just as their credibility is collapsing. She's making them regret this is even happening.
arthritisR_US
(7,286 posts)ruffburr
(1,190 posts)Want Bernie but I am enjoying the Hell out of watching Hillary kicking the Republicans ass. The Republicans plot is unraveling at warp speed. Please Proceed!!!!
hifiguy
(33,688 posts)Picking a battle of wits with someone who outguns you a couple thousand to one is generally filed under Really Bad Ideas.
SusanaMontana41
(3,233 posts)pinboy3niner
(53,339 posts)Bazinga!
underpants
(182,767 posts)I'm not watching but from what I've been reading these Repubs left their bubble and suddenly realized that there is an actual world outside.
SusanaMontana41
(3,233 posts)Wait. Scratch that.
Comparing Republicans to knuckle draggers is an insult to knuckle draggers.
phantom power
(25,966 posts)This is, really, exactly how they "got" Clinton for lying under oath, they just threw an endless stream of bullshit at him and eventually got sort of lucky.
LiberalLovinLug
(14,173 posts)because they got lucky by a young naive Lewinsky confiding to Tripp on the phone that she still had kept the unwashed blue dress complete with evidence (eww)
And even then, Bill's approval numbers never took any significant hit during and after that travesty.
world wide wally
(21,740 posts)Class act, Hillary
tavernier
(12,377 posts)like the school boys they are. Patient and meticulous, with a measured vocabulary suited to their intellects. Imagine how awesome she would sound if she were to use her full technical experience and knowledge. And the cool thing is that the audience KNOWS!!
GoCubsGo
(32,079 posts)It has been embarrassing since the second committee turned into the third committee, turned into the fourth committee... This country has been tolerating this kind of garbage for how long now? This is the 8th time around, and they still aren't going to get the answers they wish for. What was it that Einstein said about repeating the same thing over and over, and expecting the results to change?
Dont call me Shirley
(10,998 posts)SleeplessinSoCal
(9,110 posts)"Howdy Gowdy". Reminds me that Howdy Doody was a puppet.
Dont call me Shirley
(10,998 posts)SusanaMontana41
(3,233 posts)hifiguy
(33,688 posts)and monkeys playing with their own feces, and it's triply easy if you are as genuinely smart (that much cannot be denied) as she is.
spanone
(135,819 posts)more investigating of benghazi than 9/11 attacks
kairos12
(12,852 posts)Bucky
(53,997 posts)She's like their crystal meth. They hate her, but they get high just having her around, and she'll occasionally blow up in their little trailer park lives.
The only real difference is... instead of losing their teeth to this addiction, all they lose is their marbles.
(small loss, that)
.
Eleanors38
(18,318 posts)babylonsister
(171,056 posts)You just might have a point there. With Hillary around, they don't have to discuss anything they refuse to accept responsibility for, which is everything.
Historic NY
(37,449 posts)I get the feeling its one of those you setup for crap. Lets see I have a gmail, roadrunner account, aol, my old work account haven't checked it in years, a sprint and now verizon. Yup looks like she had a sneaky account .
Eleanors38
(18,318 posts)randome
(34,845 posts)And who paid for the wine.
[hr][font color="blue"][center]"If you're bored then you're boring." -Harvey Danger[/center][/font][hr]
gratuitous
(82,849 posts)But a sense of shame was killed years ago amongst Republicans. The last vestigial remnant was seen when Bob Livingston resigned rather than become Speaker after Newt Gingrich resigned because Livingston had been cheating on his wife, too.
Actually, I take that back: Rep. Walter Jones of North Carolina, the man behind renaming french fries to freedom fries, has evinced some traces of a conscience in the years since then.
But other than that? The cupboard's pretty bare.
Stainless
(718 posts)He kept interrupting her and was very condescending. Obviously a misogynist. She handled it very well and now Tammy Duckworth is allowing her to answer and explain things without badgering her.
Agschmid
(28,749 posts)Skittles
(153,147 posts)ALWAYS
it is certainly backfiring BIGTIME
ffr
(22,669 posts)Now let's everyone register and vote in 2016.
Beartracks
(12,809 posts)Somebody needs to explain to Republicans how ALL government works.
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Rocky888
(297 posts)This fraudster had complete access to all material. Plus, he ws pushing for this investigation on foxnews within days of attack on his fox commentaries. And yet, not one word about it in the media. They haven't scrubbed his name from list yet.
keithbvadu2
(36,770 posts)when he made the false redactions.