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babylonsister

(171,056 posts)
Thu Oct 22, 2015, 03:39 PM Oct 2015

Josh Marshall: It's Getting Embarrassing

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/it-s-getting-embarrassing


It'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.
33 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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Josh Marshall: It's Getting Embarrassing (Original Post) babylonsister Oct 2015 OP
He's absolutely right! arthritisR_US Oct 2015 #1
I- ruffburr Oct 2015 #2
Same here. hifiguy Oct 2015 #13
What you said, plus a couple thousand. SusanaMontana41 Oct 2015 #16
"Republican committee members just seemed pissed because this was supposed to be awesome" pinboy3niner Oct 2015 #3
Yeah. They media already declared a victory on this underpants Oct 2015 #7
The knuckle draggers leave the cave every once in a while. SusanaMontana41 Oct 2015 #20
You can almost forgive them -- this worked so well when they did it to Bill Clinton. phantom power Oct 2015 #4
They "got" him LiberalLovinLug Oct 2015 #31
I still can't get over the patience she is showing! world wide wally Oct 2015 #5
Yes, almost as though she decided to respond to them tavernier Oct 2015 #6
"Getting" embarrassing? GoCubsGo Oct 2015 #8
Welcome to the Howdy Gowdy Show! Dont call me Shirley Oct 2015 #9
May I use that? SleeplessinSoCal Oct 2015 #10
I think I may have gotten it from another DUer who posted the other day. Credit to them... Dont call me Shirley Oct 2015 #11
Post of the Year! SusanaMontana41 Oct 2015 #17
It's not hard to make these cretins look like fools hifiguy Oct 2015 #12
it's BEYOND embarrassing....it should be fucking criminal. spanone Oct 2015 #14
Bozo is pissed his name is associated with these buffoons. kairos12 Oct 2015 #15
FINALLY!!! Proof to the theories that the Republicans are trying to get her elected president Bucky Oct 2015 #18
Heh. Pretty good. Eleanors38 Oct 2015 #23
Ha! babylonsister Oct 2015 #28
Her secret email address........hdr22@clintonemail.com.. Historic NY Oct 2015 #19
An NPR correspondent said the unthinkable this A.M.: "The Republican far right...: Eleanors38 Oct 2015 #21
Someone needs to ask if they still have "Wine Wednesdays". randome Oct 2015 #22
If Republicans had a sense of shame, it would be embarrassing gratuitous Oct 2015 #24
Just watched some prick congressman badger Hillary....... Stainless Oct 2015 #25
Nailed it. Agschmid Oct 2015 #26
repukes always overreach Skittles Oct 2015 #27
A good morning in America always follows a bad day for the GOP ffr Oct 2015 #29
She had to explain how the State Dept works? Lol Beartracks Oct 2015 #30
Wayne Simmons was one of the civillian investigators for trey gowdy's Benghazi committee! Rocky888 Oct 2015 #32
Gowdy proved that it is all phony keithbvadu2 Oct 2015 #33

ruffburr

(1,190 posts)
2. I-
Thu Oct 22, 2015, 03:52 PM
Oct 2015

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)
13. Same here.
Thu Oct 22, 2015, 05:07 PM
Oct 2015

Picking a battle of wits with someone who outguns you a couple thousand to one is generally filed under Really Bad Ideas.

underpants

(182,767 posts)
7. Yeah. They media already declared a victory on this
Thu Oct 22, 2015, 04:37 PM
Oct 2015

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)
20. The knuckle draggers leave the cave every once in a while.
Thu Oct 22, 2015, 05:28 PM
Oct 2015

Wait. Scratch that.

Comparing Republicans to knuckle draggers is an insult to knuckle draggers.

phantom power

(25,966 posts)
4. You can almost forgive them -- this worked so well when they did it to Bill Clinton.
Thu Oct 22, 2015, 03:59 PM
Oct 2015

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)
31. They "got" him
Fri Oct 23, 2015, 03:00 PM
Oct 2015

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.

tavernier

(12,377 posts)
6. Yes, almost as though she decided to respond to them
Thu Oct 22, 2015, 04:32 PM
Oct 2015

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)
8. "Getting" embarrassing?
Thu Oct 22, 2015, 04:43 PM
Oct 2015

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?

 

hifiguy

(33,688 posts)
12. It's not hard to make these cretins look like fools
Thu Oct 22, 2015, 05:06 PM
Oct 2015

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)
14. it's BEYOND embarrassing....it should be fucking criminal.
Thu Oct 22, 2015, 05:09 PM
Oct 2015

more investigating of benghazi than 9/11 attacks

Bucky

(53,997 posts)
18. FINALLY!!! Proof to the theories that the Republicans are trying to get her elected president
Thu Oct 22, 2015, 05:25 PM
Oct 2015

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)






























.

babylonsister

(171,056 posts)
28. Ha!
Thu Oct 22, 2015, 07:21 PM
Oct 2015

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)
19. Her secret email address........hdr22@clintonemail.com..
Thu Oct 22, 2015, 05:27 PM
Oct 2015

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 .

 

randome

(34,845 posts)
22. Someone needs to ask if they still have "Wine Wednesdays".
Thu Oct 22, 2015, 05:33 PM
Oct 2015

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)
24. If Republicans had a sense of shame, it would be embarrassing
Thu Oct 22, 2015, 05:36 PM
Oct 2015

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)
25. Just watched some prick congressman badger Hillary.......
Thu Oct 22, 2015, 06:54 PM
Oct 2015

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.

ffr

(22,669 posts)
29. A good morning in America always follows a bad day for the GOP
Fri Oct 23, 2015, 11:35 AM
Oct 2015


Now let's everyone register and vote in 2016.

Beartracks

(12,809 posts)
30. She had to explain how the State Dept works? Lol
Fri Oct 23, 2015, 01:10 PM
Oct 2015

Somebody needs to explain to Republicans how ALL government works.

================

Rocky888

(297 posts)
32. Wayne Simmons was one of the civillian investigators for trey gowdy's Benghazi committee!
Sat Oct 24, 2015, 02:49 PM
Oct 2015

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.

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