The lines of inquiry that the Republicans pursued were muddled, directionless, and confusing, seemingly even to them. As the Democrats repeatedly pointed out, after all the tumult over Clinton’s emails, the proceedings of this committee so far — following several legislative and administrative investigations — revealed nothing new about the terrorist attack on the US compound in Benghazi, its prelude, or its aftermath.
...the air smelled like snakes and we'd shoot with our pistols
But empty pop wine bottles was all we would kill.
With the slow progress, [committee] members have engaged in social activities like a wine club nicknamed “Wine Wednesdays,” drinking from glasses imprinted with the words “Glacial Pace,” a dig at Representative Elijah E. Cummings, Democrat of Maryland and the committee’s ranking member, Major Podliska said. Mr. Cummings used the term to question the speed of the committee’s work.
At one point, several Republican staff members formed a gun-buying club and discussed in the committee’s conference room the 9-millimeter Glock handguns they intended to buy and what type of monograms they would inscribe on them, Major Podliska said.
Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) said Friday that he could "potentially" be a candidate for speaker of the House but also gave the name of Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) as someone who he would support for the position.
“The fact is that yes, I think that I can be potentially a candidate, but at the same time, I agree with the vast majority of members, I think. That we need a Paul Ryan or we need somebody who is a. experienced, b. has been a committee chairman or something other than just up through the leadership ranks," he said in an interview with MSNBC's "Morning Joe." "We very definitely need to pick our fights carefully, but we need somebody who’s willing to do those fights when the time comes because the motion of our party has been to the right" he added.
Mr McMuddle: Kevin McCarthy (R-California). Mr. McCarthy represents California's 23rd Congressional District which includes the terrestial paradise of Bakersfield, or Bakersfieldia, if you, like Mr. McCarthy, are afflicted with a mild case of xenoglossia and therefore prone to spontaneous outbursts of italic latin.
Currently House Majority leader, Mr. McCarthy's possible appointment to Domus Orator follows Rep. John Boehner's decision to drop out of congress and run off with some teutonic mendicant order along the lines of the Grand Masters of K-Street, but not before recommending Mr. McCarthy in waiting as his successor.
Mr. McCarthy, upon learning of his newly endorsed rendezvous with speakerdom, felt obligated to present his points of view on leadership to the neo-conservative John Hay Initiative in Washington, DC. Reminding anyone who cared to hear it that he has visited some place called "Hungria" and the "Arab Gulf" as well as Estonia, Georgia, Russia and presumably any other EE-Uhs - like Italia and Britannia and Germania - that might impress upon his hosts the gravitas of his foreign policy experience.
He also offered the opinion that President Obama is an undecisive leader just like our nations' founding fathers who couldn't reach any kind of decision on what to do about the issue of slavery and as a consequence left the issue to be resolved by future generations:
“In essence, It had to be hundreds of thousands of grandchildren to make that decision. We don’t have the same as difficult decision but this White House is managing the decline in putting us in tough decisions for the future.”
See? Just like those slackers back in the late 18th century.
He also reminded those present that we Americans “live on the greatest nation that’s ever been on the face of the Earth." Just in case any of those Hungrians get any funny presumptuous ideas about living on their own greatest Earth nation where the next thing ya'know they'll be poring over plans for their own warm-water naval ports in the Bahamias. Or something.
The following day (Tuesday, Sept. 29) Mr. McCarthy scampered off to the Hannity Show - to address the real purpose of the House Select Committee on Benghazi - where he told Sean Hannity and the FOX News congregation the following:
Everybody thought Hillary Clinton was unbeatable, right? But we put together a Benghazi special committee, a select committee. What are her numbers today? Her numbers are dropping. Why? Because she’s un-trustable. But no one would have known any of that had happened, had we not fought.
Yeah, because nobody knew that already, right? But it was nice to hear Mr. McMuddle confirm what most everyone already knows: that the Benghazi special committee was/is nothing more than a taxpayer subsidized political oppo-research smear engine to destroy Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign.
Nice of Mr. McCarthy to stumble into his moment of truth (so to speak) LIVE on the Hannity Show as well. Couldn't have happened in a nicer venue. Unless of course you are a devotee of the Sean Hannity profligate liars club in which case you now realize the crippling jolt of reality that was being broadcast nationwide wasn't the momentus celebration of a hard fought slaying of the HilldaBeast you may have thought it was. Oh well.
To quote speaker McCarthy, "sometimes truth comes out." Or, as Jeb! might say, "stuff happens."
McCarthy, naturally, thought he was reinforcing his credibility among the crazies by inspiring them with a presentation of committee laurels . Thought he was dazzling the fringies with glorious tales of conquest. Thought he was bringin' it.
As for the blowback: McCarthy's bout of unintended veracity has taken its toll on his wingnut street cred among the very howling nutters he set out to impress. McCarthy himself has since tried to put his spilled beans back in the tattered bean bag from which they came. To little avail. You might even say that Mr. McCarthy has got himself a tiger by the tail. On that note: cue Buck Owens and his Buckaroos - take it away boys!
I've Got a Tiger by the Tail
Buck Owens
I've got a tiger by the tail it's plain to see
I won't be much when you get through with me
Well I'm a losing weight and I'm turning mighty pale
Looks like I've got a tiger by the tail.
What follows might make the hair on the back of your neck stand up if you happen to live or work in one of Trumps "vast holdings overseas."
CBS 60 Minutes / Scott Pelley interview with Donald Trump / Sept. 27, 2015:
Trump: ... And I deal with governments all the time. I have, overseas, I have vast holdings overseas.
Pelley: What is the role of the U.S. military in the world?
Donald Trump: I want to have a military that's so strong, so powerful, so modern, has the greatest equipment in the world and that everybody says, "We're not gonna mess with them." And we don't have that now.
I mean, a President of the United States that owns golf courses and buildings and hotels in Turkey and Dubai and Panama, the Philippines and Israel. Not to mention holdings in New York, Chicago, Atlanta and so on. Can you imagine what kind of a target those holdings would become in the event Trump were to become the next President of the United States. Each one would become a destination for trophy hunting terrorists of all kinds. Exactly the kind of people who might decide to "mess with them."
Another sign of the city’s growing appetite for luxury real estate was the launch, last year, of the US$400 million twin-tower complex Trump Istanbul, the firm’s first foray into the European market. Situated in the commercial heart of the cultural capital, the project will include some 204 apartments, ranging in price from US$600,000 to US$6 million. - [Source / July 2013]
I wouldn't want to live or work in a building with the President of the United States' name over the door especially if that president was someone as antagonistic as Trump... not in this day and age.
If there is one good reason for Trump to give up his vain attempt to win the presidency it might be to spare all those people who live in, work in and visit his "vast holdings" around the world the possibility that they might one day become sitting ducks in a high value target simply because the shiny twenty foot high block letters bolted to the building scream TRUMP.
This is one reason why politicians - and not tactless international celebrity real estate playboys - should manage government.
What is it with John Boehner? He's like one of those miraculous weeping statues you hear about every so often. The Holy Office needs to look into this.
Many of you are probably already familiar with the Weeping Boehner of Butler County statue located at Waterworks Park in Fairfield, Ohio. Sure ya are. It is, after all, a cultural feature park. But in case you aren't... here (above) is a photo of it.
~|| UPDATE ||~
No miracle, just a kick in the stomach. House Speaker John "Hell No You Can’t!" Boehner to resign at the end of October:
Boehner, who capped his career with Thursday’s address by Pope Francis, met with a handful of the most conservative Republicans after the papal address to lay out his plan to fund the government. But those rebels continued to agitate and threaten to force a vote at sometime in the near future to vacate his speakership.
[...]
Boehner’s departure is rooted in deep conservative discontent with the way he has handle [sic] his majority — in particular, what they have seen as an unwillingness to stand up to President Obama.
[...]
The resignation will end a nearly five-year reign as speaker, allowing House Republicans to approve a short-term government funding bill that will avert a shutdown of federal agencies. Boehner’s hold on the speaker’s gavel had grown increasingly unsteady amid threats from more than 30 Republicans that they would force a no-confidence vote in his speaker’s position, ...
Following Boehner’s announcement, House Republicans said there was agreement to pass a clean spending bill to avert a government shutdown. Several members of the Freedom Caucus, the conservative group which led the revolt against Boehner’s leadership, said they will now support the spending bill without demands to defund Planned Parenthood attached to it.
[...]
Rep. Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.) said Boehner made his announcement by talking about it as part of a “healing process,” closing by praying the Prayer of St. Francis, the papal namesake.
“His crowning accomplishment as speaker happened yesterday, and it was obviously a reflective time,” said Kramer, who called the announcement a “kick in the stomach.” ~ (Washington Post, 9/25/15)
So, his crowning accomplishment was a kick in the stomach? I guess that's a compliment, coming from the "Freedom Caucus"... or what Rush Limbaugh would refer to as the Freedom Caucasians.
“John Boehner dedicated his life to public service. Bringing the Holy Father to Congress was a fitting cap to a great career,” Jeb Bush tweeted.
Boehner will return to Italy with Pope Francis where he will be provided a humble caretaker cottage overlooking Lake Albano. He will live out his days raking sand traps on the Castel Gondolpho Country Club golf course and tending bar at the nearby Castel Gondolpho Hotel.
The Hole in Donald Trump’s Venezuelan Oil Strategy
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American investors are flocking back to the country’s vast reserves, lured
by promises of reform. But the officials who ran the industry into the
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