A Democratic boycott of the Select Committee on Benghazi, as suggested by Congressman Adam Schiff (D-California) would be stupid and a disservice to our nation. A boycott is the Democrats playing politics.
Yes, I know, the Democrats claim the Republicans are playing politics by asking for and forming a Select Committee on Benghazi, but there are four unsolved murders, and as recently as one week ago, 19 months after Benghazi, a new and suspicious email surfaced (by Court Order) which supports the allegation or legitimately raises suspicion that not all is known, not all has been disclosed by the Obama administration. The mere fact that one important document surfaced just a week ago -- and that had been the subject of an ignored Congressional subpoena -- is enough.
The Democrats should look at a Select Committee this way:
1) As a chance to show that they -- in good faith -- want to get to the bottom of Benghazi, have nothing to hide and they support transparency (and don't just make it a campaign slogan) and...
2) If there is nothing to Benghazi, nothing hidden or covered up as the Republicans suspect and/or assert, the Democrats will get a chance to do a GIANT "I TOLD YOU SO." If nothing of significance comes up, if we learn nothing new, if nothing was hidden, it will make the Republicans look petty, having pushed so hard on Benghazi, and will show the Democrats to be above politics and willing to answer all questions and not stand in the way. This would be potent political ammunition for the Democrats as we march into the midterm elections.
There are many people from whom we have not heard publicly who may have relevant and probative information. We know there were dozens of Americans on the ground in Benghazi that night whose names and locations the Obama administration has. I would like to hear from them -- even their mere description of the firepower is significant. And as we learn more from witnesses and documents, there might be more legitimate questions for some from whom we have already heard.
Of course we will not get any answers unless the most vicious anti-American game is stopped, and that is the gross over-classification of documents. It is anti-American that documents in Washington are hidden from its citizens for selfish reasons.
Administration after administration have classified documents to hide what they don't want the American people to know. That is wrong. It is done deliberately, done often and it's been going on for almost forever.
There is little about Benghazi or most government matters that is germane to national security but just like journalists shame themselves with overuse of anonymous sources, so do administration after administration shame themselves with over-classification of documents. At the very least, classified documents should be reviewed by members of the opposing political party so that a debate can be had whether a document is legitimately classified. As it stands now, it is a one way street -- documents are classified and not only do we not know what is in them, their mere existence is hidden from us.
Let's get to the bottom of Benghazi and let's do it fast. There is no reason that a lawful subpoena issued should not be answered promptly ... within days ... and completely.
Let's find out if the Obama Administration is covering up something or if the Republicans are on a partisan witch hunt. Don't forget -- this involved four murders.
Think about this: A single unsolved murder (and this was four!) in your hometown 19 months ago would still be front page news in your local paper and a team of prosecutors would be assigned to solve it. Discussion about the murder investigation -- and in trying to get the facts -- would most certainly not draw a flippant and arrogant remark like "Dude, that was almost two years ago." (Former Obama Administration official Tommy Vietor to FNC's Bret Baier on May 2, 2014.)
Let's get ALL THE DOCUMENTS, and that means DE-CLASSIFY. Let's review them. Let's get the facts ... all of them.