Now the REAL Benghazi Scandal. GOP Fundraising.

Disgusting.

Trey Gowdy Says People Shouldn't Fundraise Off Benghazi, NRCC Apparently Disagrees

Posted: 05/07/2014 10:35 am EDT Updated: 1 hour ago



WASHINGTON -- Rep. Trey Gowdy (R-S.C.) on Wednesday morning urged his fellow lawmakers not to use the investigation he is leading into the 2012 attacks in Benghazi, Libya, to raise money, calling it a subject that "transcends politics."

Minutes earlier, the National Republican Congressional Committee sent out a fundraising email tied to Gowdy's role leading a select committee to investigate the attacks.

The timing of the two events points to a problem that Republican leadership will likely encounter as it looks into the Obama administration's handling of the attacks on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, which left four Americans dead. The temptation to rev up the base and raise money from it too could end up damaging the investigation's credibility even before it starts.

Appearing on MSNBC's "Morning Joe" Wednesday, Gowdy seemed aware of that particular pitfall. Asked by the hosts whether he thought members of Congress should withhold from fundraising off of the Benghazi select committee, he responded: "Yes, and I will cite myself as an example. I have never sought to raise a single penny on the backs of four murdered Americans.
"Even in a culture of hyper-partisanship, [there are] certain things that ought to be above politics, like the murder of our four fellow Americans, and whether or not you can trust what any administration –- Republican or Democrat –- tells you in the aftermath of a tragedy," he said.
But about half an hour before Gowdy made those comments, the NRCC sent out an email from a website it runs called BenghaziWatchdogs.com. "A new Select Committee headed by South Carolina Congressman Trey Gowdy and appointed with special powers by Speaker John Boehner will begin a thorough investigation of what happened that night," it read.
In the email, the NRCC linked to a contribution page that alerted those who clicked through that they were "now a Benghazi Watchdog" and asked them for donations ranging between $25 and $500

 

Right-Wing Media Cash In On Benghazi Obsession

Five Examples Of How Conservative Pundits Are Using Their Benghazi Witch Hunt To Fundraise



The right-wing media's smear campaign against the Obama administration over the 2012 attacks in Benghazi, Libya, appears to be paying dividends in the form of donations.
A Media Matters review of fundraising emails and websites found that conservatives have routinely invoked Benghazi to ask followers for money. The fundraising solicitations accuse the Obama administration of "lies," "cover-ups," a "dereliction of duty," and crimes worse than Watergate.
The fundraising is only likely to intensify with the recent creation of a House select committee, led by Rep. Trey Gowdy (R-SC), to investigate the attacks. The Republican leadership convened the committee despite numerous previous inquiries into Benghazi. The Department of Defense wrote in March that it had already participated in "approximately 50 congressional hearings, briefings, and interviews" about the 2012 attacks.
Gowdy said on MSNBC today that fellow Republicans should not fundraise off of the Benghazi attacks, stating: "Yes, and I will cite myself as an example. I have never sought to raise a single penny on the backs of four murdered Americans."
Like their counterparts in the media, the main Republican Party campaign apparatuses are actively fundraising off of Benghazi. The Republican National Committee has a donation page asking Republicans to demand "the truth about Benghazi" by contributing money. The National Republican Senatorial Committee asks Republicans to "donate today" because of Benghazi. And the National Republican Congressional Committee has a fundraising page stating: "You're now a Benghazi Watchdog. Let's go after Obama & Hillary Clinton. Help us fight them now." The page features an image of President Obama and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton with the text, "Benghazi Was A Coverup. Demand Answers."
Here are five recent examples of conservative pundits raising money off their Benghazi witch hunt.
Fox News Host Mike Huckabee


Huckabee sent a May 6 email to his Fox News-promoted MikeHuckabee.com list titled, "Benghazi, Benghazi, Benghazi." Huckabee claimed that Clinton "has some explaining to do" and the Obama administration was responsible for "subsequent lies and cover-ups."
He later suggested that Benghazi is worse than Watergate, writing: "We once had real newspapers and broadcast news outlets that cared about a government lying to the people. Now, they dismiss Benghazi as 'no Watergate.' And they're right: in Watergate, the press didn't look the other way and neither did Congress. And in Watergate, no one died." At the conclusion of his email, Huckabee wrote: "Help support conservative candidates through Huck PAC. Chip in $5 or more to Huck PAC!"
Fox News Contributor John Bolton


Bolton sent an April 16 fundraising email for his John Bolton PAC with the title, "Benghazi is a disgrace." Bolton wrote that "Obama, Hillary, [Leon] Panetta - not one of them will take the fall because they know their actions, leaving Americans to die at the hands of terrorists, were a gross dereliction of duty ... Our enemies know that under Obama, you can kill his personal representative and get away it scot-free." Bolton later wrote: "I encourage you to make a generous donation to support John Bolton PAC's efforts."
Bolton also sent an April 30 fundraising email in which he wrote that Obama "did absolutely nothing to avenge the murder of our Ambassador Chris Stevens in Benghazi, Libya, at the hands of Al-Qaeda terrorists."
Bolton has also invoked Benghazi while raising funds for the Republican Party. During an April 12 fundraising dinner for Missouri's Camden County GOP, Bolton said Benghazi shows that the administration has "no intention of protecting the United States effectively." Bolton added that the "lesson of Benghazi" is you can kill Americans "with impunity." Tickets to the dinner were $35, and sold out.
Fox News Contributor Allen West


West sent a January 21 email for his Allen West Guardian Fund PAC claiming there "is an ongoing cover-up to hide the truth" about Benghazi. West offered a solution by writing "we need to clean up Washington." He explained readers could help do so by making "an immediate contribution of $25, $50, $100 or more right now to the Allen West Guardian Fund."
West sent a March 14 email claiming "Obama and his party are defeatists. When Obama retreated from his warnings to Syria regarding their chemical weapons program and told lies to avoid taking military action for the terrorist attack in Benghazi, he sent a clear message to the world: 'America is weak. We'll just talk tough and back down. Do as you wish.'" West then asked for donations to his political action committee.
On May 7, hours after Gowdy's request for Republicans to not fundraise off of Benghazi, West sent an email fundraising off of Benghazi. West wrote, "The fact that Obama and Hillary did nothing to save our people in Benghazi, and in-fact may have taken direct actions that caused it to happen, is just heartbreaking. It may even be criminal." The email asked for donations "of $25, $50, $100 or more right away" to help "prevent another disaster like Benghazi."

 

cont'ed...

Accuracy In Media


A May 2 email from AIM chairman Don Irvine claimed, "After a year and a half of Benghazi damage control enforced by the administration and their lapdogs in the press, the genie is suddenly out of the bottle." It concluded: "To move ahead with this vital work to shine the light of truth on Benghazi, Accuracy in Media needs your support. We urge you to express your confidence in our efforts by sending a generous donation today."
AIM also convened a "Citizens' Commission on Benghazi" which included members such as Fox News contributors Allen West, and Thomas McInerney. A donation plea on the website states: "Accuracy in Media and the CCB are taking the lead in reporting the truth about Benghazi that even Republicans on the Hill won't touch. We are doing the real work of interviewing witnesses, collecting documents, and finding out the facts--why it happened, how it happened and why it was covered up. In order to proceed with our investigation, we must have your help. Please donate to Accuracy in Media today to shine the light of truth on this issue and end the Benghazi cover-up."
American Center For Law And Justice / Jay Sekulow


The ACLJ, a conservative group headed by radio host and regular Fox News guest Jay Sekulow, asks for donations to "Demand Answers on Benghazi." The group states: "The Obama Administration has not given the American people the truth about Benghazi. Congress is forming a select committee to get to the bottom of this foreign policy disaster and get answers. We're working with Members of Congress to get the truth. Stand with us with your tax-deductible donation today."
*This post was updated with information about Allen West's May 7 email, and Bolton's Camden County speech.

 

Have I finally shamed you?

 

Republicans slashed diplomatic security budget, still trying to cut more


They cut the budget for diplomatic security, now pretend to be outraged at the results.
About the only merit conservatives have in their Benghazi hysteria is the notion that security was inadequate at our diplomatic mission in that city.
Unfortunately, it's an inadequacy Republicans have been trying to exacerbate over the last year.

[A]s part of the Republican majority that has controlled the House the last two years, Mr. Issa joined in cutting nearly a half-billion dollars from the State Department’s two main security accounts. One covers things like security staffing, including local guards, armored vehicles and security technology; the other, embassy construction and upgrades. In 2011 and 2012, President Obama sought a total of $5 billion, and the House approved $4.5 billion.​

Utah teabagging Rep. Jason Chaffetz has been a leading proponent of Benghazi conspiracy theories, yet even he isn't shy to proclaim his votes against diplomatic security:

O’BRIEN: Is it true that you voted to cut the funding for embassy security?​

CHAFFETZ: Absolutely. Look, we have to make priorities and choices in this country.​

Their priorities have consequences. Meanwhile, Hillary Clinton (among others) had long warned Republicans that they were weakening national security by cutting, well, security. Back in February of 2011:

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton emerged from a meeting with House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) sharply critical of proposed Republican cuts to the State Department budget, warning they “will be detrimental to America’s national security."​

Republicans shrugged off the criticism. They had just won control of the House, it was time make some changes. And those changes included cutting the sort of security that might've prevented the Benghazi disaster.
How about Republicans investigate that?

 

This was pointed out back when Benghazi Mania first began, but it has never really sunk in with the gullible demographic who gladly regurgitate anything that rolls down from Bullshit Mountain. The hypocritical shysters who've been pushing this absurd "search for the truth" consistently ignore their own responsibility for what happened.

 

Maybe this would be why. Obama (i.e. his minions) stated that funding had nothing to do with their staffing decisions at Benghazi.

http://www.theusreport.com/the-us-r...azi-exhibit-a-of-a-failed-foreign-policy.html

 

What I have heard, and I think it is the best summation of the entire incident, is that there is plenty of blame to go around for literally anyone in congress, the State Department and the administration but you'll never hear that from the Right-wing smear machine that is now trying to ignore their own role and fund raise off of the deaths of 4 American heroes.

Are you denying that the GOP is fund raising off of this or just failing to acknowledge that fact like the GOP is denying that their part in this tragedy didn't happen? You seem to be by the way you completely skipped the topic of the thread.

 

Hey! All I did was quote Obama. Are you saying he is a liar. Oh, wait a minute. That has already been proven. I guess all you said was he told another lie. So maybe Charlene Lamb should be charged with Perjury!

 

Oh Surprise, Surprise...

John Boehner Won't Tell NRCC To Stop Fundraising Off Benghazi Investigation

Posted: 05/08/2014 12:17 pm EDT Updated: 2 hours ago

WASHINGTON -- House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) declined to weigh in Thursday on whether Republicans should fundraise off an investigation into the 2012 attacks in Benghazi.
During his weekly press conference, Boehner was asked three times about fundraising emails sent by the National Republican Congressional Committee that sought to capitalize on this week's announcement of a select committee to investigate the Benghazi attacks.
"Our focus is on getting the answers to those families who lost their loved ones. Period," Boehner said.
Boehner was pressed again on why the NRCC, the committee charged with helping to elect Republicans to the House, is using the issue as a fundraising opportunity.
"Our focus is getting the truth for these four families and the American people," Boehner said, only to repeat the line moments later when another reporter raised the same question.
Yet Rep. Trey Gowdy, the Republican lawmaker from South Carolina who will lead the investigation, urged his colleagues on Wednesday not to fundraise off of Benghazi.
"I have never sought to raise a single penny on the backs of four murdered Americans," Gowdy said on MSNBC's "Morning Joe." "Even in a culture of hyper-partisanship, [there are] certain things that ought to be above politics, like the murder of our four fellow Americans, and whether or not you can trust what any administration -- Republican or Democrat -- tells you in the aftermath of a tragedy."
He later addressed the NRCC specifically during an interview on CNN's "The Lead with Jake Tapper."
"I cannot and will not raise money on Benghazi," Gowdy said. "I also advise my colleagues to follow suit."
But House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) offered an indirect response on Wednesday similar to Boehner's when asked if he agreed with Gowdy that the NRCC should stop fundraising off Benghazi.
The NRCC has thus far refused to back down from fundraising campaigns related to Benghazi. Andrea Bozek, the group's communications director, said the Obama administration had been dishonest with the American people about the attacks, which occurred on an American diplomatic mission.
"Our goal is to hold Democrats in Congress accountable who vote against creating the select committee on Benghazi and who continue to try to sweep this controversy under the rug," Bozek said.
The NRCC isn't the only one seizing on Benghazi for the purpose of fundraising.
Arizona's House Speaker Andy Tobin, a Republican who is challenging Rep. Anne Kirkpatrick (D-Ariz.), also distributed a fundraising email related to the select committee. And a tea party group called the Patriots for Economic Freedom used the image of Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) in an email tied to the Benghazi investigation that asks for donations.

 

Well, if you're gonna use the deaths of four people as a political attack, why not use it as a fundraising tool as well?

And, in the coming years, I wonder how many books are going to be written by republicans and how much $$$ they're going to add to their personal bank accounts.

Never let a tragedy slip by without making some $$$, they say.