Quote:
Originally Posted by Bigoldnit
Wild speculation but here are some things that could happen
- tie up gov't officials by making them show up for hearings and answers suppoenas so that they aren't able to spend time on other policy goals.
- underming Obama's credibility and personal likeability so he isn't able to use the bully pulpit as effectively.
- remind American people that R's are the ones who care about nat'l security so that they'll keep voting for you.
- use hearings as fishing expedition to turn up some other stuff that might actually be legitly impeachable... For example, maybe you turn up some secret squirrel CIA program that the Gang of 8 wasn't properly notified about and you pitch a fit about Obama making an end around constitutional checks and balances.
- Basically, you keep throwing stuff against the wall hoping something will stick, and even if nothing does, you spend so much time dealing with the mess that other priorities get blocked up until you (hopefull for the R's) get a repub pres in 2016
This is mere speculation, but I have a feeling your "fishing expedition" theory is the most likely. Since the beginning of the CIA in 1947, nearly every President, (in fact
probably every President), has signed a "secret" Executive Order directing the CIA to undertake a covert operation somewhere in the world. (A few examples would include President Dwight Eisenhower directing the CIA to send U-2 spy planes flying over the Soviet Union in the late 1950's, John F. Kennedy ordering "Project Mongoose" to try and assassinate and/or overthrow Fidel Castro in the early 1960's, Nixon ordering the CIA to assassinate President Salvador Allende in Chile in 1973, as well as "Operation Phoenix" during Vietnam.) While a President is technically authorized to approve such operations, they generally don't want this kind of stuff becoming public knowledge.
Politically, President Obama has made a big deal about how he is withdrawing American ground forces from costly, protracted (and unpaid for) "wars" that were started by previous Republican administrations. President Obama has also been very vocal in lending his moral support (and verbal encouragement) to the "Arab Spring" and the overthrow of Middle Eastern dictators like Hosni Mubarrak in Egypt, the corrupt leader of Tunisia, and (now) Bashar al-Assad in Syria. (There are certainly both covert and overt operations underway to try and destabilize and overthrow the mullahs in Iran.) Since Russia and Iran are proxies for Syria, Obama cannot commit American troops to a ground war in Syria - that could turn into a real mess. So the alternative to toppling al-Assad by overt means is to order the CIA (via a covert operation) to facilitate the movement of arms and weapons to Syrian rebels.
Technically, President Obama probably would not be committing a "high crime or misdemeanor" by signing an Executive Order directing the CIA to undertake such a mission, but it would probably be politically embarrassing if such an order became public knowledge. Suddenly the American people would know "the terrible truth" about what is actually going on in the Middle East as well as the fact that their President lied to them about America's involvement in another nation's internal affairs. (This seems to be the Republicans main point about Benghazi - that Obama is lying to the American people in a coverup that is "worse than Watergate.")
So what the Republicans are actually hoping for is a multitude of secret operations (and Executive Orders authorizing them) being publicly exposed resulting in Obama's embarrassment and humiliation. It would be roughly equivalent to President Reagan being forced to apologize to the American people for the secret Iran-Contra "Arms for Hostages" deal with terrorists back in the 1980's. If Republicans are convinced they can catch Obama in something like that, they're probably also convinced they can impeach him and force him out of office. The goal here, at a minimum, is to embarrass and humiliate the President.
Last edited by Alan C. Lawhon; 11-16-2012 at 01:53 AM.
Reason: Minor edit.