The GOP's newest strategy for the 2014 midterms: Benghazi
Win McNamee/Getty Images
It's been nearly two years since the attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya, but you wouldn't know it from the news emerging out of Capitol Hill today. Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) announced the creation of a select committee to investigate the incident. Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.), chairman of the House Oversight Committee, issued a subpoena to Secretary of State John Kerry to testify about Benghazi, even though the attack occurred before his tenure. And a group of three Republican senators — John McCain (Ariz.), Lindsey Graham (S.C.), and Kelly Ayotte (N.H.) — sent a letter to President Obama demanding that he reveal his whereabouts on the night of the attack.
The flurry of activity comes in response to the release earlier this week of internal White House emails about the attack. Republicans claim they constitute a "smoking gun" of a nefarious White House cover-up; others disagree. Either way, my colleague Peter Weber earlier today noted that the GOP's renewed emphasis on Benghazi is curious given that the issue has largely been forgotten by the American public, epitomized by Tommy Vietor's comment on Fox News this week, "Dude, this was like two years ago."
But, of course, it hasn't been forgotten on the right, where the flames of Benghazi burn as brightly as ever. And as Lynn Vavreck noted recently at The Upshot, American elections are no longer about trying to convince the mythic "swing" voter in the middle — they're about maximizing turnout at either end of the political spectrum. So while Benghazi may seem like an odd issue to raise in 2014, it's actually perfect — so perfect that you can count on seeing it again in 2016, too.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Ryu Spaeth is deputy editor at TheWeek.com. Follow him on Twitter.
-
Today's political cartoons - April 21, 2024
Cartoons Sunday's cartoons - devilish decrees, biblical blunders, and more
By The Week US Published
-
5 carefully selected cartoons about the Trump-Daniels jury selection process
Cartoons Artists take on a stress-free life, rare peers, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Loire Valley Lodges review: sleep, feast and revive in treetop luxury
The Week Recommends Forest hideaway offers chance to relax and reset in Michelin key-winning comfort
By Julia O'Driscoll, The Week UK Published
-
Puffed rice and yoga: inside the collapsed tunnel where Indian workers await rescue
Speed Read Workers trapped in collapsed tunnel are suffering from dysentery and anxiety over their rescue
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
More than 2,000 dead following massive earthquake in Morocco
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published
-
Mexico's next president will almost certainly be its 1st female president
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published
-
North Korea's Kim to visit Putin in eastern Russia to discuss arms sales for Ukraine war, U.S. says
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published
-
Gabon's military leader sworn in following coup in latest African uprising
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published
-
Nobody seems surprised Wagner's Prigozhin died under suspicious circumstances
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published
-
Western mountain climbers allegedly left Pakistani porter to die on K2
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published
-
'Circular saw blades' divide controversial Rio Grande buoys installed by Texas governor
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published