Alternate title: A Tale of Two White House Scandals
The last few days some of you Republicans have been using the “I” word. Bad move. If you really want to maximize the political damage from the events last year in Benghazi, less is more. Focus on the truth and let the public decide the outcome.
Let’s look at two second-term scandals that altered two presidential administrations.
The first is Watergate, the granddaddy of modern political scandals. In 1972 Richard Nixon won the most lopsided electoral victory ever. Less than two years later he resigned in disgrace.
The actual Watergate burglary took place in June 1972, several months before the election. But as the sordid truth dripped out in the years that followed, public support for Nixon dropped as Congressional Democrats methodically peeled away the layers of deception and corruption.
I remember Watergate. I was twelve when it started and fourteen when Nixon resigned. Initially the media was reluctant to cover it but the truth was too powerful to ignore. The Senate Watergate hearings were compelling theater.
Fast-forward about 20-25 years. There were Republicans talking about impeachment before Bill Clinton even took the oath of office. After numerous official and unofficial investigations into every aspect of Bill and Hillary’s public and private lives, they got proof that Bill lied about getting a hummer while under oath in a civil deposition.
When the smoke cleared Slick Willie was still standing and Newt Gingrich was unemployed. If the GOP had been able to exercise some self-restraint Bill might have been forced to resign. Instead they behaved like a lynch mob.
Regarding Benghazi, the GOP needs to focus on getting the facts out into the public sphere. Last Wednesday’s committee hearing was a good start. Don’t speechify, speculate or bloviate. Avoid tinfoil at all costs. DO NOT USE THE “I” WORD!!! Stick to the evidence and let people draw their own conclusions.
Behave like a nonpartisan who is only interested in finding the truth. Then let nature take its course. Will it end in a resignation or impeachment? Highly unlikely. But if you handle it right it will help you in the next couple elections.
Here is the key: The harder you push, the less effective the results. I know that seems counterintuitive but it’s true.
Benghazi is so bad they threw a politicized IRS out there to divert from it. Harassing ideological opponents with the most fearsome and hated arm of the domestic government (TAXES!!!!!) for Republicans is supposed to thrown them off the scent. Some IRS goons are being sacrificed. Kind of like throwing folks out of the sled to feed the wolves.This a clear indicator of how terrified they are of continued leaks, whistle-blowers and exposure by the professional non-partisan government employees. Being narcissists, a few dead federal employee peons is no big deal but it is to the people who are at risk because of these idiots in the WH.
I don’t like threatening the I-word either, it loses it’s meaning if you threaten it with every little f**kup by your politicial foe. Like the D-word in a marriage, you better be sure you’re ready for the response 😉
Oh, and this little goodie….
http://www.therightscoop.com/richard-grenell-both-abc-and-cbs-presidents-have-siblings-that-work-for-obama-at-the-white-house/
Why Obama’s f**kups get a pass ?
You’re quite right, myiq. For a while now, I’ve been saying they need to drop the rope because this is a political power struggle. In tug of war, if you can’t knock them down, drop the rope and they’ll go down on their own.
At the moment, every wrong doing on the part of this administration is an “evil right wing conspiracy.” We can thank Hillary Clinton for shaping that narrative long ago. It pisses me off, but her political skills are pretty awesome. The only way out at this point is to let go of the rope and stop yanking on it so hard.
While the sentiment of “letting go” seems to have some merit, the problem is that if “they” let go, also, then everything is at a standstill which in many respects is what the vile progs want. Do nothing and everything will just go away. A couple of problems with that…if it is the “truth” that we seek, someone has to keep seeking or it won’t come out. If the media won’t help, who will? And a standstill can result in a seeming victory for the progs at which point they redouble their efforts and become more dishonest, more greedy, more power hungry and more evil intended.
Well, you have to let go of the rope and then while everyone is on their behind, go in for the kill 🙂
Sarah Palin is a good example of letting go. She hasn’t really dropped anything, in fact she’s more effective than ever, but she did resign her governorship rather then pointlessly going to war over stupid stuff. Hillary’s awful comment about, “does it really matter” was another way of dropping the rope. She did effectively stall the discussion for a while.
The problem is, everything right now is viewed as an evil right wing conspiracy, so there’s this shield around the President. More “we” and less GOP, might drop that shield so people can finally see what’s really going on.
I never said “do nothing”. My advice is a policy of “just the facts, ma’am”.
Yes, your point was very clear about the facts….I was just saying that the vile progs would like to see a “do nothing” alternative because then in their minds, and perhaps it might be true as it has happened before, everything will just go away. Your point about needing the facts to come out is absolutely right. And I like yttik’s point, too, about shifting from the GOP-centric “I” to a “we” perspective. That’s especially important for those of us who are independents and are neither Republicans nor Democrats.
enjoyed these thoughts from Larry at No Quarter…
http://www.noquarterusa.net/blog/75911/debunking-the-debunkers-on-benghazi/#more-75911
Was never quite sure what this song meant but, nevertheless, Happy Mothers Day to all the mommies!!!
For any Mom who has ever been separated from her child for any amount of time for any reason , and any child who has ever been separated from their mother , for any amount of time for any reason .
Vile Progs celebrate Mother’s Day ….
http://twitchy.com/2013/05/12/mitt-romney-tweets-touching-mothers-day-salute-to-ann-haters-hate-demean-moms-pic/
Vile Progs are vile.
Obama gave birth to the vile progs.
Obama is the Vile Prog in Chief
http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2013/05/10/Benghazi-Leads-To-Name-From-Investigations-Past
history of Cheryl Mills and the CLintons
http://freebeacon.com/obamas-irs/
IRS abuses
http://hotair.com/archives/2013/05/12/abc-petraeus-called-final-benghazi-talking-points-useless-the-day-before-rices-full-ginsburg/
he paid the price for disagreeing
And shortly after that, his affair was exposed, and he resigned.
Coinkidink?
I don’t tink so
Me nuther!!! 🙂
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_BENGHAZI_INVESTIGATION?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2013-05-12-09-49-27
Issa want to interview Pickering and Mullen under oath
Pickering is on the board of one of the Clinton groups kind of interesting I thought. It’s the Clinton Family something. I guess his income comes from that and his pension.
http://weaselzippers.us/2013/05/11/house-leader-eric-cantor-to-hold-hearings-on-irs-targeting-conservative-groups/
IRS hearings
lots of things seem to be boiling right now
Happy mother’s day to everyone! 🙂
same to you
Thanks and same to all TCH moms!
http://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2013/05/lt-gen-william-boykin-on-9-11-the-order-to-engage-troops-has-to-come-from-the-president-video/
he was asleep and did not want to be awakened
Obama may have metaphorically been asleep at the wheel, but he was not literally asleep. This attack happened at 3:30 in the afternoon in Washington DC.
http://www.americanthinker.com/2013/05/peeling_off_the_benghazi_cover.html
very interesting article peeling off the Benghazi cover
Excellent advice. Just keep it flowing drip…,drip…..drip, and let it snowball naturally. The results would be seen in the ’14 midterms. But you know the bloviating righteous-indignation prone wingnuts. We’ll see.
Agreed.
For instance, Rand Paul made a mistake by talking about how this proves Hillary is unfit to hold higher office. It’s true but beside the point, this is not about 2016 or 2014.
Rand Paul lost me on that one. The voters should be the judge on whether Hillary is fit to be president.
He hasn’t lost me but it didn’t earn him any brownie points either.
So far Ted Cruz has been consistently impressive.
Yep. I may become apolitical until 2016.
off topic
http://www.newsmax.com/Newsfront/Immigration-Reform-Biometric-Database/2013/05/12/id/504014
a hidden bomb in the immigration bill.
just like obamacare the hits just keep on coming
There is a lot of crap hidden in this bill, the bill needs to die
http://pjmedia.com/tatler/2013/05/10/kerry-job-development-really-what-benghazi-was-about/
WOW… who knew Benghazi was all about jobs
Well sure weapons smuggling pays quite well
HONK!
http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/299193-rep-rogers-expect-more-benghazi-whistleblowers
more whistleblowers come foreward
http://www.breitbart.com/InstaBlog/2013/05/11/Obama-Is-Every-Bit-as-Bad-as-We-Warned-You
OT Happy Mothers Day ! and this is just SO FUNNY I had to share it
OMGLOLOLOLOLOL
😆
Awesome!! Made my day—thanks, swan!
That was cute!! There were both good sports
Absolutely hilarious….thanks…
Nice video, that guy is great and love his wife too.
Re: Obamacare. The Republicans should have forced the Democrats to vote on the public option and on Medicare for all.
Out numbered out gunned out to lunch. 🙄
MYIQ you are spot on 100% correct with your assessment and your advice. Unfortunately there are a lot of people that smell blood in the water and they just can’t help themselves with the I word. Some of the left wing media are fanning the flames and bringing it up themselves…….I’m sure to egg on the right wingers or maybe they are genuine……and I’ve got a bridge for sale.
The best course for the R’s at this time is to refrain from such talk and repeat the mantra that they are truth seekers and fact finders. The leadership needs to make it clear to everyone to STFU when it comes to impeachment. If certain R’s continue to raise that possibility then all the administration has to do is point that out and continue to scream witch hunt.
Right now the R’s are in control of the ball, it’s clear from the recent actions of the WH that they feel they’re losing control of the narrative/media. Obviously the R’s shouldn’t back completely off, but they need to keep their cards close to their chest right now. Keep things coming drip, drip, drip. Maintain the high road, truth seeking, fact finding, gathering public sentiment along the way.
An old hat politician I used to work with would always tell me when things got hectic or it looked like we were about to hit a wall on something…….he’d say “Steady as you go”. He had this whole thing about sailing and sometimes the wind shifts so you adjust, etc., he even had this whole thing about tacking for head winds. He was very strategic in nature, always thinking a few steps ahead. When I read your post I heard his deep voice in my head calmly saying “Steady as you go”.
“Steady as you go”.
I love it…. Words to live by daily. 🙂
“Steady as you go”.
BTW speaking of scandals and whistle blowers. I read somewhere yesterday that a whistle blower or leaker from ICE or Customs and border patrol had come forward with claims that the O administration is cooking the books on deportation. Also, that the rule is an illegal has to commit 3 crimes to be deported now instead of 1.
I have to go to a family gathering but when I get back I’ll see if I can hunt up a link to the story I read. I thought when I saw it yesterday drip, drip, drip……Benghazi, IRS, illegals….drip
is this the link you want?
http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2013/05/10/Border-Agent-Rep-Explains-How-Administration-Inflates-Deportation-Numbers
Bill Kristol just said the same thing you wrote in this post ; paraphrased and shortened of course, but essentially the exact same sentiment , on Fox , so there you go
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