Saturday, May 10, 2014

I recognize only two

Here is the panel of seven Republicans that have been appointed to the Benghazi Select Committee. The only one I recognize, beside Chairman Gowdy, is Jordan of Ohio. Do any of you know anything about any of these others?



The Democrats are dragging their feet, and haven't decided yet whether they want to find the truth.

Drudge has nothing.
Instapundit has nothing.
Breitbart has this:
Westmoreland (R-GA) was widely expected to be part of the panel, as he lead an informal group of House members focused on the Benghazi investigations.

Brooks (R-IN) is a former US Attorney appointed by former President George W. Bush in 2001 and was first elected to congress in 2012.

Pompeo (R-KS) is a Harvard Law graduate and also a member of the House Intelligence Committee who is familiar with handling classified intelligence.

Roby (R-AL) is a former attorney serving her second term in Congress.

Chief Deputy Whip Roskam (R-IL) is a member of the Republican leadership.

Jordan (R-OH) is the former chairman of the Republican Study Committee, the conservative caucus in the House.

From the Washington Examiner's David Drucker, who for some strange reason calls Jordan "risky":
• Gowdy, 49, is a former federal prosecutor who is steeped in the Benghazi issue from his work on the Oversight and Government Reform Committee, which played a large role in the joint, five-committee investigation that preceded the forthcoming work of the select committee. During Oversight and Government Reform hearings on Benghazi, Gowdy won plaudits for his knowledgeable and direct questioning of witnesses, and for not using his question time to pontificate for the cameras. It probably also didn't hurt that he was elected in the Republican wave of 2010 and is well thought of by members who affiliate with the Tea Party.

• Brooks, 53, is serving in her first term. She is a former U.S. attorney (read: prosecutor) who has quickly developed a reputation for eschewing sensational partisanship in favor of seriousness and professionalism. She has not previously been involved in the investigation of the Benghazi attack — she serves on the Education and Workforce, Ethics and Homeland Security panels. But her skills and temperament made her a choice that other Republicans are quietly praising.

• Jordan, 50, is the only choice that might appear risky. The stalwart conservative is a former chairman of the Republican Study Committee who has never been shy about speaking his mind. However, he has spent more than a year investigating Benghazi as a member of Oversight and Government Reform, where he chairs the Economic Growth, Job Creation and Regulatory Affairs Subcommittee. Jordan also serves on the Judiciary Committee.

• Pompeo, 50, has a military and legal background, making him a favorite to receive an appointment. The second-term congressman graduated from Harvard Law School and West Point, and saw active duty as a cavalry officer. Pompeo has been involved in the House Republicans' Benghazi investigation as a member of the Intelligence Committee. He also serves on the Energy and Commerce Committee.

• Roby, though not previously considered a favorite to receive an appointment, has focused intensely on national security issues since winning her House seat in 2010. She previously served on the Armed Services Committee, one of the five standing committees of jurisdiction that had been investigating Benghazi, throughout the hearings but later left the panel. Roby, 37, now serves on the Appropriations Committee.

• Roskam, 52, is the only senior member of the House Republican leadership team on the select committee. The chief deputy majority whip can be expected to keep Boehner in the loop as to the panel's progress and proceedings, and could serve to maintain order and political discipline as the select committee's investigation proceeds. Roskam is a lawyer and former litigator. He serves on the Ways and Means Committee.

• Westmoreland, 64, subtly lobbied Boehner for months to create the select committee. He served as chairman of an informal Benghazi working group that met once a week to review the progress of the five-committee investigation, and through that process came to the conclusion that it was not accomplishing the goal of obtaining information and finding answers. Westmoreland serves on the Intelligence Committee, and is chairman of the subcommittee on oversight and investigations, and as such was considered a natural choice for the appointment. He also serves on Financial Services.

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