Republicans Crow Over Alleged Effect of Benghazi Witch Hunt on Clinton’s Poll Numbers (Updates)

Update:

Responding to McCarthy’s politically motivated, shameful comments on Benghazi, Hillary Clinton said, “I have to tell you, I find them deeply distressing…
When I hear a statement like that, which demonstrates unequivocally that this was always meant to be a partisan political exercise…I feel like it does a grave disservice and dishonors not just the memory of the four that we lost but of everybody who has served our country.”

Watch the full response here.

Original Post:

While it is very doubtful that the numerous GOP Benghazi Committees’ sessions and investigations into the Benghazi attacks have negatively affected Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign, it takes some chutzpah for the GOP House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) to suggest otherwise.

But that is exactly what the Speaker of the House wannabe claims in one of the most partisan, unsubstantiated and mean-spirited cases of Schadenfreude.

TalkingPointsMemo (TPM):

House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) suggested late Tuesday that the House investigation into the Benghazi attacks had successfully damaged Democratic presidential frontrunner Hillary Clinton’s campaign.
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The aspiring House speaker cited the House Select Committee on Benghazi as an example of how he would strategically wield a conservative majority in Congress if he got the job while presenting his conservative bona fides in an interview with Fox News host Sean Hannity.
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“Everybody thought Hillary Clinton was unbeatable, right?” McCarthy said. “But we put together a Benghazi special committee, a select committee. What are her numbers today? Her numbers are dropping. Why? Because she’s untrustable [sic]. But no one would have known any of that had happened had we not fought and made that happen.”

According to TPM, Hannity jumped right in with, “I agree. That’s something good I give you credit for that.”

A spokesperson for Clinton “quickly pounced on McCarthy’s comments”:

Brian Fallon @brianefallon
Speaker-in-waiting confesses what the true goal of taxpayer-funded Benghazi Commitee is.

This author’s personal opinion is that statements and actions such as this will have — should have — the opposite effect on Democratic voters.

Update:

The Washington Post quotes Brad Woodhouse, president of the pro-Clinton rapid response group Correct the Record, saying:

The political hatchet job at taxpayer expense that is the current Benghazi investigation in the House has been officially exposed by who else – the future Speaker of the House…We have been saying for years that Republicans were exploiting the deaths of four Americans for political gain. Kevin McCarthy just admitted it. Disgraceful.