Hillary Clinton: The real GOP target on Benghazi?
Hillary Clinton was secretary of state when terrorists killed the US ambassador and other Americansin Benghazi, Libya. Republicans aim to make that a major issue if she runs for president.
Republican-led congressional investigations of the issue known simply as Benghazi are becoming a major political irritation for the Obama White House. It gets in the way of the Year of Action government by executive order President Obama is touting as his way of dealing with what he sees as an obstructive Congress.
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But for the Democratic front-runner in the 2016 presidential campaign Hillary Clinton its quickly growing into a potentially devastating target of opportunity for the GOP as it searches for a way to head off a Clinton political dynasty.
Republicans aren't going to let Benghazi go, unless and until they find that it doesn't serve as a liability for Hillary Clinton, who was secretary of state at the time of the attack, writes New Republic senior editor Brian Beutler on the magazines web site. And while we know that the conspiracy theory that sparked and sustains Benghazimania has been debunked, we don't know whether the right's obsession with it will become a real hindrance for Clinton if she runs for the presidency, or if it will backfire against Republicans.
So far, her Republican critics see Clinton as very vulnerable here, which could become more than just a distraction for her and her supporters starting to line up with endorsements as US Sen. Tim Kaine (D) of Virginia did the other day and fund-raising.
It could be a good tactical if not strategic move.
A year ago, not long after the terrorist attack in Benghazi, Libya, which killed the US ambassador and three other American personnel, Clinton saw a big drop in her favorability ratings,
The drop in her favorability is substantial among men,Republicansand independent voters, Peter Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute, said at the time. One reason for her drop may be that 48 percent of voters blame her either a little or a lot for the death of the American ambassador in Benghazi.
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Hillary Clinton: The real GOP target on Benghazi?