This is going into coocoo land. Contempt, condemnation and coverup. Forget the tricorner hat of the Tea Party Patriots republican have a new threelegged stool to base the campaign strategy. A day after a Party Line Vote to hold lois lerner in contempt of congress the house is on its way to establish a select committee to investigate the 2012 attack on american facilities in benghazi. A preliminary vote was held moments ago setting up the final vote this evening for the committee load by South Carolina congressm tray gowdy. While the gop is united in the launch or another inquiry into an alleged coverup, republicans are split how partisan and opportunisting the party can afford to appear in a key election year. The National Republican congressional committee, the nrcc, is sticking with its shameless fundraising plug, one targeting president obama with distinct focus on Hillary Clinton. But just because this select committee is in the house, it doesnt mean the senate cant get in while the gettings good. And naturally, the conservative whisperer of the u. S. Senate is not missing out on the benghazi grab bag. No, no, no. North ted cruz will Never Surrender on benghazi or anything else and to fuel that tenaci tenacity, a Tea Party Group is issuing a benghazi fundraising flash on his behalf. For House Speaker onba eer john this is awkward, asked three times whether boehner had his answer and he stuck to it in our focus is on getting the answers to those families who lost their loved ones, period. Our focus is getting truth for these four families and for the American People. Our focus is on getting the truth for the American People and these four families. Speaker boehner is incredibly focused on avoiding the question of whether his party should fundraise off of benghazi. Now opened the floodgates to Conspiracy Theory and shameless selfpromotion within his party hed like to get back to his favorite familiar topic the line he most enjoys repeating in threes, even if no one else seems to be listening. Where are the jobs . Where are the jobs . Where are the jobs . Where are they . The editorial director of the hu hu Huffington Post john feinman and also john stanton. Howard, let me start with you. If you were a democrat in congress, what would you be doing on the eve of the establishment of the House Select Committee on benghazi . Well, the House Democrats are trying to decide how to handle it. They know they need to respond. The question is what form and how. Inside the committee room, outside committee room, some combination of the two theyre discussing that room. I think theyll end up inside to protect the witnesses, if nothing else. Whats going on with the republicans is beyond fundraising. To me especially if you know where trey gowdy comes from the reddest of the red part of South Carolina this is almost an act of political cocooning by the republicans. They want to be in the warm embrace of their own deepest fears what its what makes them comfortable. Its what makes them happy. And trey gowdy is leading the parade now. And hes a tea party guy. You said this isnt tea party, this is contempt. Tr. Y gowdy in his second term is fundamentally a tea party guy. So the tea party in essence is 234 charge of the politics of investigation where they want to be. John, talk about it. Rey gowdy a little bit, the attorney who yesterday on our air, on morning joe accidentally called benghazi a trial. This is a man that dana milbank of whom dana mill bank writes, gowdy, known for wild eye high volume bursts of pious indignation, his climb is a key example of how the Republican Party blunted the tea party threat by coopting the movement, which is a hair of a shade din from what howard was saying but the fundamental point is the tea party has been embraced completely it seems with the ascension of trey gowdy. Absolutely. When these kind of instances they certainly Neither Party has ever gone to the measured guy who is going to come in and sort of thoughtfully investigate a president of the opposite party. Its always folks on the Judiciary Committee the most partisan and willing to go into these highminded sort of flights of moral outrage. High volume burst of pious indignation there exactly. Hes a classic example of that. You know, i think, you know, the fact that he called it a trial was a slip of the tongue but obviously they are trying to put the administration on trial. And you know the good thing for leadership on the republican side at least is that while he is definitely a tea party guy, hes also a boehner guy and a sort of loyal to the party and hes not going to go too far afield in some of the wilder Conspiracy Theorys about what happened. They get both best of both worlds from their perspective with having them there. Let me follow up on that. Does daryl issa get a seat . Hes been waving the benghazi flag for years and wouldnt it be completely awkward not to give him a seat on committee, at the same time im sure nobody wants to do that . Yeah, you know, a number of republicans actually in the conference and fair number of the senate particularly who have been disappointed with his handling of benghazi and also the irs scandal. And they dont want to necessarily see him there. Hes very confrontational a lightning rod for democratic ire. He, you know, representative cummings go at it on a daytoday basis. A number of republicans want this to have some semblance of not be ago trial and folks come in and ask serious questions not just about the talking points but the broader issue of what happened in benghazi. So theres pressure on boehner not to have folks like issa on the panel. Howard the seriousness is compromised by the fact the nrcc sending out fundraising emails, a Tea Party Group, patriots for Economic Freedom sending out blasts on behalf of ted cruz to investigate benghazi and ted cruz refuses to surrender. The naked opportunism on display and the fact that john boehner cannot seemingly corral it, nor can gowdy,s a real issue for republicans. Yeah, i think the fundraising thing is is obviously cheap, but not that surprising. In fact, there was a day when special investigative committees did have an aura of a gustness about them. They werent usually headed by twoterm congressmen. They were headed by veterans who at least could portray the aura of judiciousness and bipartisanship. Thats completely missing here. What the republicans are up to is to combine benghazi and the irs into their narrative of a Big Government that is oppressive, dishonest, even murderous in the case of benghazi. Thats going to be what theyre going to talk about via fundraise, via their media outlets, via their campaigns. Its what theyre comfortable doing. Its not just that they dont want to talk about obamacare because its more successful than they imagined. This is the coo of stuff they like. They like the near black helicopter stuff. Thats what thats what gowdy is going to put judicial sounding prosecutorial cloth around. But howard, youre a political veteran, it was not always like this. No, thats what im saying. A great piece in the new yorker that reminded everybody of the beirut barracks bombing in 1983 under reagan where tip oneill launched an investigation but it was a bipartisan effort, recommendations were, some instituted slowly enough that another bombing happened in the interim but it was not a witch hunt the way this is. Right. Thats what there are hundreds of casualties. I know. And thats my point earlier. I was being a political veteran going farther back to day of watergate where sam irvin, yes a partisan democrat from north carolina, but he conveyed a sense of calm and judiciousness more like a judge than a prosecutor. Trey gowdys a prosecutor, thats what he was. Now hes better suited for this than daryl issa who is a car alarm saleman, okay . Thats progress. I suppose thats progress. Sort of yeah, appetizer to all of this. John, let me ask you, before we go, the question of what the democrats do, Elijah Cummings sent ow a letter urging a no vote. The House Republican investigations into benghazi have been characterized by extreme and counterproductive partisanship. Another review that serves to politicize attacks is disrespectful and unworthy of the American People. Thats strong language. I wonder from your Vantage Point on the hill, how difficult will that make it for nancy pelosi to appoint anybody, if thats the decision she makes . I think if its up to her she would say no and not have anybody on the committee. A large majority of her conference wants to have people on, as howard said, in one instance to protect witnesses coming ford but to fight back fli politically against them. We shall see what happens. The chapter unfolds on an hourly and daily basis. Thank you. Joining me now the democratic representative of nevadas fourth district, congressman steven horseford. Thank you for making it fresh from the vote. My guess youre not voting in the support of the establishment of committee. My question to you, are democrats going to participate in this . Well, i just came from voting no to create what is nothing or than a red meat issue for House Republicans in a primary elections year. They are not concerned about having a fair or impartial investigation. Im ail member of oversight and government reform committee. I have watched, as daryl issa has made this a partisan process from the very beginning and rather than working to implement the recommendations that came from the accountability review board, hes turned this into part dan theatrics and today the House Republicans on the floor did the same thing. Congressman, i have to ask you, i mean, we have talked about the dysfunction on capitol hill for years now. But this seems to be a new low. For the American Public that is watching this unfold, has it gotten worse . Is such a thing even possible at this point . Well, i agree with the American Public who are frustrated but let me be clear, these are House Republicans who do not want a fair and impartial investigation. Democrats want the information to come forward and what happened was a tragedy, four american lives were lost. And we need to make sure that it never happens again, and congress does have a duty and a responsibility to implement the recommendations, most of which come from increasing security and funding. The same republicans who voted for this resolution today voted to cut funding for the department of state and the Security Resources that are needed in that department. Congressman, one more question before i let you go. Do you have any confidence that trey gowdy can conduct any of this in an impartial manner . You know, i serve on a committee with mr. Gowdy. I would hope that if this goes forward they will do so in a way that allows both sides to have the information to make sure the depositions are provided for in a fair manner for both sides. Mr. Gowdy has a responsibility to the American People not to his party. To make this a fair process and investigation. Nevada congressman steven horsford, thank you for your time. Thank you. After the break, World Leaders join the u. S. In condemning the kidnapping of nearly 300 girls by the Jihadist Group boko haram, an act not even al qaeda will condone. We will discuss the disturbing state of terror in africa when the assistant to the president for Homeland Security and terror. Joins me next on now. Ughters. He thought it was the end of the conversation. She didnt tell him that her College Expenses were going up. Or that she maxed out her card during spring break. When the satellite provider checked his credit, he found out his daughter didnt pay her bills. But hes not worried. 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Discover how we are advancing medicine at kp. Org join us, and thrive. I believe the kidnap of these girls will be the beginning of end of terror in nigeria. That was goodluck jonnathan addressing the 24day long captivity of 276 Nigerian School girls. Following weeks of silence the president. Second acknowledgement of the kidnappings in recent days. In new york yesterday, former secretary of state Hillary Clinton offered her own assessment of nigerias response. The seizure of these young women by this radical extremist grouping boko haram, is abominable, its criminal, its an act of terrorism, and it really merits the fullest response possible, first and foremost from the government of nigeria. Government of nigeria has been, in my view, somewhat derelict. Derelict, indeed, nigeria made dramatically little headway in tracking down the girls to say nothing of rescuing them. The International Community is beginning to take action. France, for example, announced today that it would station about 3,000 troops in the region surrounding nigeria to help combat militants. Yet, even with the Nigerian Government presumably on high alert, the terror Group Responsible for this kidnapping, boko haram, behind a straight attack on monday one that killed over 300 people in the town. Agourding to the New York Times militants descended on the town chanting ala akbar torches houses. 18 Police Officers were killed but witnesses said no military forces in the town because all had been drafted in the search for the missing school girls. No officials had been there since it was attacked. There is no presence of security men in the area said a witness and militants are having a field day. Joining me now, assistant to the president for Homeland Security and counter terrorism, lisa monaco. Let me first start with breaking news, reports unconfirmed as yet, hoping you can confirm them, u. S. Intelligence officials believe the 276 girls have been separated from one another. Any intel on that . Can you confirm that . Im aware of those reports. And as you might imagine, we are considering every possibility and we are very concerned as we do everything we can at the president s direction to help the Nigerian Government find and free these girls safely. Weve got to consider every possibility and were particularly concerned about the poorest border region in which we suspect these girls may be. And about the potential for them to be separated. So, you believe it is a distinct possibility but you cant confirm whether theyve been split up . Thats right. Im not going to get into specific intelligence, but i will tell you, we are considering every possibility, as we do everything we can to help the Nigerian Government will when you look at what boko haram has done no the country of nigeria in the recent just even the past three months, the thousands killed, 300 this week, 276 school girls still missing one wonder where those group came from. 2012 you were one of the people that surged secretary clinton and the state department to desegg nate boko haram has a terrorist organization. The state department refused to do so. Given where we are today, do you think that was right decision. First, let me say, as you piece has laid out, this is a horrendous and tragic and outrageous situation and our hearts go out to the families of these more than 270 girl abducted and the president and first ladys thoughts and prayers are with them and their families. Boko haram is a terrorist organization that has demonstrated a capacity to do unbelievable unbelievably brutal attacks from suicide bombings to attacks on churches and mosques, and now the systemic targeting of women and girls for kidnapping, for potential slavery and trafficking depriving them of the education and opportunity that they deserve. As to the designation, obviously we designated the United States government designated boko haram last year in order to isolate them, potentially cut off sources of funding. Designations are one tool in the toolbox that we use to co