So [mc_name name=’Rep. Trey Gowdy (R-SC)’ chamber=’house’ mcid=’G000566′ ] sent a formal letter to Elijah Cummings over the latter’s intolerably and pettily partisan hackwork with regard to the Benghazi Committee (@RBPundit categorizes it as ‘BEASTMODE,’ which is highly accurate).  There are a lot of interesting things in this letter.  A lot of brutal commentary on [mc_name name=’Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-MD)’ chamber=’house’ mcid=’C000984′ ]’ willingness to say one thing in private and another in public, for example. But I found this part about Sidney Blumenthal to be highly entertaining reading:

Beyond the pure politics that were occurring at this time, perhaps more disturbing it that at the same time [Sidney] Blumenthal was pushing Secretary Clinton to war in Libya, he was privately pushing a business interest of his own in Libya that stood to profit from contracts with the new Libyan government – a government that would exist only after a successful U.S. intervention in Libya that deposed Qaddafi. This business venture was one he shared with Tyler Drumheller and Cody Shearer, the authors of the information sent to Secretary Clinton. It is therefore unsurprising that somebody who knew so little about Libya would suddenly become so interested in Libya and push an old friend in a powerful place to action – for personal profit.

While Blumenthal and Drumheller have both acknowledged a personal stake in the business venture, known as Osprey Global Solutions, they have downplayed their involvement to the Committee. New documents received by the Committee, however, indicate more extensive involvement than previously known.

As a reminder: Sidney Blumenthal was not some mere hanger-on to Secretary Clinton. He was supposed to become a formal adviser when Clinton became Secretary of State, only to be told no by the White House.  Blumenthal still operated as a confidant afterward, only informally. The record shows that he was a constant presence in Hillary Clinton’s utterly non-secure online discussion of Libya. He had influence over the decision making process. And a company that Sidney Blumenthal ran allegedly benefited from it.

Pay close attention to everybody – on either side of the nominal aisle – who sprints past that point.  And pay even more close attention to anybody who attempts to change the subject from just how awful our foreign policy decision-making policy was, under Hillary Clinton.  This is, in the end, about people dying. And not just Americans; Sidney Blumenthal allegedly profited off helping to start a civil war. The Democrats are focused on the absolute essentials in this situation: do the same, or you will lose. And you will have lost stupidly. We have no more time for stupid.

Here endeth the lesson.

Moe Lane (crosspost)