COMING TO THEIR SENSES? – AT 10:32 A.M. ET:  It's rare for liberal Democrats, but it might be happening.  Their initial temptation to boycott the new Benghhazi committee formed in the House may be giving way to the realization that a boycott gives them no voice. 

They may also realize that committee Chairman Trey Gowdy is one of the shrewdest Republicans in Congress, and can be deadly as a prosecutor.  From the Washington Examiner: 

A top Democratic House lawmaker and close ally of House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi wants Democrats to post only one member to the newly created Select Committee on Benghazi.

Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., sent a letter to Democrats who are meeting on Friday morning to discuss how to respond to the newly created committee, which is comprised of seven Republican seats and five Democratic seats.

DeLauro, who is co-chair of the Democratic Steering Policy Committee, which determines committee assignments, said Democrats should resist boycotting the panel, which “would leave our caucus with no voice to engage in committee proceedings.”

Instead, she suggested in the letter, Democrats should seat just one member of their party on the panel.

“Such a participant could maintain Democratic access to committee proceedings and material, question witnesses, monitor the House Majority's activities and provide a powerful voice to raise issues and make appropriate public comments,” DeLauro wrote.

The House voted to create the panel on Thursday. House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, is expected to name members on Friday. He has tapped Rep. Trey Gowdy, R-S.C., to serve as chair.

Republicans rejected a request by Democrats to make the committee bipartisan with an equal number of Democrats and Republicans. Such a move would have given Democrats the power to block subpoenas and other actions taken by the panel, which aims to investigate the Sept. 11, 2012, terrorist attacks on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya.

COMMENT:  Dems complain that the Benghazi committee is about politics, an attempt to damage Hillary Clinton before the 2016 presidential race.  That may well be part of the motivation, but so what?  Political motivation is appropriate in a democracy, where elections are about putting up the better candidate and making the better argument. 

Maybe the Dems will participate.  If not, it will look strange to many Americans, especially if Gowdy is in his best form.

May 9, 2014