CNN Contributor: Rather Than Focusing On Benghazi, The Committee “Delv[ed] Into What Sounds Like Conspiratorial Thinking”

Ryan Lizza: The Benghazi Committee Got Caught Up “Trying To Get Hillary Clinton And Her Aides”

From the October 16 edition of CNN's New Day:

Video file

RYAN LIZZA: Can I make one point about this committee that I think is the real tragedy of what the Republicans, or the mistake the Republicans made here? We had a pretty major policy failure in Libya, right? We attacked a country, we were part of a coalition that attacked it, and didn't really have a plan for what happens after Gaddafi fell. The last time a president did that in Iraq it was a pretty big deal, right? And I think this committee had a bit of a responsibility to sort of investigate that. Why did this policy failure happen? Instead they got so caught up in the rabbit hole of the details of exactly what happened on that night in Benghazi, trying to get Hillary Clinton and her aides, and frankly delving into what sounds like conspiratorial thinking.

CHRIS CUOMO: Did they get caught up, Ryan? Or did they create it?

LIZZA: I think they just, they wanted -- they decided the committee, it was more important to damage specific people politically, rather than get to the bottom of 'how did Libya turn into this hell hole of terrorists?' And if you want to answer that question, you've got to go back to the original policy. And I think that that's a pretty important question that they missed by focusing so minutely -

BROOKE BALDWIN: But do you think they'll deliver on that? We talked about the witch hunt and the lack of witches. But do you think that on that very important point, they'll deliver?

LIZZA: Some of those questions have been raised, and some of the committees have been about those subjects. But when the email scandal started, they decided that 'Aha, this could be what takes Hillary Clinton down,' and they just obsessively focused on that.

Previously:

It's Time For The Press To Break Up With Gowdy's Benghazi Committee

Second GOP Congressman Admits Benghazi Panel Was “Designed” To Target Clinton

Former Staffer Accuses House Benghazi Committee Of “Partisan Investigation” Targeting Hillary Clinton