A 60′ long scroll with the signatures of 1000 Special Ops veterans sounds, on the surface at least, as if it would provide a bold, in-your-face objective correlative to the GOP leadership’s foot dragging and timidity on the Benghazi travesty, which has, in addition to keeping the American people largely in the dark over any findings, continued to benefit the absent, AWOL President and our former Secretary of State, who is no doubt prepping for a 2016 presidential run, and who reminded us all, publicly, that it made no difference whether the man who sits in jail for posting a YouTube trailer was responsible for the attacks on the consulate, or whether it was Al Qaeda — or even the Muslim Brotherhood (whom we’ve heard Obama, Hillary Clinton, and even some Republicans like John McCain defend as “moderates,” while excoriating Reps like Michele Bachmann for raising concerns about the MB’s infiltration into high positions of government) — who was behind the attacks.  Because people were dead.  And how dare you try to politicize State Department politics!  The Hill:

Republican leaders are coming under new pressure from conservatives to allow a House vote on legislation that would form a special committee to investigate the Benghazi, Libya, attack.

Rep. Steve Stockman (R-Texas) is circulating a discharge petition that would force GOP leaders to allow a House vote on forming a committee to investigate events leading up to the terrorist attack last year on the U.S. mission in Benghazi, Libya, as well as the Obama administration’s response.

Conservative lawmakers have been pressing for the creation of a special committee, but GOP leaders have resisted, arguing existing panels can investigate the incident on their own.

If Stockman can get 218 House members to support his discharge petition, it would force a vote on the House floor.

Discharge petitions are very rarely introduced by members of the party that’s in power.

They invariably infuriate leadership since they’re a way to get around the scheduling process for bills, which is controlled by the majority leader, in this case, Rep. Eric Cantor (R-Va.).

To promote his effort, Stockman, an outspoken freshman, will unveil on Tuesday a 60-foot-long scroll signed by 1,000 special operations veterans who support the select committee. Supporters tout it as the largest petition ever presented to Congress, and Stockman plans to unroll it down the Capitol’s steps.

“The only way we’re going to get a clean and thorough investigation is by forcing a vote with a discharge petition,” Stockman said in announcing his plan last week.

The only Republican to introduce a discharge petition during the last Congress was Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Texas).

Two years ago, Gohmert fought for a vote on his bipartisan bill exempting military salaries from negotiations to avert a government shutdown in 2011 after it stalled in the Armed Services and Transportation and Infrastructure committees. His discharge petition got 30 signatures, and the bill died in committee.

Gohmert was an early co-sponsor of the Benghazi select committee legislation and is scheduled to appear alongside Stockman on Tuesday. Former Rep. Allen West (R-Fla.), who lost reelection, is also slated to appear.

Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) and other GOP leaders say current panels are doing a fine job with oversight on Benghazi.

[…]

Some 160 lawmakers have signed on to a resolution from Rep. Frank Wolf (R-Va.) calling for a select committee. The resolution has been stuck since January in the Rules Committee, which is controlled by Boehner ally Rep. Pete Sessions (R-Texas).

Wolf has said that Boehner would be “complicit” in an Obama administration “cover-up” if he does not allow for the creation of a select committee.

Unfortunately, when John Boehner sees a 60′ long scroll, he instantly believes it to be the world’s largest Kleenex.  And before it can get passed around the House to generate signatures, it will be absolutely sodden with the orange-tinged tears of our most tannest Speaker ever.

So, while I like the thought, I question the execution.

Unless, that is, the plan becomes gathering the requisite number of signatures, then forcing the thing up Boehner’s rectum until it comes out of his mouth.  Either literally or figuratively.  It doesn’t really much matter at this point.

Here’s the question to ask yourself:  does the fact that we’re now learning about the MB’s involvement — coupled with the ruling class recalcitrance to push any kind of special investigation — suggest that the information that would come to light would be damning not only to Democrats, but to all those Republicans who lectured us about “fear mongering” and unnecessary paranoia over the very moderate Muslim Brotherhood and its political wing, which has found quite a cozy relationship with our lawmakers, of both parties, in the halls of power?

Just as I believe the IRS scandal hasn’t received a special prosecutor because many GOP establishment lions would be implicated in the effort to harm the TEA Party, I believe Boehner and the boys are stonewalling to give cover to those easily gulled Republicans who fell in with the idea that they could really work with the Muslim Brotherhood, whom they were told had softened many of its positions and had become less militant and more politically savvy and moderate.

Because let’s face it:  nobody wants to be shown being a useful idiot for terrorists who overran a consulate, killed an ambassador, and murdered special forces soldiers who mounted the only rescue attempt — Hillary Clinton having bumped her head or some such, and Obama resting up for his audience with Beyonce.

(h/t JHo)