Hillary Clinton emerged largely unscathed from a marathon day of testimony to the House Select Committee on Benghazi on Thursday.
The appearance was seen as a crucial moment for the former secretary of State, and the Republican panel lobbed dozens of questions at her about her personal email setup, her longtime associate Sidney Blumenthal, and Chris Stevens, the U.S. ambassador to Libya killed in the 2012 terrorist attacks in Benghazi.
But none of the lawmakers' critiques throughout the course of the long day seemed to stick.
"I don't know that she testified that much different today than she has in the past," Chairman Trey Gowdy (R-S.C.) conceded as the hearing wrapped up.
If anything, the only serious political damage seemed to have been done to GOP leaders of the panel, who were repeatedly put on defense by harsh barbs from committee’s Democrats.
“We’re better than using taxpayer dollars to try and destroy a campaign,” Rep. Elijah Cummings (Md.), the committee's top Democrat, said as the 11-hour hearing was entering its final moments, it was part of a rousing speech that was cheered in the committee room. “That’s not what America is all about.”
The stakes were high for both sides coming into Thursday.
Clinton, a Democratic presidential candidate, needed to escape undamaged without losing her calm about the Sept. 11, 2012, attacks that killed four Americans.
http://thehill.com/policy/national-security/257844-clinton-largely-unscathed-by-gop-benghazi-hearing
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