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April 1, 2014: House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi speaks to reporters outside the West Wing of the White House.AP

House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi rebuffed calls from her party for Democrats to boycott a newly announced Benghazi investigation, saying Tuesday that the so-called select committee should have bipartisan members.

"If this review is to be fair, it must be truly bipartisan," Pelosi said in a written statement.

She went a step further, calling for the committee to be "equally divided between Democrats and Republicans as is done on the House Ethics Committee."

It's unclear whether Republican leaders would agree to that request. Republicans pointed out that despite Pelosi's call for an equally divided panel, the breakdown of a prior select committee on climate change, engineered by the California Democrat, included nine Democrats and six Republicans.

Details of the proposed Benghazi committee have not yet been released, except for Monday's decision to name Rep. Trey Gowdy, R-S.C., as chairman. A formal vote to establish the investigative committee is expected by the end of the week.

On Sunday, Democratic California Rep. Adam Schiff called for fellow Democrats to sit out the investigation.

"I think it's a colossal waste of time," Schiff told "Fox News Sunday." "I don't think it makes sense, really, for Democrats to participate."

Pelosi reiterated complaints from others in her party that there have already been several investigations, including "four partisan reviews" in the House.

But she signaled she does want members of her party on the panel. "It should require that witnesses are called and interviewed, subpoenas are issued, and information is shared on a bipartisan basis. Only then could it be fair," she said.

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Pelosi opens door to Democrats on Benghazi committee

Published: Monday, May 5, 2014, 1:58 p.m.

The four candidates are campaign organizer Justin McMahon, perennial candidate Dick McManus, Edmonds City Councilman Strom Peterson and retired Navy aviator Scott Whelpley.

Candidates file for ballot position May 12-16.

During that week, on May 15, the District Democratic organization will be host to a candidate forum for candidates who have filed for the position.

On May 21, District Democrats plan to endorse one or more of the candidates at a regular business meeting.

McManus said Friday that he is unsure about being able to raise the money for the filing fee

No Republican has registered an intent to run for the position.

The top two vote-getters in the August primary, regardless of party, advance to the November general-election ballot. With no Republican candidates, two Democrats would meet in November.

Whelpley starts the campaign with a financial advantage, having reported raising $18,595 and spending $6,728. Peterson has reported raising $4,183 and spending $1,000. McManus reports raising $105 and spending $19 McMahon has reported no fundraising or spending.

The District Democrats already have endorsed incumbent State Sen. Marko Liias and incumbent State Rep. Lillian Ortiz-Self. Republican Daniel Mathews has announced a campaign against Liias. Republican Jeffrey Thorp has withdrawn as a candidate against Ortiz-Self, leaving her with no declared opponent.

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Democrats review candidates for 21st District

WASHINGTON - The No. 2 House Democrat harshly criticized House Speaker John Boehner's decision to move forward with a select committee to investigate the deadly Benghazi terror attack, and said Democrats haven't decided if they'll participate.

"We think this is a political, not a substantive effort," Rep. Steny Hoyer of Maryland told reporters on Monday about the new panel to probe the armed assault in September 2012 that killed four Americans, including Ambassador Christopher Stevens.

Hoyer said he would urge all fellow Democrats to vote against the bill creating the panel that's expected to be on the floor as early as this week.

The GOP-led House is expected to approve it, but it's possible Democrats could boycott the investigation.

Boehner said South Carolina Republican Rep. Trey Gowdy, a former federal prosecutor, would chair the committee. But Democrats have not received any details on its structure, funding or powers.

House Democratic leaders want more information before deciding how they would respond.

"If they (Republicans) want to have a substantive effort, it ought to be an equally balanced committee so this is not an exercise in partisanship. But we'll see whether that's the case," Hoyer said.

Benghazi has become a political flashpoint in Washington and a rallying cry for Republican critics of President Barack Obama's conduct of foreign policy.

Republicans have focused on the U.S. security posture before the attack in eastern Libya, the official response during the assault, and the Obama administration's slow-to-evolve explanation of what occurred once it was over.

The issue boiled over in 2013, but had been simmering this year until new documents surfaced last week that prompted renewed GOP claims the administration politicized its public explanation of events in the days after the attack.

The rest is here:
Democrats unclear on Benghazi panel boycott

Senator Blunt Calls On Democrats To Support Job Creating Energy Policy 4/29/14
On Tuesday, April 29, 2014, U.S. Senator Roy Blunt (Mo.) spoke on the Senate floor to call on President Barack Obama and the Democrat-controlled Senate to stop playing politics with American...

By: SenatorBlunt

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Senator Blunt Calls On Democrats To Support Job Creating Energy Policy 4/29/14 - Video

Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY): Democrats Support Fracking
Schumer: "Overall, the Democrats throughout the country have supported fracking. The President has, most of us have, and it #39;s worked quite well." (MSNBC #39;s "Morning Joe," May 5, 2014)

By: EnergyInDepth

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Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY): Democrats Support Fracking - Video