Dan Rather Deems Scandal ‘Trifecta’ For ‘Obstructionist’ GOP: ‘Slapping High Five Behind Closed Doors’
Dan Rather joined Morning Joe’s Thursday roundtable, offering his take on the news-dominating scandals facing the Obama administration — and how Republicans have sought to cash in on them. Benghazi, the IRS, and the AP/DOJ are the “trifecta” for “obstructionist” Republicans, he argued. They’re all high-fiving behind the scenes.
Starting with the never-ending Watergate comparison, Rather remarked that Republicans are quick to associate things with the Nixon scandal — but that the current situation isn’t in the “same cosmos.” Which is not to say there’s not an advantage for the GOP, given that their top priority is to prevent the president from accomplishing anything; “this aids that.”
Furthermore, Rather contended that since congressional Republicans have been “estranged” from the Tea Party, they now can rejoice in having “solidarity” with the Tea Party heading into 2014 elections. And if that isn’t enough, with Benghazi, Republicans have “damage Hillary Clinton‘s chances of not only getting the presidency in ’16 but also getting the nomination.”
“It’s a trifecta for them,” he summed up. “And no wonder they’re slapping high five behind closed doors.”
Conversely, Rather argued that the GOP could “overplay” their hand — as they did with the Bill Clinton ordeal, a “five-star scandal” if there ever was one.
“President Obama must feel like he’s Gulliver tied down,” he later added. “Every time he turns around he can’t really move in any way. It raises the question: Can he get anything done in this second term as president with the Republicans playing this obstructionist role?”
Take a look, via MSNBC:
