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The Democrats will participate the Benghazi select committee hearings after all. Nancy Pelosi named a full compliment of House Democrats to the committee Wednesday, deciding it's better to monitor a storm from the inside rather than sitting it out.

As if there was any real doubt, the House minority leader named her chosen five Democrats to sit alongside Republicans who still want answers about what really happened during the September 11, 2012 consulate attacks in Benghazi, Libya, mostly to make sure this sideshow doesn't go completely off the rails. House Democrats originally debated boycotting the committee altogether after Republicans rewarded themselves seven seats on the 12-person committee; any Democratic representation will just be dragged along for the ride.

The representative Democrats will be:

Rep. Elijah Cummings (Maryland)

Rep. Adam Smith (Washington)

Rep. Adam Schiff (California)

Rep. Linda Sanchez (California)

Rep. Tammy Duckworth (Illinois)

The biggest name on the panel is easily Cummings, who serves as the ranking Democrat on the Oversight and Government Reform Committee, and is the biggest thorn in Rep. Darrell Issa's side. In other words, he is used to dealing with bombastic Republican showmen who just want to raise a stink. That experience will serve him well when he faces off against Rep. Trey Gowdy, who will lead the Republican side of the panel.

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