Today I got a little email missive titled “Never Forget” from our GOP Senator, Roy Blunt. It’s the anniversary of 9/11 so this type of message is not unexpected. However, know what he really, really wants us to remember:

Twelve years later, we still live in a dangerous world with enemies who wish us harm. We were reminded of this just one year ago, when four Americans were killed during a deadly terrorist attack in Benghazi.

Like, you know, Benghazi is Obama’s 9/11. Except it isn’t. Although given the general conservative pile-on today, you’d never guess the extent to which the allegations of scandal have been discredited. Blunt, always careful not to go too far and get himself laughed at, is as you probably noticed, moderate in his rhetoric, letting others do the heavy lifting while he only delicately alludes to the point he is sure the base has already been sufficiently prepared to receive with cheers.

And Blunt can take that conviction to the bank. The real wild-eyed morons of the GOP continue to till what they hope will someday, if they just keep at it, prove to be fertile Benghazi fields. The occasion of 9/11 has found them working at fever pitch. To commemorate the profound tragedy of 9/11, Rep. Louis Gohmert (R-Tx) and one-time rep. Allen West (R-nowhere) held a press conference characterized by absurd Benghazi hypotheticals presented as serious allegations. Rep. Darrell Isa (R-CA) had to get in on the act and promised to never stop beating the dead Benghazi horse in his House committee. These partisan conspiracy theorists were echoed by Speaker Boehner who emphasized the strength of GOP resolve to create a partisan victory out of the tragic death of a diplomat:

“For the past year, this administration has failed to provide sufficient answers, fully comply with subpoenas, and make available relevant individuals to provide testimony. In short, this administration hasn’t been upfront with the American people or this Congress,” he said. “Republicans will not stop until we get to the truth. We will press forward with our investigation until we have answers, full accountability, and justice.”

In the words of Steve Benen:

This really isn’t healthy. The questions have been answered; the deadly incident has been closely examined; and the allegations have been discredited. There’s just no point in pretending otherwise. Even some congressional Republican staffers have begun openly mocking GOP lawmakers who can’t let go of this nonsense.

What makes its especially unhealthy is the fact that we’ve had a real international situation on our hands as a result of Syria’s violation of international norms on the use of chemical warfare agents. When President Obama responded by indicating that under his watch the U.S. might actually stand up to defend those conventions, what he got from otherwise truculent GOPers was confused silence or outright opposition for proposals they would have been cheering for had a Republican (and white) president been the initiator. Instead, we get our hawkish GOPers whining about the over-and-done-with Benghazi incident. But, hey, to once again let me crib the eloquent words of Steve Benen:

It’s obvious this simply won’t go away. Ever. There are those who believe the Clintons killed Vince Foster; there are those who think the moon landing was faked; and there are those who argue there was a Benghazi cover-up they can neither identify nor explain.

It is a theory impervious to fact and evidence, and nothing will change that.

Maybe nothing will change the GOP’s fantasy that Benghazi will prove to be the wedge that will topple the Obama presidency, but in the meantime do we have to tolerate Roy Blunt’s gutless effort to appropriate the meme in his “who me” kind of way? Shouldn’t just a few of us tell him we know what he is doing, we don’t like it, and, incidentally, Roy, STFU.