A good choice for some good reasons. Trey Gowdy is probably the most knowledgeable congressman about the issues surrounding Benghazi.

Politico:

“Trey Gowdy is as dogged, focused, and serious-minded as they come,” Boehner said in a statement. “His background as a federal prosecutor and his zeal for the truth make him the ideal person to lead this panel.”

(Also on POLITICO: Mission improbable: Gowdy gets into Benghazi)

House Republican leadership expects to vote this week on legislation that will create the panel. They will then announce the other members of the committee. There’s been significant behind-the-scenes jockeying to score a seat on Gowdy’s panel — Republican leadership has been fielding calls since Friday from interested members. Boehner (R-Ohio) is taking the lead in selecting lawmakers.

Gowdy said the committee will tackle the “unresolved questions about why the security was inadequate, our response during the siege itself, and our government’s interaction with the public after the attack. All of those lines of inquiry are legitimate and should be apolitical. Facts are neither red nor blue.”

Democrats have largely dismissed the probe as purely political theater.

Maryland Rep. Steny Hoyer, the No. 2 House Democrat, said Monday the committee is “unnecessary.” He said that he would urge his members to vote against the committee when legislation comes to the floor this week.

Hoyer said the Democratic leadership has not “made a determination” on whether they would appoint members to the committee. He said the panel was a “partisan messaging” activity.

Will the Democrats boycott the hearings? Here's a more pertinent question; will Democratic members of Congress forgoe the opportunity to appear on national TV for weeks at a time?

No politician in their right mind would eschew a committee assignment that would allow them this kind of media exposure. Expect the select committee to be full of Democrats eager to make a name for themselves by trashing Republicans and whatever evidence is revealed.