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Subscribe to RSSA House Foreign Affairs hearing on "Benghazi and Beyond" quickly turned into a shouting and accusations forum.
It began when Republican Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA) said this: "What is clear is that this administration, including the president himself, has intentionally misinformed, read that LIED, to the American people in the aftermath of this tragedy. Now President Obama has the gall to float the name as possibly secretary of State, the name of the person who is the actual vehicle used to misinform the American people during this crisis."
Karen Bleier / AFP - Getty Images
National Intelligence Director James Clapper arrives for a closed door hearing conducted by the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence November 15, 2012 on Capitol Hill.
Rep. Brad Sherman, a Democrat also from California, called the attacks on Rice "unfair" and leveled that Colin Powell testified that there were weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, because that's the information that was given to him.
Rohrabacher shot back, going further, intimating that what the White House has done is worse than Watergate.
"This is not simply a cover up of a third-rate burglary," he alleged. "We have four of our personnel dead, and it is not a McCarthy-era tactic to demand accountability and to demand that American people are not misinformed about it to the point that they don't know what the threat is."
The back and forth continued when Rep. Jean Schmidt, a Republican from Ohio, also accused the administration of lying.
Key Republicans on the Senate Armed Services Committee are calling for a broader investigation into the attack on Benghazi and vowing to block UN Ambassador Susan Rice from becoming Secretary of State, if she should be nominated, because of her initial comments about the fatal incident. Sen. Kelly Ayotte, R-N.H., discusses.
"This administration continues to put out things that are just not quite true," she claimed.
Rep. Dan Burton (R-IN) began by saying he was not going to attack the White House or malfeasance at the State Department. But he then instead spoke for six minutes and didn't ask a single question of the GAO witness.
Naturally, Democrats responded. It began rather timidly and escalated.
"Barack Obama was no more responsible for what happened in Benghazi than George Bush was for Sept. 11th or Ronald Reagan was for the blowing up of U.S. Marines in Beirut," Rep. Eliot Engle (D-NY) said.
Rep. Gary Ackerman (D-NY) unloaded, first sarcastically: "Let's just hang the guilty parties."
"The stench of hypocrisy that hangs over this city today emanates from this room," Ackerman said. "I've listened to my colleagues talk about the President of the United States and others in the administration using [the] terms 'deliberate', 'lies', 'unmitigated gall', 'malfeasance,' which is malicious and knowing evil-doing, 'disgust', 'coverups'."
He continued, "If you want to know who is responsible in this town, buy yourself a mirror!"
Ackerman went on to say that Republicans had "the audacity to come here" when the administration requested, for worldwide security, "$440 million more than you guys wanted to provide. And the answer is that you damn didn't provide it! You REDUCED what the administration asked for to protect these people. Ask not who the guilty party is, it's you! It is us. It is this committee, and the things that we insist that we need have to cost money."
He added, "Could you tell me which of my colleagues on this committee was as bodacious in their insistence that we provide more money for American security in the State Department budget. I would appreciate it."
Ackerman then asked them to raise their hands and gave them a count of five to do so. None did.
Rep. Gerald Connolly (D-VA) picked up the push back. He held up a letter, dated yesterday, in which he was asked to co-sign saying that Susan Rice is unfit to be secretary of State.
"Smear, character assassination, judgment before all the facts are in is McCarthyism," Connolly said, "and that's an attempt to besmirch, in my opinion, the reputation of a very talented and capable public servant. I want no part of it."
He added, "The election is over. The president won reelection. The voices of the public were heard. They want us to cooperate. If you want an honest investigation of this tragedy, we will join you. But if you want to persist in trying to put this, lay this somehow at the doorstep of the president or the secretary of State or the United Nations ambassador, you will find us ready and willing to resist to the teeth."
And that was just the first half of the hearing.
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The ambassador in France has more security than the ambassador had in Libya,,,hey libs spin that...When US personnel are under attack/threat a real leader would have sent air and ground support in and told Libya, not asked them,that the US was coming in to get its people. That is the difference between a community organizer and a president, that is the difference between the military and civilians.
When you find a PDB predicting the attack a month earlier, you get back to us ... ok sparky?
Bill - glad you are not in power, nice way to start a war. Who would you bomb and sending in "Air Support" is a good way to get more people killed. It's called invading sovereign air space. Not a good way to make friends. I will stick with the current and wise President- Thanks
I concur. There is absolutely no reason for this tragedy. How far is Italy from Libya? An hour? Two? The 173rd could have been there with a quick reaction force. What about the SF guys in northern Africa?
By the way selfeducatedvoter, did you have a problem when POTUS 'invaded sovereign Pakistani airspace' to dispacth BinLaden? Didn't think so. So why are four American lives worth less? President Obama's Libya debacle on the anniversary of 9-11 is UNSAT......The sky is blue because God loves the Infantry.
Taking the sore loser thing to an all time new low.
Please GOP, please keep this up. Same for the posters here supporting the GOP. Don't quit, keep raising hell, don't worry about the fiscial problems, jobs, economy, etc. Just keep raising hell about who knew what, when , etc.
And before you stupid idiots know it, the election of 2014 is over, and Obama has a D controlled Congress that will work with him. And things will get done.
So yes, please, please keep it up. The intellegent, more informed voters need you to keep pooping on your plates and eating it. No one else is going to eat the manure you spout.
james carville, the democratic voice for the clinton regime..
said it best..
"80 percent of democratic voters are clueless"
and it seems..
that 100 percent are on these vines...
Republicans are only interested in more entrenched witch hunts.
Witch hunts NOT Jobs, Jobs, Jobs and Debt as they claim. Disgusting!!! They've learned nothing!
People are sick of it!
Get to work or get the h*ll out of DC!!
Charge; counter-charge....insult; counter-insult....typical politics in DC....four dead diplomats....so what....move along, folks.....nothing to see here....nobody responsible.....nobody accountable.....Barack and Hillary take the blame.....same as nobody taking the blame.....politics as usual....new nominee for Sec State heading your way.....need an up-vote soon......move along, folks......nothing to see here.....
Come on people, you can bash the Republicans all you want, but the facts are still the facts. It's ironic that the scandal/affair hits after the election when known 4 to 6 months ago already. You have CIA and FBI in the midst of their own problems with drinking and moral issues. You have another top brass officer being demoted for spending obsurds amounts of cash. As one website states it and I think quite accuratley is that President Obama is great at getting elected and re-elected but when it comes to leading a country he's still back at day one trying to figure things out.
The GOP just lost Patreaus as a potential 2016 Prez or VP nominee. Priceless.
facts are facts....
wait a minute wasn't it the republicans who didn't care to check with fact checkers during the election?
When 4 people die as the result of ineptness,stupidity, and absolute dirrerd for help then someone needs to lose their job and be accountable. Why do libs have such a hard time understanding that ? If this had been a Republican President the libs would be frothing at the mouth like rabid dogs.
Using your logic, Bush should have been impeached after 9/11. He had a PDB a month earlier that PREDICTED the attack.
Democrats got behind our President after that. So we don't need YOU to tell us what Democrats would do if something like this happened with a GOP President ... we already know.
It is the GOP who uses dead Americans as props, and you just proved it.
Over 3,000 people lost their lives to total ineptness of President Bush on 9/11 when he ignored all of the numerous warnings. Where was your outrage then? I guess 3,000 dead meant nothing to you then. Why do conservatives ignore the inept and total stupidity of President Bush? Are you guys that blind?
Bill - using your logic as well - President Reagan should have been impeached for his failure in Beirut and President Bush "41" for the Attack on the USS Stark and President Clinton on the USS Cole and President Bush 43 for 9/11, Iraqi War, 12 US Embassy's attached on Foreign Soil.
Yep almost every President has had Americans Killed while in office - I guess we should just close up the White House and not even bother.
Mortars and explosives were used in a planned attack on the consulate. CIA operatives on the ground asked for missile strikes on the mortar positions and that military reinforcements be sent. Why would any one describe that as a "spontaneous riot" for 3 weeks?
More importantly, why didn't the House committee just push for disclosure of complete facts from the administration witnesses and let the public decide?
I would sure hate to be in the military or working overseas for this State Department. Inadequate support and now no accountability.
Except that no one has said the funds weren't THERE Ackerman! There were millions left unspent that could have gone to security. And why were people who were ready to help told to stand down? Why were requests for security beef up ignored?
Considering how apoplectic you ******** got when the photos of Abu Girhad leaked, it would be nice if you could muster the same outrage over the deaths of four of your countrymen.
But then again - you pretty much forgot about 9/11 by the time of the 2002 elections.
As was said by the State Department officials [under oath] during the original hearings, funds were not the reason for cutting the security. But if those State Department officials lied [under oath], then why was State Department in Venice buying Volts [over $40k a pop] for greening embassy fleet there?
SallyAnn, President Obama did have control over both Senate and House for 2 of 4 years and couldn't get a budget passed and spent money like a drunkin sailor. So what makes you think he's going to get things accomplished now if in 2014 the control swings all Democrat?
No president can "pass a budget." That Congress's job. And no president can raise or lower the debt ceiling either.
Most economists agree that a recession is the time to raise government spending. Boom years, such as the five years we had under President Bush, are times when you raise taxes and accumulate a surplus, if possible, to be used on a rainy day.
And when you have a surplus, you don't ordinarily "give it back to the people who earned it," you know, because then you have nothing left for that rainy day. We should have rescinded the Bush tax cuts and raised the level a few percentage points to where they were under Clinton.
We didn't do it. Everybody was happy as pigs in a barnyard, thinking we could all fight two wars and buy new houses while cutting taxes at the same time.
The point is that you spend what you have to, even if the amount is much higher than you'd like, in order to get people working again. Once they start working, they receive fewer government benefits and start paying federal income tax again, which can then be used for a number of things, including paying down the national debt. And then you raise taxes a few measly percentages and increase federal revenue.
It's really not very complicated, except for the political part. If the economy recovers, then Obama begins to look effective and -- things not having changed much in the GOP-led House -- that's the last thing we want.
Actually, he had a filibuster proof majority for about 6 months. Math is your friend.
If any of you out there in computer land live in Chicago, you have to admit that the white house, now since it was invaded by the obama gang is operating just like a typical day in Chicago politics, with one exception, it's all over the world instead of just localized TV & radio. Everyday there is a new fight either in defense of or in new accusations being leveled at the Senator, in this case the president. It just goes on like a never ending night mare. So tighten your grip, have a boiler maker, and don't pay too much attention until they start aiming at you or your neighborhood. But be prepared to go do battle, just like in good ole Chicago.
The Republican Version Of Romper Room Just Keep Going & Going!
Bait And Switch -- Well John McCain The President Said He'll Talk With You Directly On This Matter Are You Dumb
Enough On Show -- And Get Your Tailpipe Burned Off Again?
Go For It Big Boy!
A Little Humbling Again Will Be Good For You!
Hell Your Buddy Bush Has His WMT Iraq War Crime To Hide From Plus Several Thousand American Bodies On His Score Board To Boot -- Real Facts -- No Fiction Here!
No Republican Would Touch That Stuff With A 10 Foot Pole!
Please Retire John McCain! We Need Problem Solvers Not Problem Creators!
The Dems wouldn't know the truth if it bit them on the ass. Cover-up, cover-up, cover-up
Can I ask you a question? What exactly are they covering up? That is the part of this I dont understand. So we were attacked, as always, by Islamic extremists. What is there to cover up? Did the president order the attacks. Did he know the attacks were emminent and did nothing. Did he secretly hope his consoliate staff would be killed for some special reason? Please help me understand what he (the president) could be covering up.
You lost ... get over it. Whiner babies.
I agree with Ackerman, check the mirror to see who is guilty.
Well at least they're figuring out who's really screwing the American people. Nov 2014 should be a doozy.
Can't believe the Crap that comes out of the GOP. Get ALL the facts first before placing blame. I am starting to beleive that the GOP are sore losers and looking to attack just to attack. Four people died and they play the blame "game" Get the facts first and move on..Too much "Fox News" This story is their top story every day. That organization spills out the BS and tries to devide the country.
McCain & Co have completely lost it and continue to live in a fact free world.
..
Attention America, the amateur hour will continue for 4 more years. That is all
Yes and the GOP are lifetime members of The Amateur Hour. They prove it every day.
The Arab Spring would never have happened without Obama support. To use our military to save the live our ambassador from the very people we armed and supported in the overthrow of their government would have shown the world of how wrong Obama policy was and is. And coming before the election, Obama couldn't do it.
This is the best the GOP can do? Guys, I dont care even a little what happened in Bengahzi. Similar to how I dont care how many American troops continue to die in Afhanistan. All I care about is the economy and fairness in our tax code and laws. If they (GOP) think I will turn my back on the only politician on earth that actually cares about the majority of American citizens, then they are dillusional, as usuall.
To McCain, I once respected you as a fellow Vet and prisoner of war. But the attacks on the president over this so call Bengahzi issuation is embarresing and disgraceful. If the president had ordered the attack on his own consolate, I would not care. We (the people) let Bush get a pass on sending us to war with Iraq with false Weapons Of Mass destruction claims, and that cost billions and hundreds of American lives. Considering the Iraq lies of the previous administration, how is Bengahzi a little important?
Not going to take sides on this, but both sides of our legislative branch are pointing fingers at each other because they failed to perform their respective duties for the people.
I'm sure the repubs are still upset about the election turnout, yet this is something the administration failed to handle properly thus the partisan bickering.
Susan Rice is indeed qualified, but for investigative purposes should not take any cabinet posts (nor anybody involved in the investigation) until things get cleared up.
... but before they get into this Benghazi Gate debacle I would rather see a budget passed for next year, so I know what to face come tax time.
Too many fights, not enough resolutions.
I am glad the Dems shot back at the absolute idiotic lunacy of the Republican attempt to discredit the President and Ms. Rice. As far as I am concerned, this should be put on national TV to demonstrate the true nature and obstructionist effort of the Republican Party. Did they not learn for the results of the last Election? They lost the Presidency, lost seats in both the House and the Senate and they still do not get it. What a sorry bunch of sad-sacks. The American people made a statement that they wanted the pubs to come to the table with a template for cooperation. Instead, the American people got sand kicked into their faces once again by the Republicans. They just make me want to puke.
Stolen from Frank Zappa:
TOO BAD REPUBLICANS THE PEOPLE HAVE SPOKEN AGAIN!!!! AND AGAIN!!! AND AGAIN!!!
All great movements are popular movements. They are the volcanic eruptions of human passions and emotions, stirred into activity by the ruthless RICH/TEA-PUBLICANS spoken word cast into the midst of the people!!! BECAUSE REPUBLICANS!!!!! HATE PRESIDENT OBAMA!!
TOO BAD REPUBLICANS THE PEOPLE HAVE SPOKEN AGAIN!!!! AND AGAIN!!! AND AGAIN!!!
By the skillful and sustained use of propaganda, TEA-PUBLICANS can make a people see even heaven as hell!!! an extremely wretched life as paradise!!!!!!!!!!
This is the Republican Party!!!
IT’S ALL ABOUT REVENUE!!!
The Republican Reformist Party!!
Romney/Ryan are the founder and leader of the Republican Reformist Party!! and the most influential voice in the organization, the systematic extermination of the belief in America!! and the destruction of 50% of the American population by all means!!! Including the 47% who have no VOICE in POLITICS!!
This is the Republican Party of President Reagan!!
The first signs of impending trouble are the exploding budget deficits themselves. They began, of course, under the parlous economic stewardship of Ronald Reagan. Reagan cut the marginal tax rate on the wealthiest of Americans from 70% to 38%. He promised it would spur an orgy of investment and rocket the economy to new levels of production and prosperity. Instead, his supply side economics did the exact opposite. It produced the deepest recession since the Great Depression.
There is no way of paying the bills without REVENUE!!!!!!!!