The New York Times editorial board writes of this week’s Benghazi hearing,
The hearing did not prove anything like an administration cover-up or other hysterical allegations of crimes equal to Watergate that some Republicans, such as Representative Steve King and Senator Lindsey Graham, have alleged. Republicans have held numerous hearings and briefings on Benghazi and are threatening to hold even more. It is a level of interest they did not show during George W. Bush’s administration when there were 64 attacks on American diplomatic targets or in the years they spent cutting back diplomatic security budgets.
The real scandal is that serious follow-up on security in Libya is going unaddressed. Congress needs to make sure that State Department budgets for personnel and security improvements are sufficient and that security reforms are put in place as soon as possible.
The Times‘s Andreww Rosenthal states the obvious:
What’s really going on is that Republicans have been salivating for decades for a chance to get revenge for Watergate and Iran-contra. They yell “cover-up†at the drop of a hat. My Facebook post on the Rove video drew a comment on “Mena.†That’s a reference to the nutty idea that the Clintons (and both Presidents Bush) covered up cocaine trafficking and murder in a sleepy Arkansas town of that name. Get ready to hear about how Mrs. Clinton had Vince Foster, a deputy White House counsel for her husband, murdered.
So if the State Department needs congressional Republicans to pay attention to what’s going on in Libya now, maybe someone should leak a memo saying that Vince Foster’s suicide note is being held for ransom in Tripoli, and can be had for a sum roughly equivalent for what is needed for personnel and security improvements. Confirm the President’s Libya ambassador nominee, and maybe they’ll get Monica’s blue dress as well.
As far as the word “terror†goes, Republicans seem to think that standing in front of a camera and saying it makes them look macho, or amounts to a real response to attacks on Americans. Likewise, they think that sending terrorist suspects to military tribunals is “tougher†than trying them in federal courts.
Take care, Mr. Rosenthal. You’re starting to sound like a blogger.
Ok I agree with everthing above and I would like to add this: I would like to hear someone come out and address this whole “terrorist ” thing and the way we ( and specifically this Administration) are going to deal with the meme.
Did you ever think that everytime we scream “terrorist” some asshole gets a nut (pardon my crude description)? Why are we giving these jack holes a place on up high by calling them terrorists and the drop of a damn hat? You know what I say ? F you – your not that special! Look, what is it that terrorists want? What is the pay off for a terrorist attack? Credit, glory, fear oh and did I mention fear? They want to get everyone all in a tizzy and have an impact. So what do we do? Give em JUST what they want!! And what is the result? More terror ?Why ? Because it works so well stupid!!!!
So perhaps Obama is smart enough to understand this..really, if I get it how smart does one have to be??? And listen, there should have been closed door hearings to prevent future attacks but every time those bastards scream bengazi the God damn terrorists win and it pisses me off to see such trash lavished so much attention for their murdering work. And I gotta ask myself every time I hear it come out of some stupid asses mouth : Are they working for the terrorists? Why do they hate their country?, and love the terrorists so much?
To those terrorists I would say :You are not shit. Your a small time a hole not worthy of being called a terrorist because YOU FAILED to terrorize anyone.(except a bunch of frightened , piss their pants righties who can’t take a crap without their guns anyhow so don’t flatter yourselves).Your no better than any other criminal and you should be shown the same “justice” as one.
Ok I feel a little better now..No wait: I wanna add “Bite me bengazi screamers!”
Listening to Hick’s introductory statement at the hearing where he enumerated his many accolades and attaboys kinda made me feel like a kindred spirit. Mama always told me that if I didn’t blow my own horn nobody was going to blow it for me.
If Rove wants to start smearing Hillary in preparation for 2016 maybe he should revive the controversy of her phenomenal success when she dabbled in futures trading. I know that particular episode made me seriously wonder about her integrity and honesty.
Now,now, Swami! You know Rovie don’t play that! All those boys and girls have insider trading privledges, and we just don’t go there.
Justme, they are called “terrorist” to up the drama. I vote we call them “dumbfucks”, but as Carlin pointed out so many years ago, you can’t say that word on the radio or TeeVee.Mark Morford has something to say on this subject.
The Republican Party members, male, AND female, have devolved into the “S/he Man’s, Zygote-lovers/Women’s, Negro’s, Brown Immigrants, and/or Homo’s, Hater’s Club.”
And they hold their meetings in a tree with one branch, and scream whatever they think will hurt those people, inside their clubhouse.
And what makes me laugh every time, is that when they refer to Benghazi, they always compare it to scandals like Watergate and Iran-Contra, which took place under Republican Administrations.
According to figures I’ve read, under W, there were 64 separate attacks on embassies and/or diplomats, with 13 having died – with exactly 3 hearings (and never mind the litany of other fiasco’s – we all remember them too well).
3!!!
The Republicans in the House, have just finished their 8th Benghazi hearing.
8.
Yes, it’s tragic that 4 people that died.
But, if only 4 people died during one of W’s many miscue’s, there’d be a helluva lot of “Heckuva job, _______________’s” going on.
During the course of these hearings, which show how petty, spiteful, and hateful their party has become, they’ve also displayed the degree to which their parties stupidity, ignorance, hatred, and tribal zeal, have ascended.
They are, indeed, “The STUPID Party!”
These hearings are being held to make the public forget about the scandals that happened under THEIR REPUBLICAN administrations. which were real, serious, and impeachable. And they’re trying to create grounds for impeaching the other best President we’ve had since LBL decided to focus on Vietnam, and to fling their poo at another potentially effective (and terrific) President, Hillary Clinton.
They are reckless, they are mindless, they are heedless, they are jejune, they are tribal, and they are bordering on being traitorous and treasonous – if they haven’t already crossed that line – and, they are Nihilists!
Party over country!
PARTY UBER ALLES!!!
Have brown shirt, will travel – in packs, like rabid wolves.
Some folks in the MSM are starting to see what’s going on. More, need to.
Because, if they don’t, or if their party doesn’t heal itself in the interim, the next Republican President, with a Republican Congress, will be the last one this country will ever elect. Either because we won’t be allowed to vote, or only certain people will be allowed to vote, or the country will be in too sorry a state to even hold elections.
As presently constituted, the Republican Party is fucking nuts, and must be stopped at all costs.
And, if they can’t be rationed with, and/or marginalized, then they need to be put down, like the rabid wolves that they are – mercilessly, and without a second’s thought.
I hate how that sounds.
It’s sounds like what they do all of the time – that sounds like eliminationist rhetoric, dehumanizing other people.
And they are all too human. Just, human’s without any visible humanity – they have zero empathy for others, who are not of their tribe.
But, eliminationist rhetoric or not, it’s true – no matter how much I wish it wasn’t.
Believe me – at this point in their devolution, if they get into power again, they won’t hesitate for a second, or show any mercy, to us.
Their psychological cohorts in brown shirts from a prior era, didn’t hesitate or show any mercy – and neither will they.
Lord, have mercy on us all…
“LBL?!?!?!”
OY!
Obviously, ‘LBJ.’
Maha,
Kent oui pleeze getz “Edit” butun, four thos ov os hoo kent celf-korekt ontil oui clik “Submit Comment?”
C U N D Gulag , I fear you are right.
Ezra’s WaPo Wonkblog for May 11, 2013 on Rand Paul’s shilling for gun consipracists is worth reading today.
At least with Clinton they were making intelligible allegations: the Clintons had Vince Foster killed, they were trafficking cocaine out of the White House, etc. etc. Benghazi doesn’t even rise to that level. The Republicans just keep exposing the administration’s attempts to cover up the exposure of the attempted coverup. We’re beyond kabuki here and into theater of the absurd. These damn hearings, are a like a Samuel Beckett play, only not as funny.
OT – another mass shooting. This time at a New Orleans “Mothers Day” parade:
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_MOTHERS_DAY_PARADE_SHOOTING?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT
When will this madness ever end?
Happy Mothers day to all you Moms…and to all who have a mom, hug the stuffing out of her for all of us without moms :))
http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/ticket/mccain-benghazi-cover-investigation-143339866.html
Maverick is on the case.. Rest assured America your freedoms are being protected. And always remember… The price of freedom is eternal vigilance.
Maha, This Benghazi thing is big, bigger than people realize. Perhaps you should modify the title of this thread by adding a third row of Benghazi’s followed by a row or two of Luluesque exclamation marks. You know, like in the tradition of Paul Revere.