House Hearings on Libya Embassy

You can watch the House Oversight Committee's hearings on the Libya embassy attack on C-Span here. 

Short take: The more they talk, the more the story evaporates. Ambassador Kennedy is striving to make it sound like the now-retracted claim of a mob gathering prior to the attack wasn't so much a lie as a myth, or something. The best you can say is that the State Department's attitude toward protecting its assets was pretty, eh, laid back — a quality I wouldn't generally attribute to Secretary Hillary Clinton. 

Lowest point so far: Rep. Jim Cooper (D-Tennessee) bogarts the mic and tries to take pressure off President Obama by reading a list of Americans killed abroad during the Reagan administration. At least they're not blaming Bush this time. 

Comments

[Timrek]

"...take pressure OF President Obama...", Really, is that blood pressure or air pressure? I'm betting blood pressure since we all know Obama's blood can heal the sick and raise the dead. I meant ration medicine and drone strike foreigners until their dead. Shewww, caught that before someone else did.

And First!

[Chaucer]

We all know checking the air pressure is the solution to our dependence on foreign oil.

[Episiarch]

Jesus Christ, this administration has more scandals than you can shake a stick at and nothing sticks. It's fucking ridiculous.

[Lost_In_Translation]

slipperier than a greased hog, that one.

[John]

I caught a bit of CNN while I was getting coffee. The spin was "this is all just political theater". Forget liberal bias. If this shit had happened in September of 1996, it would have ended Clinton's career. This is no longer political hackary. This is just a cult.

[Ted S.]

I told everybody in another thread the hearings were going to be nothing more than grandstanding.

But nooooooo, you were all too busy trying to post ampersands and eat deep-dish pizza to listen to me.

[GILMORE]

The spin was "this is all just political theater".

And Ambassador Stevens' last words were, "E tu, Brute?"

Its pretty insulting when the president of a country tries to describe the death of one his appointed ambassadors and staff as, "Theatre"

Apparently the most offensive thing about the event was that it could possibly 'look bad' for the president. Shame on you, Ambassador Stevens!

[SugarFree]

"If you must die, at least don't get any on me."

Obama is a shitbag.

[Rights-Minimalist Autocrat]

Sticky scandals are generally a 2nd term thing.

[Bee Tagger]

Is that why they're making the Reagan comparisons? Their slipperiness is almost Freudian.

[Brett L]

Umm. They really think that comparing Obama to Reagan on foreign policy is the way to go? I'm starting to think there must be some sort of brain parasite going around.

[Paul.]

Lowest point so far: Rep. Jim Cooper (D-Tennessee) bogarts the mic and tries to take pressure of President Obama by reading a list of Americans killed abroad during the Reagan administration. At least they're not blaming Bush this time.

I'm wondering which American's he's referring to. Because Reagan responded to a series of attacks sponsored by Libya by bombing Libya and which resulted in the near killing of Qhaddaffi/Kadafi/Khaddaffi.

People who were awake at the time will recall that terrorist attacks got very, very quiet after that.

To paraphrase Captain Benjamin L. Willard in Apocalypse Now, "Looks like he hit the right people".

What Reagan didn't do was apologize for our freedom.

But fuck it, let's allow Jim Cooper his point. He's essentially saying that allowing the occasional Ambassador to die in a coordinated terror attack on a US Embassy is A-Ok because Americans died overseas under Reagan (ignoring the fact that Reagan responded to said attacks).

Hey America! Good to know your government has your back!

[Paul.]

Curse you unnecessary apostrophes!

[Tim]

It's not like they were going to list Americans killed during the Clinton Administration.

[Paul.]

It's not like anyone got dragged through the streets or anything.

[Fist of Etiquette]

...tries to take pressure off President Obama by reading a list of Americans killed abroad during the Reagan administration.

I assume at some point they're going to bring up the requests for better security by the people actually there, the prior warnings and attacks.

[Brett L]

Its like some sort of Walter Sobcekian strategy. "Shut the fuck up, Donny! The Ambassador's request is not the fucking point!"

[Episiarch]

Has the whole world gone crazy? Am I the only one around here who gives a shit about the rules?

[Tim]

This business really derailed the whole He Man who hath slain Osama meme.

[Ayn Random Variation]

Even the lefty media is slightly annoyed at The Obama over this particular lie. I wish the foreign policy debate was this week, because by the time it takes place this will probably be forgotten.

[Paul.]

Even the lefty media is slightly annoyed at The Obama over this particular lie.

I'll take your word for it, but I haven't heard it.

[Brett L]

Were I Romney, I would make the major talking point of the foreign policy debate, "I will make sure that every Department of State employee has adequate safety provisions."

And then, because even my version of Romney isn't selling to libertarians, wax Reaganesque about what I intended to do to people who harm said State Department employees.

[Ayn Random Variation]

"Mr. President, I can't believe that you have such a lack of self-awareness that you would criticize me for my lack of foreign policy experience, when your administration was completely unprepared for a coordinated terrorist attack that resulted in the deaths of a US Ambassador and 3 other Americans, who were stationed in a Mid East nation, on the anniversary of 9 freakin 11?? Really Mr. President? I can't believe I'm losing to this guy."

[MWG]

If Romney actually says "9-freakin-11", he just might win my vote.

[GILMORE]

Ayn Random Variation| 10.10.12 @ 2:54PM |#

Even the lefty media is slightly annoyed at The Obama over this particular lie

I think to be more accurate, they are not annoyed with the lie per se, so much as annoyed they've been caught.

It reminds me of the self-righteous indignation of the spoiled child who's been caught doing something blatantly wrong, but then refuses to believe he isn't going to be let off the hook. I literally heard a kid in college tell a campus cop, "Do you know who *I am*?"

Its times like that when I'm totally OK with police using 'unwarranted' force

[Loki]

At least they're not blaming Bush this time yet.

FTFY. It's just a matter of time. Remember: everything is George W. Bush's fault. Everything.

[Jerry on the road]

It's a good think Obama didn't make any apologies to the world about that anti-Islam movie in wake of the Benghazi attack, because that would have been awkward.

[Tman]

What's even more unconscionable is the failure of the Obama admin to recognize that THE ANNIVERSARY OF 9/11 IS KIND OF A BIG FUCKING DEAL TO AL-QAEDA TOO AND MAYBE WE SHOULD LIKE PROTECT OUR EMBASSIES A LITTLE BETTER ON THAT PARTICULAR DAY.

Never mind the lolla-apologizoola that followed where they blamed the video, it's just unfathomable to me that they fell asleep on this one.

[Drake]

It is very hard to accept that level of incompetence. How is it not standard procedure to batten down the hatches every 9/11?

Did they think a couple of speeches by Obama solved the Islamic terrorism thing?

[Fist of Etiquette]

The Administration seems pretty clueless about things not relatable to Chicago happenings, but for the State Department to fail to secure its own people on that day seems very odd.

[Tim Cavanaugh]

Great Issa theater with the in-camera document Kennedy is trying to dance around.

[johnl]

Arab plot to destroy out president.

[free2booze]

State Department has a 50 minute video from the consulate's security feed. The gent from the State dept told the committee that it was turned over to law enforcement, but Issa told him that the FBI says they don't have a video. $10 says that the video shows no protest.

[Drake]

$20 says it's "lost".

[free2booze]

Misplaced. I'm sure it will turn up on November 7th.

[Fist of Etiquette]

With State saying they never bought into the protest yarn, and the Administration backtracking, the video may yet turn up, but I wouldn't put money on it.

[Jerry on the road]

Even then, there must be satellite footage as well.

[free2booze]

It seems like everything that happened can be placed on the doorstep of the State Department. Wouldn't the smart play on Obama's part have been to bus roll Hillary? She must have dirt on him, and/or Bill has threatened to stop campaigning for the O, if Barry can't keep the heat off of Hill?

[Anonymous Coward]

Bill has threatened to stop campaigning for the O

Oh! Oh! Oh! That one! I pick that one right there!

[free2booze]

This ambassador Kennedy is a dope. He keeps stating that our embassies are unable to stop attacks with this type of lethality. Did you hear that AQ?

[Drake]

While Lamb is insisting that the "We had the correct number of assets in Benghazi on the night of 9/11".

Really, you sure? Holy Fuck you have train that kind of stupidity into a person.

http://thecable.foreignpolicy......_slaughter

[Randian]

FWIW, intelligence is hard and I don't hold the fact that there was an attack against the Administration. One of the realities of terrorism as a tactic is that it is incredibly hard to detect, easy to pull off, and requires little in the way of resources. That's fine and I more than most, I would reckon, understand that.

The scandal is the lie...and the continued lie. Condemning of the video by Rice, the SoS, the President, et. al. for weeks, over and over again where that condemnation was in reckless disregard for the truth...that's inexcusable.

[Anonymous Coward]

What? You mean the continued effort by the Obama Administration to sandbag our freedom of speech/expression using a false narrative based on a shitty youtube flick by an Egyptian with tax problems?

Say it ain't so, Randian. Say it ain't so.

[Tim Cavanaugh]

Nordstrom and Wood seem to think the thing was pretty possible to detect.

[Randian]

It's up for debate. Finding actionable intelligence is like panning for gold.

It's not the crime, it's the cover-up.

[Generic Stranger]

They had pretty specific evidence that the embassy was targeted for an attack. The least they could have done was strengthened security a bit.

Instead, they actually weakened security by pulling out personnel, and what they left in place was pathetically undermanned and under-trained for an embassy in a country that had just gone through a revolution and isn't quite yet stable.

[Isaac Bartram]

Consulate, not Embassy.

The fact is that this was all mismanaged.

There was no real reason for the ambassador to be at the consulate. He could have stated at the Embassy in Tripoli where security was better but he wanted to go to a feegood event, namely the deication of a new wing at the local hospital built with American aid.

From the news reports I've read there's some evidence that the Ambassador himself was the target. The consulate itself would not have had anywhere near the impact and it's quite likely the terrorists wouldn't have attacked if they had not gotten a tipoff that the ambassador was going to be visiting. There were rumors floating in some stories that employees of the security contractor for the consulate were the informants.

Now, if the Ambassador and his staff were kept in the dark about intelligence then there are people higher up in State and in the CIA who need to be held to account.

But if the Ambassador himself took the trip knowing that there was a risk and knowing that his security was inadequate to meet it some of the blame, at least, has to fix on him.

[Tman]

Hogwash. It's not like 9/11 has any special significance.

[Anonymous Coward]

Lowest point so far: Rep. Jim Cooper (D-Tennessee) bogarts the mic and tries to take pressure off President Obama by reading a list of Americans killed abroad during the Reagan administration.

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOSSSSSSSSHHHHHHHHHHH!!!! I mean... REEEEEEAAAAAAAAA-GAAAAAAANNNNNN!!!

[Fist of Etiquette]

They still think this is - or want to paint it as - a rightwing witch hunt. I don't think they recognize that actual regular Americans would like to know what the fuck went wrong.

[Anonymous Coward]

Everything is a right-wing witch hunt where the Big O is concerned. Ambassador dies due to lack of security? Right-wing with hunt. Billions in the hole to failed green energy companies? Right-wing witch hunt. Hundreds of Mexicans killed due to BATFE program? Right-wing witch hunt.

Just toss him in the Potomac already and see if he floats.

[Ayn Random Variation]

I hope you're right. The actual regular Americans that I know really don't care about this. It's just some nonsense over a video and anyway Bush and where's my free shit.

[Tim Cavanaugh]

Nordstrom is completely demolishing the rest of the panel. I'm surprised somebody hasn't hit him in the back of the head with a chair.

[Spoonman.]

Holy shit, this congresswoman from Florida is crushing it.

[sage]

GO GATA!

[Tim Cavanaugh]

Stay around for the C-Span callers. They're more riled up than people who couldn't get past Mike and the Mad Dog's screeners.

[Wholly Holy Cow]

Darn it! My True Libertarian E-Scorecard is on the blink. Can I get a hand here?

Now is this killing of the US Ambassador blowback for prior US sins, dating back to when the first Mayflower embarkee gave some Indian a dirty look or some shit?

Or is the death of the ambassador a new round of defensive attacks by the pious Islamic world against aggressive, illegal, uncool, hegemonic, demonic, hair tonic, wildly disproportionate Amerikkkkkkan IMPEEERRRRIIIAAALLLIIIISSMMMMMMMM?

[GILMORE]

yes. also, slavery. have you forgotten *everything* chomsky taught?

[Drake]

Because we stopped the North Africans from enslaving American sailors?

[Wholly Holy Cow]

I say now's the time to hold hearing after hearing to find out what the US Ambassador did to incur the wrath of Mohammed's(PBUH) peaceful followers.

Why, if only the US Ambassador had taken the time to better understand his hosts, they would have baked him a falafel cake instead of murdering him in cold blood.

Furthermore, did this US Ambassador ever purchase any products while in the Islamic world, like gum or gas or perhaps some socks? Because if he did make any purchases, he was exploiting the Islamic world!

Don't you guys see? It was obviously the bigoted exploitative Ambassador's fault.

But I'll wait till my hero Mike Riggs chimes in before I tweet my feelings...