Official: Changes to Benghazi talking points made by intel community
By Pam Benson
The intelligence community - not the White House, State Department or Justice Department - was responsible for the substantive changes made to the talking points distributed for government officials who spoke publicly about the attack on the U.S. mission in Benghazi, the spokesman for the director of national intelligence said Monday.
The unclassified talking points on Libya, developed several days after the the deadly attack on the U.S. mission in Benghazi, were not substantively changed by any agency outside of the intelligence community, according to the spokesman, Shawn Turner.
Republican criticism of the talking points intensified last Friday following a closed door hearing with former CIA Director David Petraeus.
Rep. Peter King, R-New York, told reporters after the hearing that the original talking parts drafted by the CIA had been changed and it was unclear who was responsible.
"The original talking points were much more specific about al Qaeda involvement and yet final ones just said indications of extremists," King said.
The September 11 attack resulted in the death of U.S. Ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans.
The unclassified talking points were first developed by the CIA at the request of the House Intelligence Committee, whose members wanted to know what they could say publicly about the Benghazi attack.
Benghazi talking points omitted link to al Qaeda
The initial version included information linking individuals involved in the attack to al Qaeda, according to a senior U.S. official familiar with the drafting of the talking points. But when the document was sent to the rest of the intelligence community for review, there was a decision to change "al Qaeda" to "extremists." The official said the change was made for legitimate intelligence and legal reasons, not for political purposes.
"First, the information about individuals linked to al Qaeda was derived from classified sources," the official said. "Second, when links were so tenuous - as they still are - it makes sense to be cautious before pointing fingers so you don't set off a chain of circular and self-reinforcing assumptions. Third, it is important to be careful not to prejudice a criminal investigation in its early stages."
Some Republican members of Congress suggested the change came from within the Obama administration - from the White House, the Justice Department, or another government agency.
Turner, the spokesman for National Intelligence Director James Clapper, said that was not the case.
"The intelligence community made substantive, analytical changes before the talking points were sent to government agency partners for their feedback," Turner said, referring to the White House, Justice Department, State Department, Pentagon and FBI. "There were no substantive changes made to the talking points after they left the intelligence community," he said.
The House Intelligence Committee was not satisfied with Turner's statement.
"The statement released this evening by the DNI's spokesman regarding how the Intelligence Community's talking points were changed gives a new explanation that differs significantly from information provided in testimony to the Committee last week," said committee spokeswoman Susan Phalen. "Chairman Rogers looks forward to discussing this new explanation with Director Clapper as soon as possible to understand how the DNI reached this conclusion and why leaders of the Intelligence Community testified late last week that they were unaware of who changed the talking points."
The White House on Friday said it made only one change, substituting the word "mission" for "consulate."
The FBI requested a change in language which originally stated the U.S. "knew" Islamic extremists participated in the attack. According to a U.S. intelligence official the wording was changed to "there are indications" Islamic extremists participated.
Obama administration continues explanations on Benghazi decision-making
The drumbeat of criticism began early on with Republicans criticizing the Obama administration for publicly saying the attack grew out of a spontaneous protest against an anti Muslim video on the web even though the Republicans claim the administration knew it was a planned terrorist attack.
The harshest criticism has focused on Susan Rice, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, who used the talking points as the basis for comments she made on Sunday talk shows five days after the attack. During her appearances, Rice said a small number of people came to the mission in reaction to demonstrations occurring in Cairo over the anti-Muslim film, but the Benghazi protest was hijacked by armed extremists. She never mentioned terrorists.
House Intelligence Committee Chairman Mike Rogers, R-Michigan, said this isn't about parsing words. "There was some policy decisions made based on the narrative that was not consistent with the intelligence that we had. That's my concern," Rogers said last Sunday on NBC's "Meet the Press."
Former CIA Director Petraeus told lawmakers last Friday there were multiple streams of intelligence, some that indicated Ansar al Sharia was behind the attack, according to an official with knowledge of the situation. But other intelligence indicated the violence at the Benghazi mission was inspired by protests in Egypt over the anti Muslim video.
Rep. Adam Schiff, D-California, told CNN on Monday that Petraeus explained why the talking points were changed.
"Gen. Petraeus made it clear that that change was made to protect classified sources of information, not to spin it, not to politicize it and it wasn't done at the direction of the white house. That really ought to be the end of it, but it isn't. So we have to continue to go around this merry go round, but at a certain point when all the facts point in a certain direction, we're going to have to accept them as they are and move on," Schiff said.
CNN's Dana Bash contributed to this report.
@natlsecuritycnn on Twitter
Liberals are tolerant, until you don't believe the same as them.
Practicing for your Rush Limbaugh audition?
Being "tolerant" does not mean we have to "suffer fools lightly." If you have something substantive to offer, I'm all ears. If all you have is conspiracy theories and rambling diatribes, then please go away and let the grown ups talk.
Liberals can't tolerate ignorance nor bigotry. You are right.
If the repubs actually put this much effort into their jobs instead of lying this country would be all the better and light years ahead of everyone else.
You actually meant to 'If the 47% could have jobs that contribute to society, the economy, and the tax base ... Givers, not takers.'
Do you have any thoughts of your own? Or just shout what Fox told you?
Hey LeeBo, STFU. My mother and father worked for 50 years before they retired. They don't pay income taxes now because they collect a meager retirement. They paid taxes their entire working lives but are now art of the 47% you spit on.
Leebo – You do realize your false view of the 47% includes military personnel and retired folks who worked all their lives? Take off your tinfoil hat and do some research before typing.
Why, are you hiring? last time I saw a line at a job fair, every last one of them looked like Obama Voters.
Do you have any idea at all who the 47% are? Do a little research. Many of the 47% are retired seniors...so your'e thinking that my 83 year old retired police officer father is a taker not a giver? Or then there is my niece, she is part of the 47%, a single mom, working full-time and going to a prestigous college on an academic scholarship almost full-time so she can make a better life for her child and herself, boy she is a real lazy good-for-nothing isn't she. You need to wake-up to the world around you and possibly get some clue as to what you talking about before spout your hatefulness.
Personally I think that most of the problems could be eliminated by setting a service limitation of 8 to 12 years for Representatives and Senators. The biggest problem is that these guys make a career out of this and forget about the people who they are obligated to serve.
I would think most people would agree. Why do we allow them to serve forever? Look at McCain...he has lost all touch with reality and is on a power trip all the time
It's amazing to see a group of people with an approval rating of around 10% continually get re-elected. People are usually OK with their represetative because they really don't know much about them...
And if you dumba$$ dems would get your head out of your a$$ this country wouldn't be circling the drain as it is now. If you think that overrunning our embassy and killing the ambassador is no big thing then you and those who think like you are the problem. Why do the repubs have to drag this out bit by bit? Why doesn't your prez step up and tell the truth for a change?
I think everyone wants to find out what happened in the weeks/months leading up to the attack so that we can prevent it from happening again. The problem is that this committee is so focused on what happened in the weeks after the attack that finding ways to prevent it from happening again have gone by the way side. Also, embassies fall under the jurisdiction of the State Department and Hilary has already stated that she gave the order to stand down. Yes, the President is Commander in Chief and is ultimately responsible, but he is only going to hear about the attack, not anything leading up to it.
By the way, I am an independent.
What you never heard of security and the reasons why some security issues are not presented immediately to the public? Telling everyone immediately could have put even more people in harms way; especially those operatives working on the inside who identified the correct group responsible.
What differnce does it make to you. You're just gonna call him a liar anyway and blame any and every bad event that happens on him as well. Thats why everyone knows you're a Republitard.
I just love the way repubs make stuff up
You're one clever ( )o( ) ...I just made that up.
um, ok
Bwahahahahahahahahahahahah
You arent very good at this, are you son?
Another baby daddy?
Are you making a gender racial comment by calling me son? What makes you think I'm male? Profile much?
sorry son, its an expresson. Calm down Francis.
I know you have lost all arguments today but try to have some dignity about it, ok son?
Sure thing pops...arguments? Huh? I thought you were just reading from the book of kool-aid all day.
ah, Kool-aid. The infamous republican retort. I still dont get but whatever floats your boat and makes you feel like a 6th grade insult team, more power to ya son.
Im sorry I keep embarassing you. I will stop
Replied the hypocrite. You made reference to kool-aid drinking earlier towards another poster...I guess it's hard to keep track of all your talking points throughout the day. It's ok pops, I won't hold it against you, but I mist my 6th grade englist clas becuz of you...
Better than what your Mom did when she made you up.
Thank you for your juvenile response republican
I think if the GOP worked as hard to find ways to help improve the economy as they have trying to find ways to discredit the president, the country would be better off. Yeah, I'll tell you what "gift" I want. I want the "gift" of DEMOCRACY that actually is owed to us because we paid for it with our taxes. That's when the losing team shuts the flock up and decides that the most important thing now is to work with the winning team for the sake of the country.
Well 53% of us paid for democracy with our taxes. The other 47% get it as a 'gift'.
Yes that makes perfect sense. The country has been able to get along with only 53% of people doing all the work and paying taxes. That must be the same math that applies to this word problem: "Romney wants to be president. Right now he has a deficit. He cuts government revenue from by 20%. Then he spends an extra 10 billion dollars on defense. How many trillions of dollars towards the deficit has Romney created?"
Actually, the other 47% pay quite a bit in taxes, too, but keep parroting the Romney talking points instead of attempting to educate yourself.
As a Republican, I am emabarressed by how my party has become the red herring machine, but when I read comments such as yours, I know why that is the case.
Jeff – 46.4% or 76 million individuals or families paid no federal income taxes in 2011. They pay other taxes such as sales tax,state,local, etc.
I'm sure our servicemen in Afghanistan are happy to hear that their tax-free pay is a "gift". Do us all a favor and crawl back in your hole.
You are a moron! I know many of the 47% that paid with their blood! Now are home on disability! I bet you have never paid taxes in your life..probably sit home jakkin it to Rush.
Republicans sure are gullible. I should sell them some Amway
Of course being an Obama supporter you'd actually have to be employed to do so...
No Mark, since I'm an Obama supporter you should actually just give me some Amway. I could put it under my Christmas tree along with all the other "free gifts" I got from Obama for voting. Just think, I was going to sit home on November 6th and play "Monopoly" with my food stamps but then I got the "Obama Minority Gifts" catalog in the mail! Did you know that if you're a minority and you voted in a swing state that you got a snow mobile?!!!
They don't get it 'free' like you do?
Leebo moron..the phone program was started under Reagan!
What is "free stuff"? The latest talking point from Fox?
One example: 17 miillion free cell phones.
Are you talking about the program Reagan started in 1984?
But it’s the right that are going to end up looking like the ignorant fools. What Limbaugh, Malzberg - and likely the majority of the million people who viewed the video - didn’t know was that these “Obama Phones” are actually a creation of their beloved Ronald Reagan, who began the program in 1984.
Actually called the “Lifeline program,” the legislation permits some households to receive a free landline under Congress’s rationale that "telephone service provides a vital link to emergency services, government services and surrounding communities."
That idea dates back to 1934, under the Communications Act, but Reagan was the first to actually implement the legislation. The program grew under President Clinton, who recognized the advent of the newfangled new technology of cordless phones and expanded it to include cell phones.
No response Leebo? Did I school you to hard?
LMAO!!!!
Now, maybe next time you will actually think before posting
Thank you for attempting to end the Obama phone Rush-point. However, it will not resonate to Conservative Island.
First off, gee, I didn't know they had cell phones in 1984. Secondly, so you're actually saying 2 wrongs make a right? Just because someone may have done something, for one, that doesn't make it right, and for 2, that doesn't mean we should keep doing it.
Giving "free" stuff to people is unsustainable. PERIOD. you can argue the finer points all day, but when the Government spends MORE money than it can possibly take in, therein lies the problem. And many of you just say "tax the wealthy more" – well, the fact is, there are NOT enough "wealthy" to tax – you can tax ALL 500 of the Fortune 500 companies at 100% and that is STILL NOT ENOUGH.
The problem isn't "taxing" – the problem is spending. Perhaps one day you will realize this, before it is too late.
NO!! We don't buy it and WE DON'T WANT RICE AS SECRETARY OF STATE!!!!!!
Who is "we"? You and the KKK?
Wonder why Rice won't testify before Congress. She is hiding something. If she can't stand the heat, she should not be in the kitchen (i.e., Sec of State position).
You don't get a vote, unless you're a Senator, so who cares what you want?
You must be talking about the same "death panels" that were being run by the health insurance companies before Obamacare. I guess you're one of the fools who thinks that before Obamacare health insurance companies paid 100% of all health insurance claims regardless of medical necessity. You wouldn't be a medical doctor by any chance, would you?
Still the president talked about the spontaneous protest for two weeks, even to the UN! What
an uninformed idiot. A disgrace to the presidency, again!
You should try and keep up with the story and follow along. The Fox News cliff notes are a bit biased
You are the biased one. It's self evident with all your name calling.
You are more angry at the president than the actual killers.
The brainwashing has gone well for you
The President was more angry with the video maker than the actual killers. Just look at how many statements condemned the video maker from Obama and Clinton.
I dont see any name calling. Feeling extra paranoid today son?
You my baby daddy?
How long we going to talk about this s@*t in the media? What do you want republicans? You lost the election, your candidate did not win. Time to stop politicizing and move on to finding the perpertrators of this act that killed four Americans. Holding hearings to assign fault for a terrorist attack is ludicrous. What is it accomplishing? Lets do a lessons learned so it will not happen again, at least minimize it from happening again, it is an unstable world we live in, and move forward together as one government, pursuing U.S. enemies both foreign and domestic.
Totally agree, the focus should be on the bad guys. I am confident the president has in motion all our resources to find and bring them to justice. Maybe this distraction is good in that the press isn't
snooping into what is being done to find them.
How can you do a "lessons learned" without an investigation? The investigation is needed not to find blame, but to find answers as to why other foreign embassies in Benghazi were evactuated do to terror attack fears, but ours was not evacuated. Why were requests for additional security not answered...did they make it to the correct people? Let's get the investigation started and over with.
That is what this committee was supposed to do in the first place. And for the most part, that is what they were doing. However, somewhere down the road, they got side tracked into pursuing everything that took place in the weeks following the attack and turned this into a political circus. They need to get their heads out of their rear ends and bring justice to those who committed this attack and find ways to prevent it from happening again.
If the republicans had fussed this much over the performance of the other Rice during the Bush Jr. tennure, we would have saved 2T, 4500 lives on our side and over 150,000 on Iraqi side
Good point
I hate to raise this issue but it begs the question:
The GOP has attacked the black president for four years
The GOP has attacked the black attorney general for four years
The GOP is now attacking the black US Representative to the UN.
The GOP has not attacked Hilary?
Do you see a pattern in this?
LMAO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Yes. The pattern is that you are racist. Maybe you should seek help. Don't worry about the Republicans they will be just fine.
You must be too young to remember the Clinton years. Save the rascist rants, if you want to be in politics and play with the big boys you have to have tough skin. I mean seriously if you screw up and get ripped over it, take it like an adult not point the finger at everyone else for your shortcomings.
They will NOT either "put up" or "shut up".
They simply CAN'T. After all, what "else" does the GOP have? This is all they got.
They will take this all the way to 2016 (just like they did with the "birth certificate" in the last four years).
This was actually in reply to "Jack's mail" a few down the list. Mistakenly I posted it independently.
Ok, so the talking points didn't contain all the information that was known at the time. Well, an investigation was going on and maybe the intelligence community didn't want the bad guys to know how much they knew in order to protect their sources. The real problem and embarrassment for the White House is that too many people were talking that should not have been talking in the first place.
...Yet before Bin Laden's body hit the ground, Obama was on TV. He couldn't wait to parade around with the news and could have cared less about the MASSIVE intelligence we would have gained. I'm not buying that the admin was all of a sudden changing the story because of this.
It's all BS. They got caught trying to protect the President and now it's just stories to cover themselves.
Is this what Obama meant when he said, "I am ultimately responsible, the buck stops with me."?
It's one thing to say it, it's quite another to actually take responsibility. If Obama didn't know about this, that's even worse than if he did & lied about it .. who's in charge anyway?
I take it that YOU think that Obama should take responsibility for the changes to the taliking points even though he did not make them. You need to tighten your tin-foil hat chin strap.
If Bush was responsible for EVERYTHING and ANYTHING done during his administration....why do you not hold Obama to the same level? Unreal. It's like some cooky repub makes a stupid remark regarding rape and the Libs pin it to Romney. Yet when an Obama appointed person makes a mistake the Libs still refuse to hold Obama responsible.
swmatlgen7, you guys don't want to blame Bush for 9/11 or the recession. Both of which happened on his watch. Heck, you silly conservatives were blaming Obama for the unemployment numbers in Jan 2009.
You guys haven't taken responsibility for anything since 2000. Please keep the whining to where it is most effective. On Fox.
Yes, all you want is like the other White folk want, something to be done wrong by President Baslckinstien! You bigoted pigs deshonor all, go watch Fox news, that's your mental state network of fools.
Racist much?
When he makes that statement, he is basically taking resposibility for the State Department's decision to stand down. He is Commander in Chief and is ultimately responsible for anything that happens, much like the CEO is responsible for a company, even though he didn't have direct knowledge or influence on the decision. Think about it from a business perspective. If the Chief Operations Officer makes a decision, the CEO is responsible for the outcome of that decision regardless of whether or not they knew about it or had any influence in the decision making process.
The key difference is that, unlike most GOP leaders, Obama knows when to keep his mouth shut.
So much for "transparency"
The point is anyone of any party of any gender of any race can SAY they take responsibility, but it's meaningless unless you actuall DO take responsibilty .. get it?
If you're still arguing political "teams" here, you need to grow up and "take responsibility" for being honest, fair and resonable.
What team are you talking about? I am an independent and have not team. You asked a question and I answered it plain and simple. And I would say that he is taking responsibility by finding a new Secretary of State, since Hilary was the one who made the call to stand down. The point of this entire committee is supposed to be figuring out what happened leading up to the attack, which Hilary answered, and putting policy in place to prevent such occurances from happening again. The problem is that you can't put policy in place if you are focusing on things that took place AFTER the attack.
Wow. A few loud Republicans want the changes to have been made at the White House so bad they can taste it. An old cliche but when the top intelligence officer says the intel community made the changes in question and why, the politicians in effect call him a liar?
I am sure soon enough he will be in front of the committee saying the same thing. After which the members will either have to accept what he says, or charge him with perjury. Then they will have to put up or shut up.
Your a fool if you don't think they were made at the white house. Took them all this
time to work out another lie.
So basically the Obama administration said *exactly* what the intelligence committee told them to. And then they waited a measly 2 weeks for more detailed intel to come in before changing the story. And the GOP is complaining about what now??? Good grief. Can we vote these idiots out already??
Which idiots?
The GOP idiots.
So, I guess you believe that Obama Administation officials were supposed to announce publicly what was in the classified talking points which it provided to Congress, incluiding the Republican House of Representatives. You are living proof that Republicans are idiots.
Exactly right.
the parallels to Watergate are astounding, right down to the comments from the presidents supporters. I've got a feeling what we've heard so far is just the tip of the iceberg it took 2 years to get Nixon so this isn't going away anytime soon.
You are so not informed about the watergate and Nixon. You are dreaming if you think this will last much longer. There is nothing here but wishful thinking for Obama haters. Bottom line, you lost the election, he will be a two term president, he will get to nominate the next SCOTUS vacancy, Obamacare is here to stay, the GOP is a complete mess, the Tea Party is falling apart. You can move on or stay in your alternate reality world.
Another Republican who if you'd put his brain in a bird, the bird would fly backwards!
No... it wouldn't have enough sense to get off the ground.
How is that birth cert conspiracy coming along repubs?
Old news...is this what you consider moving "forward"?
Nope, just making fun of you and your party.
Kinda makes you mad, doesnt it?
Now come on, JBB. You were yelling 'birth certificate' a couple of years ago. You were yelling 'death panels' a year before that. Now it's Benghazi and you are toeing the party line yet again.
Next year it will be "Obama supports forced abortions, unless the child if biracial."
Benghazi is already old – at least for those who are following the news.
It is time for YOU to "move forward".
Good grief...you two are comical. I couldn't care less about death panels and birth certificates...those were nonsense from the beginning. Making me mad? More like ROTFLMFOA....
CommonVoice – if Benghazi is old news, then why is Sentate Intelligence Committee leader Diane Feinstein (D) asking for an investigation? Obviously, elected officials on both sides of the aisle want answers. I don't agree with how republicans are going about with an acusatory tone, but an investigation needs to occur, so that some sort of closure can be given to those American families who lost loved ones on that day. In my opinion, the American people owe it to those families to ensure a thorough investigation occurs.
Death Panels.
Kenyan
Birth Certificate
Obama is the Antichrist
Cadillac Driving Welfare Queens
"Free" markets
Closet Muslim
Cutting taxes increases revenue
WMDs in Iraq "No Doubt"
Bin Laden in Afghanistan "No Doubt"
Kindergarten Teaching Union Thugs
Pedophile federal agents groping screaming children in airports
Fast & Furious
Obama-phones (free phone program was created in the Reagan Administration)
Barnie Frank caused the world-wide Great Recession
All scientists who assert that global-warming is real are socialists and communists.
Obama allowed Gen. Petraeus to put his hoo-hoo in that psycho broad’s binkie
All global media corporations have been in a communist (before 1991)/socialist (after 1991) conspiracy to defame Conservatism for five generations.
The Social Security Administration is purchasing hollow-point bullets to shoot and kill Americans with.
And now, Conservatism's latest product:
"Obama laughs as dying ambassador begs for help. 'Allah is Great,' Obama is reported to have screamed."
Umm El Falco....did you not see the 2nd Presidential Debate? The "death panels" are REAL and Obama could not defend how they would not limit care. I really hope in two years you get some deadly condition and see for yourself what this "death panel" will do to you!!! i'm sure you'll change your tune but still blame Bush and Repubs as you lazy libs always do
No reply El Falco? Typical liberal....prove them wrong and they just walk away and start another fight.
Death panels only exist in Republican fantasy land. Why I fear for America's future is that there are millions and millions of you incredibly gullible, half-educated dolts who believe the made-up crud that spews out of the mouths of the likes of Sarah Palin and Michele Bachmann.
If your argument is that the death panels are real, I probably wouldn't respond to you either.
Too bad your Mom doesn't get a do-over chance. I'm sure you would not be posting today had she had that chance.
so swmatlgen7..what race am I?
hmmm?
No one asked, but I am a southern White guy who is old enough to remember White and Colored water fountains. I remember the banner that hung over Main Street in Greenville Texas, proclaiming that the city contained, "The Whitest People, The Blackest Earth." The fathers of some of my playmates, all Southern Baptists, would occasionally ride around looking for a Black man in our part of town after sunset. They would then beat him up and take his wallet.
I know my people.
I speculate that if Obama had been White and Romney had been Black, Obama would have won the election with 75% of the vote.
Its far more Red vs Blue these days.
What if it were between Hilary Clinton and (a magically controversy free) Herman Cain?
About the same thing that happened in the real election. Blue team by 2 million votes.
CHECK OUT THIS RACIST:
swmatlgen7
why Mark? It's simple. one I'm not racist....I just believe in supporting the white people, just as the NAACP believes in helping minorities. Why is one a racists and the other a "civil rights" group? One thing I do know, as it has been proven by Obama and Holder, when the blacks get control....they will stick it to the white people. You sir are a trader to your race, an Uncle Tyrone if you will
Mark, you are a trader to your race.
Go hang your head in shame.
HAHAHAHAHA!
repubs are such good entertainment!
want to talk about racists....lets start with Holder who said in internal memos that the DOJ will NOT prosecute crimes committed against whites by other races as hate crimes. Man, imagine the uproar if a white DOJ head said the reverse!
Hes trading his race?
Blacks are just as racists as any other ethnic group.
Is that what Rush told you? Or was it Beckers?
Wow. Sounds a bit out there.
I'd bet dollars to donuts he doesn't care as much about those jewish coalitions out there as he does the NAACP.
An enormous amount of time and money are being spent to figure out who said what, when. Maybe I'm missing something. What's the justification for this? What difference does it make? Why aren't we putting this effort into preventing something similar from happening again? From here it just looks like politics at its usual worst.
Soon, Americans will march on Washington and try the republican traitors for treason.
You are a blithering idiot.
I agree. They're directing their anger at the wrong people. It was the terrorists that killed our people not the administration. They're arguing over semantics. It's stupid and a waste of time and money. This is also going to backfire big time on the Republicans, especially as more facts come out.
That is what this committee was supposed to do in the first place. Their job was supposed to be figure out why no action was taken and then take the lessons learned in order to prevent such an occurance from happening again. However, it has gone from that to this fiasco we have now. Hopefully, this committee will get their heads out of their rear ends and get back to the original objective.
To prevent something from happening again, don't you have to determine the root cause of the problem you're trying to fix?
They have. Hilary Clinton admitted to giving the order to stand down and explained why. Instead of creating policy and changing procedures, they are looking into statements made in the days following the attack. What does that have to do with what went on leading up to the attack?
I'm all for figuring out the root cause . But I don't understand how an investigation into the talking points would give us any insight into the cause.
I'm just shocked that Obama blamed the massacre on youtube video instead of George Bush. Maybe obama is moving forward.
seeing republicans use the deaths of americans to score political points does not surprise me anymore, but at the same time, i'm astonished as to how long they've been dragging this out. they're just looking for SOMETHING, ANYTHING to blame on obama. and every time they think they've got it, reality intervenes, and they have to start all over again. pathetic. GET TO WORK ON THE ECONOMY, GENIUSES.
They are traitors and will be tried for treason
Too bad you can't stand trial - being mentally incompetent et. al.
Those awful Republicans who support right to life for an unborn baby who has no choice, no voice, and no legal protection. Those wonderful Democrats who get outraged over the death penalty for criminals who have a choice, a voice, and legal protection – all at the expense of tax payers. And, when all else fails, play the race card.
Nice talking points Leebo!
Have you ever tried using your OWN thoughts instead of Fox News?
My advice to people who oppose abortion is not to have one. Let us all pray every night that every pregnant woman will make the right decision – but it is her decision.
What is wrong with you poeple????!!!
The only the wrong here is YOU!!!!
You really think your gonna get the whole story? Its not about hiding something, its about national security and intelligence!!!!
The repubs know this nothing, but they are using nondisclosure information to put the dems in a corner knowing that somethings can't be made public!..
They are looking for every little nuck and crany to find something wrong....
Tell them to go do some real work and create some bills that can be passed to create more jobs and strengthen the economy
Excellent post! You are a good American
There was plenty of information released when Bin Laden was killed...just ask Dr. Shakil Afridi if he has second thoughts.
Your 6th grade education is showing. Try to get an adult to help you keep up and understand FACTS.
ok, son?
I feel really sorry for you if you think you got the WHOLE story!
Only what they need to give you to help you sleep at night...
YOU CAN"T HANDLE THE TRUTH!
Easy Mark...why such anger? Perhaps you could enlighten me on the facts since I'm barely smarter than a 5th grader.
Though I agree that Republicans are trying to find some way to slam the President, I do believe that such an inquiry should be done in order to find out what happened, not what was stated afterward, and prevent such occurances from happening again and to find a better way to protect our ambassadors who are overseas.
So how is what was said and when it was said gonna help that???
we think we are GODs that prevent everything...hind sight is a funny thing you know...
The problem here is the public don't and will never know everything...but you have to be assured that they are working to prevent this from happening again, BIPARTISIANLY!!!
The partisian is only for public opinion for elections!!!
I am not saying that is what they should be doing and I don't agree they should be looking into statements that took place following the attack. This committee was supposed to find out why 4 people are dead in order to prevent it from happening again. What they have since turned to is what was stated afterward. They should get back to their original objective which is to correct the problems by either making policy or adjusting the procedures that are currently in place.
They CAN'T give it up.
They spent the better part of the last four years with "birth certificate". Nothing could convince them.
Now they have "Benghazi" for the next four. Nothing can convince them on this either.
This is going to drag on till 2016. After all, who can give up such a juicy topic, especially when they have nothing better to talk about?
Yeah, like making investments in solar energy companies, "shovel-ready" projects, more Czars and Cabinet positions.
"Create more jobs" like the ones in the solar industry? Or hire more Czars and expand the size of the Cabinet? What the heck, it's only government money and we can raise taxes and print more when we run out.
Surely you aren't referring to the same types of energy companies that Paul Ryan got stimulus money for? Biden still has the letter in which Ryan said this investment would create jobs.
Funny, I don't see conservatives badgering him about it.
Lets cut to the chase repubs. Why are you so racist?
Why are you so angry?
LMAO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
ROTFLMFAO....bwahahahahahahahhahahah!
The White Racist vote provides the margin of victory in most elections in which the Republican won.
that cunning fox Richard Nixon developed the famous Southern Strategy by which racist Southerners were assured that Nixon and the Republicans were favorable to "States' Rights," a code phrase which declared that the federal government could not tell states what to do (like desegregate public and private facilities). What happened? Nixon won TN, KY, FL, NC, SC, WV, VA. George Wallace ("Segregation now, segregation forever) won LA, AK, MS, GA, AL. Except for Texas, the solid south deserted the Great Society and the Democrats. Later, Ronald Reagan borrowed Nixon's Southern Strategy, streamlined is a bit, and he won every Southern state except Carter's Georgia.
Republicans have based their presidential success on cultivating the Segregationist vote in the South. They lie and deny it, but we all know they do. Segregationists deliver the margin of victory for Republicans in many elections. They accounted for much of the Republican success in 2010.
There are certainly plenty of non-racist Republicans but no Conservative will disavow or criticize the millions of racist Republicans who are necessary for the party to win.
El Flaco – can you name me one election that the Democratic Party could have won without the "white" vote?
why is everything about race? Seriously, anytime someone criticizes Obama they are immediately labeled a racist!!! You sir are the one who is truly racist, along with the 97% of African Americans who voted strictly on racial lines. Make your comments that the only reason Repubs win is because of the racist white voters (all 58-60% who vote repub), and continue to ignore the only reason Obama won a second term is because of his racist supporters!!!
Democrats win all of their elections without the White Racist vote. All White Racists are Republicans.
Google the Southern Strategy. Also google Iran Contra. Learn how Republicans win elections.
El Flaco – the fact is, they can't win an election without the "white" vote. You are being ingorant claiming all republicans are racist. Generalizations are lame, just like your opinion.
@swmatlgen7: First of all, 97% of blacks voting for Obama does NOT make blacks racist. That's an ignorant and tired old excuse for republicans losing the election. I'm sure more whites went to go see The Italian Job with Mark Walberg than they went to see Hotel Rwanda with Don Cheadle. Heck, I'm sure there are more white Han Solo fans than white Lando Calrisian fans. Does that make white people racists? No. You tend to gravitate towards who you can identify best with. Its human nature. Besides 13% of the population that blacks represent are not enough to give ANYONE the presidency. There had to be a latinos and an AWFUL LOT of whites. Again, conservative logic FAIL.
Funny how it's mostly whites who are characterized as "racist". But where are the white "Ebony" magazines, NCAAP's and "Affirmative Action" groups, Nation of Islam, et al? Yeah, there are plenty of white fringe groups but they pale in comparison to the breath and depth of Black only organizations. The Blacks endured 200 years (in this hemisphere) of oppression, the Irish suffered for 900 years under the thumb of Her Majesty's Empire, the Armenians were brutally slaughtered by the Ottoman Turks, etc., etc. with the possible exception of Muslims, there is virtually no ethnic or religious group who has not been the target of aggressive, intolerant and small minded people. Perhaps more than any other country, the US has "fessed-up" to its transgressions and continues to make progress toward "e pluribus unum". Yes Rodney King, "we can get along and we will".
Well? Why are you so racist?
Actually, to see a true racist, you need look no further than the mirror. I've never voted for or against a person based on the color of his or her skin.
why Mark? It's simple. one I'm not racist....I just believe in supporting the white people, just as the NAACP believes in helping minorities. Why is one a racists and the other a "civil rights" group? One thing I do know, as it has been proven by Obama and Holder, when the blacks get control....they will stick it to the white people. You sir are a trader to your race, an Uncle Tyrone if you will
Those awful Republicans who support right to life for an unborn baby who has no choice, no voice, and no legal protection. Those wonderful Democrats who get outraged over the death penalty for criminals who have a choice, a voice, and legal protection – all at the expense of tax payers. And, when all else fails, play the race card.
Blacks are just as racist as any other ethnic group.
Mark—Methinks thou has racist issues. The vitriol spewing from your mouth makes that self evident. And, the fact that it seems to be on your mind a lot.
None of this spin explains why the white house invented the whole youtube video line and kept repeating it for 2 weeks.
Precisely. It's all smoke and mirrors attempting (somewhat successfully base on some of the comments here) to obfuscate the obvious.
Obfuscate what, exactly?
He isnt sure. He just learned a new word "Obfuscate" and is trying it out in a sentence
You arent really following along with this story, are you?
The compound in Benghazi is on fire.
If Obama had sent in 50 Marines to rescue those Americans, what would Conservatives now be saying if 42 of those Marines were killed and 8 were captured AND the ambassador was killed too? All the Conservative gasbags in America would be screaming that he poured American soldiers down the rathole when he should have been more cautious.
If Obama had sent in 50 Marines and had rescued the ambassador and all Marines came home unharmed, Conservatives would now be saying, “Obama has opened up a third war and now we’ll be mired down in a war in Libya for a decade.
If Obama, following the advice of his generals, decided – as he did – to determine what the situation on the ground was before committing more Americans to the situation, Conservatives would be saying what they are saying right now.
This whole Benghazi thing is about Obama’s Black skin. Conservatives can’t stand darkies.
wow, i sure hope that koolaid has at least some nutritional value...becuase it doesn't have any other value.
this was about Obama blaming the murders of our ambassador and 3 others on a youtube video and why he continued blaming it on the video for 2 weeks. And then he went before the United Nations and brought up the youtube video again.
You are sooo right. Did you hear any of the rightwingnutjob radio shows and FOX when our President finally got Osama Bin Laden (some of them were actually saying it on the real news), that our President was some kind of criminal for sending in a hit squad to kill a man who had not ever been tried in a court of law (never mind the same whackos were screaming bloody murder when any talk was made of trying the Gitmo bunch).
I guess we are just going to have to out an CIA agent to make the republicants happy. I mena they were hasure happy when cheney did it.
Drinking your kool-aid again republicans?
Pot calling the kettle...
Is that the best you can do?
Please explain the supposed motive. As has been pointed out in numerous reports, Susan Rice's statement comported completely with the talking points that came directly from the intelligence community. But since you're obviously desperate to believe that she or Obama just made them up, what is suppose to be the motive. Are we to believe that if it weren't for Rice's statements, President elect Romney would be awaiting inauguration right now?
They dont know what the motive is. They just spew what Fox tells them to spew
What is the motive to claim it was all due to a video??
Try to keep up JBB and pay attention to the facts and this evolving story. Fox has brainwashed you and I am here to help you.
Your Welcome!
The motive was for the Administration not having to admit that their intelligence community failed to do its job. If it had come to light immediately after the attack that Al-Qaeda was behind the attack then the current Administration would have had to fight a firestorm of criticism on its inablity to predict where terrorists are going to strike and protect US assets internationally. That is something the Administration did not want to happen two weeks before the election.
Interesting that Petraeus (CIA Director) knew immediately that Al-Qaeda was behind the attack, yet Clapper (DNI) chose to change that language in the Intel assessment. I don't blame Rice for the message; she was a good soldier and used what was given to her; she just happens to be the "whipping girl" for the Administration on this debacle now...
And none of the republican blathering explains why I should care who they blamed it on as long as they get it right and not do something stupid....like invade a country looking for WMD's.
Amen to that.
I keep thinking to myself that Obama should have just proclaimed that missing WMDs were linked to the attack. Then I'm sure the GOP would be perfectly OK with scores of Americans dying without any follow-up investigation, verification, or questions whatsoever.
DO YOU HAVE ADD?
You can't follow the whole story?
Its plain and simple, but you are allowing the repus (LOSERS) to make something out of nothing!
Americans died, move on!!!!!
First it was their first attempt with fast and furious and now this!
Tell them to do some real work and pass some bills that would improve our jobs and economy....!
Really? How about Americans died...and the sitting administration decided to go to plate with an unsubstantiated narrative that said it was all because of a video. Not appropriate behavior.
Conservatives were delighted and thrilled at the news of the death of the American ambassador during Obama's term. They have since been distorting and embellishing the story as they always do.
On the day of the ambassador’s death, Fox News showed video of Conservatives dancing in the streets of Birmingham, Oklahoma City, and Phoenix. They were chanting, “Hooray for Romney!” and “We’ve got Hussein now!” and “Death to the Kenyan” and “This is almost as good as Death Panels.”
1. Speak for yourself. I'll speak for myself.
2. Get therapy.
No KBNJ, I'll speak for you.
It is time for Republicans to stop being the party of stupid.
You gasbags are devoted to this lie – until you are instructed to start parroting the next Conservative lie.
Dishonesty is the cornerstone of Conservatism.
Yawn......
Getting tired from the lying you are supporting?
President Obama either knew the CIA knew it was Al-Qeada right away or he's lost control of the CIA. If he and Congress lost control of the CIA, we have FAR larger problems than Benghazi. If not, he knew, and STILL:
– Sent Rice out to mislead us and the world
– Didn't bother to correct the story, even after the President of Libya corrected Rice the next day, for several weeks
If they wanted to take Al-Qaeda out of the initial release, that's understandable. Keeping the "mob" fairytale alive for weeks on end is not excusable, and REEKS of playing politics with 4 American lives.
So your argument is that if Obama didn't know, he knew.
If Obama didn't realize, he realized.
If Obama wasn't informed, he was informed.
If the intel was wrong, it was right.
You must be a Conservative.
It's REALLY simple:
If he knew, he lied.
If he didn't know he's incompetent.
After he DID know he continued to lie.
Is that so hard?
No it's not so hard.
It sounds just like what I did with the whole WMD reason for invading Iraq. Of course my actions killed far more than just 4 people...but I'm glad you're a conservative republican. Otherwise you might have attacked me the same way your attacking Obama.
How about
1. No one knew. We – you and I – still don't know who planned this well-planned attack.
Was it anger over that video?
Was it Al Qaeda seeking revenge over the death of a leader?
Was it Ghaddafi loyalists seeking revenge for his overthrow and murder?
Was it someone else motivated by something else?
You're right on there!!!!
Reality is that they were still sifting through all the intelligence reports when the statements were made. Yes, they could have had a clue that Al Queda was involved, but it wasn't certain since there were multiple intelligence reports stating different organizations as well as outrage toward the video. The plain and simple matter is that they should have said that they were still investigating and would release a statement once all the facts were in. It really doesn't matter what statements were made because at the heart of the matter is that 4 people died and the focus should be on preventing such an occurance from happening again. In short, multiple agencies, including Congress, failed and as a result 4 people died.
Consulate under attack by terrorists( cowards) obama goes to bed Las Vegas was more important
Since when were Republicans persuaded by facts when they could instead blather and spew to try and make political targets out of people they have decided to make a grudge against. Like women. Or black people. Or democrats. Oh look! Someone who is all three!
To Conservatives, facts are like deficits. They don't matter.
When will the govt learn from city police departments??? "At this time we do not have any information until we finish our investigation. When we do we will release a statement". Everyone in the government wants to release information so fast that it ends up erroneous and too fluid due to multiple sources. When will they learn to just STOP, INVESTIGATE, the RELEASE information. As far as I knew CNN, FOX and everyone else are not on the critical to inform list.
BINGO!!!! WE HAVE A WINNER WITH COMMON SENSE!!! BEST POST OF THE DAY!!!
Wow, you should do have low standards for best post of the day.
No Conservative in America would stand for that. Certainly no Republican in Congress would stand for that.
I believe republicans are asking for an investigation...as is Senate Intelligence Committee Chair Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif. Benghazi has been handled poorly by this administration from day one. Move "forward" and perform the investigation, release the findings, learn from your mistakes, and address the fiscal cliff.
HOOAH! I didn't think so either Nat...
Problem is, Republicans now have selective amnesia about the wide spread protest that WAS taking place all across the world for that video outside of Bengazi. The intelligence community had two fold problem at their hands – finding out what exactly was happening in Bengazi and calm down the rest of the world that had erupted in violence, putting Americans all across the world in danger. But Republicans and their politics – well, well being of Americans is last on their priority list.
Oh yeah...a video released in July just so happens to spark outrage across the Muslim world on 9/11. I'm sure this wasn't a pre-planned event. Why were other embassies in Benghazi evacuated for security reasons before 9/11, but the U.S. embassy, which should have been on the highest of alerts, was not evacuated? Why were requests for additional security not addressed by the State Department? There's a lot of questions that need to be answered...playing partisan politics is one of those answers. Complete an investigation, report the findings publicly, and move on.
The blame lies on "WE The People".
WE have come to expect a report from Govt. Officials, five minutes after anything happens, whether they really know anything or not. There are fifty different News Media with microphones running after officials to say "something". If they don't say anything then they must be hiding something. If they do say whatever they know at that moment and it turns out not so accurate, then there is a "conspiracy".
Unfortunately, WE are to blame for this. The News Media really represent "us" and our insatiable desire to be informed about everything on a minute by minute basis. On the other hand, the Government represents "us" too and they are bound by the Democratic System to keep us informed.
WE have to change and say that WE can wait for the truth to come out. Otherwise, this cycle of misinformation, much of it unintended, will continue. And believe it or not, OUR lives become less and less safe that way.
The Repubicans will tell any lie, do any dishonest deed to harm the President. They all were very quiet with all the attacks and deaths of Embassy personel during Bush's years.
Even wtih changes being make w/in intel channels before it got to WH, it still doesn't warrant the administration sending someone (anyone) out to multiple Sunday AM shows to promote a narrative that they wanted reinforced. No excuse for that sort of mindgame.
Speaking of truthfulness...
Death Panels.
Kenyan
Birth Certificate
Obama is the Antichrist
Cadillac Driving Welfare Queens
"Free" markets
Closet Muslim
Cutting taxes increases revenue
WMDs in Iraq "No Doubt"
Bin Laden in Afghanistan "No Doubt"
Kindergarten Teaching Union Thugs
Pedophile federal agents groping screaming children in airports
Fast & Furious
Obama-phones (free phone program was created in the Reagan Administration)
Barnie Frank caused the world-wide Great Recession
All scientists who assert that global-warming is real are socialists and communists.
Obama allowed Gen. Petraeus to put his hoo-hoo in that psycho broad’s binkie
All global media corporations have been in a communist (before 1991)/socialist (after 1991) conspiracy to defame Conservatism for five generations.
The Social Security Administration is purchasing hollow-point bullets to shoot and kill Americans with.
And now, Conservatism's latest product:
"Obama laughs as dying ambassador begs for help. 'Allah is Great,' Obama is reported to have screamed."
All a cover story. Their job was to down play terrorism during the preelection period.
There should in any event be an investigation why they did what they did, especially since they screwed up royally.
Why did they need to err on the side of caution?
Why don't you ask the Senate Intelligence Committee. There are seven republicans that approved this. Rubio to name one.
"Mission Accomplished"....."We found weapons of mass destruction"....and so on....get the point?
Les is a good example of a putrid, uninformed liar.
What did they "screw up royally?" THe people would still be dead, Al Queda still would have ended up responsible....the CIA operatives still would have been the only ones to get there in the time.....in the end our congress ...and mostly the GOP....is spending LOADS of time asking about Benghazi and who had s** with a General when I would rather them focus on the economy....
I agree! How can those evil Republicans be questioning the Dear Leader's actions in this manner? I mean, after his "laser-like" focus on jobs for the past four years and the shining economic growth that attention has generated...oh, wait...never mind!
A recall of your citizenship and the ensuing deportation would be a great place to start.
You are living proof that the only thing long and hard on a Republican is third grade. Your insults look like they came from a fifth grader with a learning disability.
Once you thought you made a mistake but you were wrong.
As long as there are people in the USA ignorant enough to vote for the GOP we will have to deal with this garbage. You just can't fix stupid or the GOP apparently.
I would suggest education for them but then they would just call me a snob.
Make that an elitist snob.
You don't know your butt from a hole in the ground.
Is that the best you have DweeBo?
You are a fixer-upper candidate. You IQ is marginal at best.
Smells like a bitter loser with a grade school education in here. It must be you.
Be ready of 4 years of hell under the Obama Administration. The 2012 election was a political 911
This witch hunt is going nowhere. In the end the GOP will only have mud on its face for again trying to smear the president. There was no conspiracy, nothing was hidden by the WH for political reasons. Lets move on and find the culprits and bring them to justice.
Repubs have more anger towards the president than the actual killers.
Chesswithcolors.........rubio??????/...the poster baby...poster boy...and now the poster little man??????.....he wouldn't get 1% of the hispanic vote, not even the cuban vote for that matter......
I think he actually is on the committee that flubbed up the intelligence too if you check the facts.
You have diarrhea of the mouth, constipation of the brain.
I get insulted because I actually know who is on the Intelligence Committee that approved this cover story?
Is this a REAL story or is the GOP just saying these things b/c they're Republicans. Fast and Furious – lot's of time/money WASTED. Going after Bubba Bill – lot's of time/money WASTED. These guys NEVER change.
CHECK OUT THIS REPUBLICAN:
Libacryte
Mark – the only thing anyone like YOU could ever "own" is a 12 year old Thai runaway that you kidnapped & have tied up in your mommy's basement.
Sounds like projection to me. Sick disgusting mentally ill projection. They should raid their house and check.
I feel the USA is under attack from the GOP and I am starting to think the only way to fight back is to eliminate them from our government completely. At least libertarians can be conservative without siding with Al Qaeda.
You are a blithering idiot.
Back at ya.
I feel the USA is under attack from the Socialist DemocRATS and I am starting to think the only way to fight back is to eliminate them from our government completely. At least libertarians aren't Anti-American.
I'm not anti American. The GOP wanting more intel for Al Qaeda fits that bill.
Sounds like some in the intelligence community actually remember getting burned by publicly announcing single-source, unverified information about the (nonexistent) WMD in Iraq. We should be thanking them for avoiding that sort of cluster#@*& here.
This conversation is short on facts. Everyone watched this on tv. They sent in reenforcements from Tripoli and tha ey denied the CIA from leaving their compound and helping but did any way. The rescued everyone and took them back to the CIA compound and then they took on mortar fire that killed two more Americans the whole time these clowns are watching this 7 hour moviie from multible cameras. Some should at least be fired for this if not jailed and all you liberals want to do is spin words. You are the problem with this country. Take some pride if you know what it means.
I don't know about spinning words. But I can spell words.
the republicans have done more damage to americans, than the taliban. instead of working to solve our countries problems, they are throwing road blocks out there and wasting time. with all of the time they are putting into messing with the president elected by the people, maybe we do not need this many congressman and senators. it would save a great deal of funds that could be used for digging our country out of debt
The trials will start soon. Treason is very serious
really what is the problem? its obvious with obama winning the election nobody even cares as this information was well out before the election. as long as obama claims he is going to keep giving people food stamps and welfare and saying the other guy is going to take it all away then of course he will win. this society has become a what can you give me society just like the palestinians, the greeks, you name it. they want the free stuff to keep rolling in forever even if it means fiscal bankruptsy or electing terrorist governments. how anyone can feel good about the next four years is beyond me. nothing is going to improve just as it hasnt in the last four, as im convinced ill be on those very food stamps i impose by then.
Ah, you got your republican blinders and talking points on!
You should try thinking for yourself. You will like it!
So, in other words you don't have anything to say otherwise. Just the usual "republican! blargh!"
Tolerance does not equal being passive aggressive or simply being dismissive. Which you and your ilk are typically guilty of.
Me, I'm just glad I'm not stupid enough to bother myself with either party.
Funny how much better life and things were in the late 1990's (balanced budget,etc) until some id10t rich spoiled frat boy who has had everything handed to him his life had the presidency handed to him to by his brother and the Supreme Court. That is really when America went into the toilet.
Yep. Odd how Obama became the champion of Gay Rights and illegal immigrants jus a very few months before the election. His suddenly found concern does not ring true.
OMG more of the "free stuff" tin hat message. Do you even stop to think WHY we have these protections? SS was created to 1) keep old people from dying in the streets – the TAX EXEMPT CHURCH did nothing!! 2) move people out of the workforce so younger people can have jobs.
Medicare so we just don't have "death panels" for the elderly and those who cannot afford medical care.
Food Stamps – we're NOT Bangladesh!!!
Welfare – we're NOT Bangladesh!!!
TAX THE CHURCHES that do NOTHING!!!! Let them write off their charity against their income like everyone else.
We take care of our own in this country. IF you know of any fraud please report it.
Hear hear.
At what point does the constant GOP attacks against America become treason? What about Rove trying to hack Ohio? When do we draw the line and run them out on a rail?
WE start now. Remind them that the penalty for treason is death
about the same time that the leftist socialists are put in prison for voter fraud.
(you should stop w/ the melodramatic hyperbole – you sound like more of an ignoramus than most of your cretinous bretheren, which is saying a LOT)
Do I have to OWN you again?
Be careful son, supporting treason is punishable by prison or death.
Mark – the only thing anyone like YOU could ever "own" is a 12 year old Thai runaway that you kidnapped & have tied up in your mommy's basement.
Who says things like this?
Your juvenile responses are amusing. Please continue republican. I have ordered you to do so
Mark – your ignorance is as laughable as your belief that taking other people's hard earned money & giving it to those who don't deserve while allowing our Gov to continue to spend OUR money like a drunken sailor it is a sound fiscal idea.
The only thing that is "amusing" is that folks like you whine about "fox news" while blindly, religiously believing everything from Mucho Socialist National Barack Channel (MSNBC) – are your legs "tingling" yet?
Oh, and yet ANOTHER thing you are wrong about (as I'm sure you get used to in your pathetic existence) – I'm not a "republican" – BOTH parties are professional liars, and if you cannot see that, then you, I'm afraid, are a BLIND SHEEP – BAAAAAA
Very good republican, You have followed my orders well.
And people ask me why I say we, the Republican party, need to stop being the party of stupid.
After reading several post by Libacryte, I think we're it too late. Hey Democrats, can I join your party?
I guess being summarily voted out wasn't enough of a message. Pehaps they are waiting until 2014 to lose their majority in the house too before they get a clue. The American people are tired of this pointless cr ap; go do your jobs, do something constructive for a change. Good grief!
We start with narrow minded people like you.
Enough fresh air for you, back to the septic that is Fox News.
Ok, so did anyone in the "intelligence community" bother to tell their boss before he testified on Friday that he didn't know who changed the talking points. Yeah, that makes me feel a lot better knowing the guy who's supposed to be in charge of Nat'l Security doesn't have a clue what his own agency is deciding.
My local Walmart ran out of my favorite brand of canned fruit. I think the CEO of Walmart should be fired.
if you're comparing Walmart to the President of the United States – you're more ignorant than most lefty socialists.
Lib, what I'm saying is that the upper management of large organizations do not know what all of their subordinates are doing on a daily basis.
and that means absolutely NOTHING when compared to the President. He IS supposed to know what is going on – if he doesn't, then he is either:
A.) incompetent, and should be impeached
B.) lying, and should be impeached
Yes, it is more likely that Patraeus was more concerned with actual operations and pursuing intelligence than with proof reading talking points for TV.
to Libacrete, are you SEROIUSLY suggesting that the President is personally responsible for knowing, in detail, what every one of the several million people employed by the federal government (military, civilian, on-site contractor personnel, etc.) is doing on a minute by minute basis? it sure sounds like that is what you are saying. if so, you are an idiot of the highest order. if not, then you are deliberatly making a deceitful argument. which is it – are you an idiot or a Republican? oh, wait. there's no difference there, is there?
There were too many hands in the pot. When this occurs, information gets messed up and it becomes difficult to isolate who did what and when.
Oh they have a clue. They knew exactly what they were doing whether it was done by intelligence or the White House. They were making changes to a story that was going to air shortly before the election that was not going to make Obama look good. They knew the polls were showing a close race. Had the truth been released it may have altered the election. That was not a chance the White House wanted to take, and thats the same reason the David Patraeus resignation and scandal was not released. Thats how the White House controls the news they want you to hear.
Maybe in Faux News world is 330 to 206 a "close race" but to those of us that follow actual events that's called a "landslide victory" 🙂
You seem to forget that the Majority Leader in the House of Representatives (a Republican) knew about the Patreus Affair in OCTOBER! How come He didn't say anything publicly before the election? Do the Republicans think we be;lieve he didn't share thiss information within his Party? That we think he kept his mouth shut not ackowledging he had the information until After Patreus resigned?
Do you even know how the government is set up? The intelligence community is completely separate from the White House. They admitted to making mistakes in the talking points, so there is no basis to say that the White House conspired to do anything. Also, embassies are the matters of the State Department so the POTUS is not as directly involved in those matters as the State Department and intelligence communities are. Hilary Clinton has already stated that she made the call to stand down and, again, the intelligence community has admitted to making mistakes in the talking points. Instead of coming up with rediculous conspiracy theories and playing the blame game, the focus should be on changing procedure to prevent such problems from happening in the future.
The General was only in charge of the CIA. There are other intelligence agencies. Also, he is the kind of guy who will take a bullet if he has to. Yes, it literally happened. Good man/soldier and everyone knows it. During WWII, lots of people reminded others that "loose lips sink ships." The public doesn't need to know everything. As soon as the attack on the consulate happened I told everyone I know to let the CIA and the Seals handle it. They are carrying out missions daily on our behalf. I trust this President and his VP. So happy flip-flop and lyin' Ryan were sent packing.
Petraeus was not 'in charge' of national security or the US intelligence community. He was just the Director of the CIA. The USIC is composed of over a dozen different agencies, of which the CIA is only the most well known part. The DNI, James Clapper, is the one who's directly in charge of about 70% of the USIC on a daily basis, and it sounds like he knew what was going on. It's possible if the changes were going on at the ODNI level that the DCIA would have been left out of the loop, but I admit I find that a bit perplexing.
All of the lowing of the sheep is well and good, but it fails to answer the question(s) underpinning the continuing controversy. How can the real-time video surveillence (from both the consulate cameras and the Predator overflying the attack) clearly demonstrating an organized and calculated attack be disregarded to such an extent that a non-existent event (the "spontaneous demonstration of Arab rage" so pitifully apologized for by SecState, the State Department, Amb. Rice and the President!) becomes the accepted talking point? Can any of you honestly say that such concrete evidence shouldn't have been the basis for the Adminstration's position? The White House Situation Room had a live feed, they watched the attack for hours! They knew from the outset that there was no demopnstration and that it wasn't what they told the American People. They didn't even send readily available re-inforcements! Save your self-righteous indignation, not for the Republican members of Congress seeking to uncover the truth, but for the Administration that cynically calculated that it could intentionally deceive the citizens of the united States in a naked grasp to retain power.
WoW! that was a good story! Tell me more conspiracies. I enjoy the republican kind, they amuse me
Gosh, Mark, that's a really devastating rejoinder. I'm crushed! You must have been the star of your high school debate team. Bet the chicks really dug that!
im, ok. Did you just learn "rejoinder" and you are now using it in a sentence?
What else did Fox tell you to think today?
Mark, many thanks! There you are again, exhibiting that rapier-sharp inellect and wit. Alas, I simply can't compete with your well-informed and insightful commentary. Whatever will I do?
Repukitards are neocon turds with exlax mentality and in need of kaopectate for their brains! House Republicans cut the administration’s request for embassy security funding by $128 million in fiscal 2011 and $331 million in fiscal 2012." (Washington Post). How about those TWELVE embassies and consulates that were attacked between 2001 and 2008? One of our diplomats, David Foy, was killed in Pakistan in 2006. Where was the outrage then? REPUKITARDS YOU LOST THE ELECTION GIVE IT UP......3,000 AMERICANS LIVES LOST ON 9/11 REPUKITARDS SAY NOTHING! 4 AMERICAN LIVES LOST THEY CRY FOR CRIMINAL PROCEEDINGS! WHAT A JOKE!
.
Yet, again, a poster whose truly penetrating intellect shines through (now, what was Hillary Clinton's dissembling remark, oh yeah!) the fog of war. Of course, the fact is that the State's security budget request has been reduced by Congress every year since 2007, when the Dem control of both Houses began during the Bush Adminstration. The cuts continued after the Dear Leader's elevation to the monarchy and have been signed into law by him every year since. Of course, in your narrow and colloquial view, anything done by the Republicans must have happened in a vacuum. However, sadly for you and your ilk, it just ain't so!
You know you can start a recall of your House Republicans at the state level.
YAY!!!!
Just like you can do it for the libs also...
There is no way to recall someone who was elected to federal office.
You can with a two thirds majority and I think we are not far from having 70% that would like to see the GOP leave.
Like I've been saying to weeks to all the armchair generals, maybe they are saying what they are saying because of NATIONAL SECURITY INTERESTS! The american-idol obsessed public does not need to know everything about our spies, derp.
I wonder how much better our government would work with if the GOP wasn't wasting our time and helping pass legislation instead of blocking everything?
Conservative words: "We will make America fail. We will block everything that Obama tries. We will hold the country hostage until we win the White House. We will make Americans suffer until they vote for us."
Yeah, like the 32 jobs bills passed by the House that the Senate refuses to bring up for a vote.
You are most certainly a block head.
Still plowing ahead with their witch hunt? How about those jobs? I guess America isn't as important than trying to pin a scandal on the other side. Wasting our time with this nonsense is supposed to make me want to vote for Republicans somehow?
PFFT.
Right, and they are nearing the stage of subversion!!
It seems like one of the SEVEN GOP MEMBERS of the intelligence committee would have communicated to the GOP about what they changed. I guess they didn't think they would run into opposition to the story approved by a committee with so many GOP members.
You are right, and I bet they did. But the slanderous Messrs KING and Roger didn't care!!
The GOP needs to be called to the carpet for this lunacy. EVERYONE knows that there are certain things you just don't make public and certainly not before they are investigated properly. This nonsense is putting put people in harms way and the GOP should be ashamed of themselves for trying to score political points on the backs of our Foreign Service personnel. If the Intelligence community felt this was info that shouldn't be released, yet, you can be sure they had darned good reasons for it. The Tea Baggers spewing about the "publics right to know" endangers the lives and the validity of investigations into crimes committed by terrorists but this is what happens when you pretend that any "Joe the Plumber" can and should go to Congress and play at politics they are hardly able to comprehend. I say impeach members of the GOP for obstruction of justice if any of this garbage ends up impeding lawful investigations into the crimes committed against Ambassador Stevens and the other Americans who gave their lives for us!!
This issue is not partisan. So, stop making it one. Had any of the four dead been your spouse or other family member, you would want the truth to come out. Progress begins with honesty.
Oh give it up. It IS Partisan. It's the only thing the GOP remotely found to nit pick on. They had nothing else. I didn't see everyone with their panties in a knot after 3000 PEOPLE DIED, in 9/11 after Bush ignored a giant memo telling him it was about to happen. IT IS A PARTISAN ISSUE, and a GOP joke.
The 'issue' is no issue at all. Islamic terrorists killed 4 Americans in Benghazi.
Conservatives and Conservatives only think they can blame Obama for those deaths. No Conservative anywhere actually believes that Obama is responsible. They are just lying, like you are.
It really is nothing more than the GOP being sore losers.
Repukitards are neocon turds with exlax mentality and in need of kaopectate for their brains! House Republicans cut the administration’s request for embassy security funding by $128 million in fiscal 2011 and $331 million in fiscal 2012." (Washington Post). How about those TWELVE embassies and consulates that were attacked between 2001 and 2008? One of our diplomats, David Foy, was killed in Pakistan in 2006. Where was the outrage then? REPUKITARDS YOU LOST THE ELECTION GIVE IT UP......3,000 AMERICANS LIVES LOST ON 9/11 REPUKITARDS SAY NOTHING! 4 AMERICAN LIVES LOST THEY CRY FOR CRIMINAL PROCEEDINGS! WHAT A JOKE!
.
Unfortunately, the repubs think transparency means telling the public everything, including classified information!
That's because multi-generational homeschooling in christian madrassas does NOT include any lessons on logic, civics, or anything about the way our government works in the real world.
Then we get these flaming ignorami flouncing off to washington to impose their taliban style idiocy on the rest of us, with no comprehension of the damage they are doing, or even any idea that they ARE causing damage.
And they say *we're* the ones living in a fantasy world...
The issue is that four people would most certainly be alive today had the security been provided as the ambassador requested several times. The Intel testified before Congress that funds were readily available to provide security. The investigation needs to continue to make sure this does not happen again. S. Rice should testify before Congress. One has to wonder why she does not do that. If she did nothing wrong, then she has nothing to worry about. Her silence speaks louder than any words.
LMAO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
oh my, the inside of a repub mind is humorous!
FYI, she did testify before Congress in proceedings that were televised. What should happen is that John McCain should apologize for blaming her for her comments when it was clearly talking points that the intelligence community presented her.
I also agree that procedures need to be revised in order to prevent such occurrences from happening again.
You know there was about 10 seperate instances exactly like this under the Bush Jr. Presidency that no one said peep about? Under the black guy's watch however, OMG we gotta do something about this!. Republitards are pathetic.
Name the 10 instances where a US Ambassador was mudered by terrorists during the Bush Administration....I'm waiting...still waiting...still waiting...
2002 U.S. Embassy Karachi, Pakistan: 10 killed, 51 injured
2004 U. S. Embassy bombed in Uzbekistan: 2 killed, several injured.
2004 U.S. Consulate Saudi Arabia: 8 killed
2006 US. Embassy Syria: 1 killed, several injured
2007 U.S. Embassy -Athens: building bombed with an anti-tank grenade...fortunately no one was in the building at the time.
2008-U.S. Embassy – Serbia: 1 dead; Embassy set on fire
2008- U. S. Embassy- Yemen- bombed 10 killed
Most of which were suicide or car bombings rather than hours-long, military-style engagements witnessed by US decision-makers via live video-fee. All of these attacks were immediately labeled as terrorist attacks by the Bush Adminstration. Finally, no US Ambassador was targetted and killed during any of these events. I'm still waiting...
Rpp, the attack wasn't hours long. Don't make stuff up. It all started and ended in less than one hour. As for the other attacks, how do you know they were from car bombs and that Bush came on the news and announced to all our OK inquiring minds immediately all classified information that they were terrorist attacks? Making stuff up again? The usual modus operandi for repubs.
Yes, we should tell GOP to approve the 450 millions in funds they denied for foreign missions that would provide better security in the future.
It sounds like the GOP is back to being the GOP. They will have investigation after investigation proving nothing while they accomplish nothing in the house. I wonder when GOP voters will tire of the elephant droppings they have for representation?
The GOP needs to be arrested and tried for treason.
Any member who has taken part in this farce should, indeed, be tried for Obstruction of Justice if it turns out that they have hampered the legitimate investigation into crimes committed against American citizens while on a politically driven crusade to try and discredit the President and his administration. Nothing less than jail terms will do!
what's going on with "Fast and Furious"??? Where's Issa?? Apparently they've moved on to another BS investigation.
This situation is far worse than I could have imagined. Mr. Clapper got to the origin of the problem and it turns out to be nothing short of hyperbolic.
Does the CIA and Anti-Terrorism group members equal the presidential appointee "Defense Security" ADVISOR types?
How about the State Department? Is there a difference between a "diplomat" and a "spokesperson"?
Do these stovepipes created for the "intelligence community" need to be differentiated?
Mr. Turner, can you check my calculations, please? I got a meeting coming up with President Obama on the lawn of the White House and I want to make sure all my talking points are properly developed.
EQUATIONS
{Michael Morell ˅ Michael Olsen} = {Tom Donilan ˅ Ben Rhodes} HQP(s) ≠ administrative mouthpieces
{Hillary Clinton} = {Victoria Nuland ↓Susan Rice ↓Mark Toner}
HQP ≠ administrative mouthpieces
Legend
{} "the set of"
˅ "or"
↓ "nor"
= "equal to"
≠ "not equal"
HQP = Highly Qualified Professional(s)
Huh? I was told there is no math in reading an article.
the underlying story that probably explains all this is the following: After the Libyan revolution, the USA needed a CIA listening post near Benghazi in order to keep an eye on terrorist organizations moving between Libya and Egypt. Such a listening post needed to be set up discretly. The cover was a consular office in Benghazi. Embassies and consular facilities are supposed to be protected by host governments, not by US soldiers or CIA. However we wanted our CIA outpost to be there, and remain discrete. After the attack, per Petreus and the Intel service, the 'talking points' were deliberately adjusted to not reveal what the CIA already knew, not only to preserve their anonymity in Benghazi but also to not tip off the jihad organizations (or embarass the Libyan govt. for that matter). Unfortunately, by refusing to accept the Intel version and by injecting partisanship into the deliberations, Republican extremists who refuse to accept the election results are now endangering our discrete information gathering assets in the Arab world. Way to go fools!
Time to put these repub senators on trial. Treason is a serious crime.
Impeding a Federal investigation is, indeed, a felony of fence and anyone who participated in this charade needs to be prosecuted and serve jail time if in any way their garbage stops us from bringing the terrorists to justice!
They are not Senators, they are Representatives you liberal fool. Read a civics book to understand the difference.
McCain is not a senator? hmmmmm...I suggest you discontinue from posting. I would hate for you to look foolish
Conservative media never misses a chance to put CIA intelligence and security assets at risk.
Just ask Valerie Plame or the people working at the CIA outpost that Rep. Jason Chaffez (R-UT) accidentally exposed on the October 11, 2012 House Bengazi hearing on CSPAN.
Hmmm, looks like the repubs were schooled and have STFU.
Get ready kids for the next conspiracy....stay tuned!!!
TNN Breaking News – This Just In – TNN has just learned from Associated Press (AP) that Barack Obama has developed a new Antiseptic Cream Called Hydrogen Barackside. Kills Jobs and Capitalism on Contact. Stimulates Marxist Tendencies, No Oversight Needed, Endorsed by Unions. For the General Destruction of Wealth. Warning: keep your wallet away when opening new and Improved Hydrogen Barackside.
If you have said that FoxNews is reporting that then most repubs would agree the story must be true!
Now you just need to find something for your chronic delusions and acute wrongness.
So in other words.. complex situations with lots of variables an unclear data are more complicated then talking heads and readers who have never spent a day in intel think they are?
*gasp* not complexity!
I think this is one of the problems with the 24 hour news cycle.. reporters speak with such certainty so quickly that people think there actually _is_ certainty
For fiscal 2013, the GOP-controlled House proposed spending $1.934 billion for the State Department's worldwide security protection program - well below the $2.15 billion requested by the Obama administration. House Republicans cut the administration's request for embassy security funding by $128 million in fiscal 2011 and $331 million in fiscal 2012. (Negotiations with the Democrat-controlled Senate restored about $88 million of the administration's request.) Last year, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton warned that Republicans' proposed cuts to her department would be "detrimental to America's national security" - a charge Republicans rejected.
So Republicans were warned in advance and chose to ignore the warning? This is serious. It needs to be investigated.
CS, is that you? Not surprising.
Yep. This will turn on them. Soon they will be extinct
What conspiracy are you repubs working on next? Just curious
Death Panels.
Kenyan
Birth Certificate
Obama is the Antichrist
Cadillac Driving Welfare Queens
"Free" markets
Closet Muslim
Cutting taxes increases revenue
WMDs in Iraq "No Doubt"
Bin Laden in Afghanistan "No Doubt"
Kindergarten Teaching Union Thugs
Pedophile federal agents groping screaming children in airports
Fast & Furious
Obama-phones (free phone program was created in the Reagan Administration)
Barnie Frank caused the world-wide Great Recession
All scientists who assert that global-warming is real are socialists and communists.
Obama allowed Gen. Petraeus to put his hoo-hoo in that psycho broad’s binkie
All global media corporations have been in a communist (before 1991)/socialist (after 1991) conspiracy to defame Conservatism for five generations.
The Social Security Administration is purchasing hollow-point bullets to shoot and kill Americans with.
"Obama laughs as dying ambassador begs for help. 'Allah is Great,' Obama is reported to have screamed."
Next: Federal government is planning forced abortions for White women unless the woman is carrying a biracial child.
LOL. Wow...I think that covered about 5%...but nice examples.
You forgot that Obama is meeting with the black panthers to lead a revolt with the 90% of black folks who voted for him.
But wait....It was only about a week ago that many on this site were screaming that FoxNews was the only one carrying this story and that it was a total fabrication. Now, as it turns out, it was in fact a valid story. Maybe more truth to the matter that other news sites wanted to quash it. Nah that couldnt be.... there is no bias in the media.
No, it's a fabrication that the White House changed it.
Besides, who cares? It isn't like they're using the "Sunday show talking points" to falsely link 9/11 to Iraq to justify invading it. I mean, who would stoop so low?
El Flaco
not sure what article you read but this article stated the White House nor the adminstration changed any of the talking points that were declassified by the Intelligence comunity. They with held information initially during the investigation to protect sources and not to taint the ongoing investigation. There have been a few times the GOP on the House Intelligence committee leaked classified information for political gain.
GOP this, GOP that..blah blah...All this is irrelevant....WHO ISSUED THE STAND DOWN ORDER TO LET PEOPLE BE MURDERED?????
Calm down Francis. The Fox has you riled up
Hey sweety, The LACK of TRUTH and abundance of LIES has me riled up not Fox there Libby
Repukitards are neocon turds with exlax mentality and in need of kaopectate for their brains! House Republicans cut the administration’s request for embassy security funding by $128 million in fiscal 2011 and $331 million in fiscal 2012." (Washington Post). How about those TWELVE embassies and consulates that were attacked between 2001 and 2008? One of our diplomats, David Foy, was killed in Pakistan in 2006. Where was the outrage then? REPUKITARDS YOU LOST THE ELECTION GIVE IT UP......3,000 AMERICANS LIVES LOST ON 9/11 REPUKITARDS SAY NOTHING! 4 AMERICAN LIVES LOST THEY CRY FOR CRIMINAL PROCEEDINGS AGAINST THE PRESIDENT! WHAT A JOKE!
The Republican House by cutting security funding.
My question was WHO gave the Stand Down order and Why? Not who cut funding.
The Pentagon.
I could buy that, but WHY?
Did you read the article, if you didn't then don't bother to keep asking WHY?! What I want to know is why JOHN McCAIN didn't go to the intel community's big dog meeting. Ask WHY about that.
McCain's time on the Intelligence Commitee is coming to an end. I say good to that if he can't even show up after going on the different news programs wanting answers.
He wants a special committee to find facts we already have, spending boatloads of taxpayer money so he can stay revelent. He's headed to Indian Affairs as his next gig and obviously thinks that isn't glamourous enough and this stunt by he, Graham and the ever-annoying Rand Paul just made the GOP look more and more fraught with hysteria. Fox Entertainment News is twisting like taffy in the meltdown of their fav party boys.
It came straight from Hillary herself. She even admitted it. The request for more security was denied by Obama's Secretary of State. Not even you die hard Obama fanatics can deny that.
However, I'm not going to argue with you Obama fanbois. Instead of admitting facts, you'll:
1) some how blame Bush
2) blame the GOP
3) start insulting me personally.
Same old liberal response. It is old. seriously
For fiscal 2013, the GOP-controlled House proposed spending $1.934 billion for the State Department's worldwide security protection program – well below the $2.15 billion requested by the Obama administration. House Republicans cut the administration's request for embassy security funding by $128 million in fiscal 2011 and $331 million in fiscal 2012. (Negotiations with the Democrat-controlled Senate restored about $88 million of the administration's request.) Last year, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton warned that Republicans' proposed cuts to her department would be "detrimental to America's national security" – a charge Republicans rejected.
Hey Bitterjack,
It's time for Republicans to stop being the stupid party.
Do you even know what you are angry about?
Benghazi is IRRELEVANT
I thought the stand down nonsense was already debunked. Geez...I can't keep my conspiracy theories straight. Ugh!
No one. The "Stand Down" order was never given.
You are a few weeks behind on the news.
all of you people should be go through the fox new re-education school first remove your brain then insert your foot then shove it up your ass there you go all fixed. Now you can talk like all the other loser repucitains
Out of curiosity, would you be willing to clean up your run-on sentence, fix some obvious errors, and form a legible statement? Otherwise, your entire point, whatever it may have been is completely lost.
I was able to follow his meaning quite easily.
Here, allow me to translate:
If'n yew watches the entertainment known as fox news and yew calls it real news and believes it, yew is a idjit.
I think it's time for folks to listen to Governor Jindal.
Bobby Jindal called on Republicans to "stop being the stupid party".
FYI – All of Fox's attempts to make the President look bad didn't and won't work.
He won the election.
He won the popular vote.
He won every battle ground state.
Time for Republicans and Fox to come up with a different game plan. Maybe start working for the country instead of their party...just maybe.
Bobby' s just trying to position himself for a presidential run in 2016. Ask anyone in Louisiana: he's a terrible governor and will be a TERRIBLE candidate if he gets the nomination. So I'm rooting for him.
You think like me. I often vote for the Repub with the least chance of winning in the primaries. Then in the election I vote for the Democrat. Hopefully, in two years we can get rid of some Tea Party idiots. I grew up favoring the Republicans but today their party is full of dangerous people.
And you can add: acted correctly the Benghazi problem
1) The alleged failure to handle security:
If the main interested, Ambassador Stevens, with full knowledge of the facts, considered safe enough to visit the Consulat in Benghazi, can anybody criticize the WHITE HOUSE (through the intelligence community) to have thought so too??
2) The intelligence community, not the White House, has made the relevant changes of Petreus taking points, as you do not reveal to the public (i.e. to the terrorists) unclear facts of an investigation, using the same criteria as any police during an unfinished investigation
Tell that to Harry Reid.
Senator McCain: just apologize to the pretty lady and go take a nap.
He doesnt have the inetegrity to apologize
I am so disappointed in Senator McCain, lately.. It's like he's getting senile, starting with picking Sarah Palin as his running mate. I think he is actually jealous of the President. He has gone from patriot/warrior to spoiled brat trouble maker. Sad.
Not only McCAIN, but KING and in lesser degree ROGERS, which should not only apologize but resign from the Congress, for interfering in the work of the intelligence community.
But this does not mean that Mrs. Rice is qualified to be secretary of state!!!
She lack of experience and more important, the personality to act on international level in such difficult times. This is very different as acting in the UN acting under instructions of the White House, even if important too
The Secretary of State position represents the current President serving and represent the policies of the administration's they serve. Doesn't matter which party.
Susan Rice's UN Ambassador role qualifies her without question, as the person serving in that role knows of the international concerns of the different countries that have membership. She already knows the Ambassadors of the current body of participants. They know her. She has been doing a fine job there and would make an excellent Sec. of State under the Obama Administration.
So the republicans want TRUTH? You mean TRUTH like this: The Bush family funded the Nazi's and had JFK killed by using EH Hunt as the hit man under the direction of GH Bush because JFK wanted to reign in the MIC and the FED.
WOW..no wonder Obama won
Google it repuke!! Hahahhahahaha
But certainly Obama can do without friends like this piece of excrement.
No wonder romney lost!
Lookup Prescott Bush sheep!
Republicans never let facts interfere with a cherished belief (see global warmiing, evolution, "tax cuts create jobs," etc.
Democrats never let facts interfere with a cherished belief (see global warmiing, evolution, "tax increases create jobs," etc
NEAT! I CAN DO IT TOO!
But not very well. Try again
Copying isn't very original.
This is a slap on McCain and Sen. Graham's face as they try to use this fiasco to take it to the level of Watergate type investigation and were tarnish the image of president obama as he gets into his 2nd term as POTUS. The old coot McCain is still sore about his loss in 2008 election to president Obama. Idiot.
Thanks for bringing up Watergate. There was a criminal act and Nixon was the principal conspirator. Also, the intent was to subvert the democratic process. Leaving something out of an iniital press release to protect security assets and investigations are not comparable. Damn GOP! What has happened to you people? Once upon a time the GOP was the party of integrity. You're in the toilet, now.
John McCain should be dropped over North Viet Nam by parachute in hopes that they take hm back.
John McCain may be old and like the rest of us, wrong at times but he has more guts in his little finger than I would surmise you have in your whole body. He served and suffered for his country for years. What have you done?
I've come up with a good idea.
FParana...Yeah your idea is to sit on your tired butt and spew garbage on your computer while someone else is fighting for your right to do so. Brave little soldier that you are.
FParana, "good" is a subjective term. Prove to us all, since you made the claim, that your ideas are in fact good. We're all waiting.
Republicans should spend more time trying to save their party. This is a deflection, and the investigation will get to the bottom of it.
Republicans claim every "fact" they're presented with is either media bias or part of a massive cover-up. They only time they were forced to face reality was on election day. Hasn't been 3 weeks and they're already back in pixie land.
A couple of weeks ago the head of the CIA probably would not let this "fact" pass his lips. the General is a cheat but I am betting he wouldnt lie for the potus. Pixie lind indeed!!
What total and unadulterated BS!
Yea! Stupid facts!
I wonder how much they paid this person so be the fall guy?
AY, I heard that conspiracy talking point on Fox News too
What is wrong with McCain?
Is this old age or something else?
McCain is a senile old coot that has had mental issues ever since Nam. He needs medical help.
Does anyone really expect anything good from this failure called Obama? He's a community organizer who only knows how to campaign via slander and pander and gifts. American's voted for one word: FREE. They voted for celebrity, they are a bunch of ignorant people who have been educated by government schools. Sad but that's the facts.
Fox News has trained you well.
and Mucho Socialist National Barack Channel (MSNBC) has trained you well – are you starting to get "tingly legs" yet?
Hey, the election is over. These were repub talking points about a month ago! Catch up to reality!
Obama is doing a pretty good job.
The Republicans you voted for are subversives who are trying to destroy our nation.
Conservative words: "We will make America fail. We will block everything that Obama tries. We will hold the country hostage until we win the White House. We will make Americans suffer until they vote for us."
This from the party who called Obama a snob when he said he wanted everyone to go to college. Which is it? Super-smart or Super-dumb? Repubs are walking oxymorons....or rather the latter half of that moniker.
Are you really so painfully out of touch with reality that you actually believe what you're saying, Duke? Try thinking on your own and don't let Hannity eat your brain.
Please do watch other channels as well not only fox news.
PaganObservation
He is Commander in Chief, but 1) Embassies are the responsibility of the State Department, 2) GOP blocked the request to fund additional troops in that Embassy, and 3) Intelligence reports were a mess with multiple explanations and multiple suggestions as to who/what was responsible. The point should be to fix the procedures that led to the mistakes rather than waste time pointing fingers because, ultimately, multiple agencies, including Congress, failed.
For the vast majority of what you said, the exact opposite is true.
Baa baa....
You are kinda cute Sully
Dead on, Mark.
You can't fix procedure without an investigation to help understand what/where/why went wrong? The President has failed to move this investigation "forward", just as Congress has failed to form a bipartisan committee to put an end any lingering questions. Diane Feinstein, who heads the Senate Intelligence Committee, is finally getting involved, so maybe this will finally get resolved and Congress will then concentrate on the fiscal cliff.
on your second point you're saying the GOP single handedly stopped any additional funding to provide troop security at that specific embassy? That's your stance? Do you have a specific roll call vote on that particular issue where all Republicans voted against and all Dems voted for the funding? Otherwise you're spouting MSNBC lies.
On your third point you state that intel reports were a mess. Yet that didn't stop ambassador Rice from immediately blaming a video and a demonstration while at the same time saying terrorists were not to blame on multiple news outlets.
If the intel was that bad the best thing for her to have done would simply be to keep her mouth shut and say that they didn't have all the facts yet and when they did they would tell us.
Instead she was hoping for this to be brushed under the carpet until after the election.
Doesn't seem to have mattered much anyway because, as always, Obama and his spin machine made the whole mess look like Republican witch hunting and that nothing was their fault (typical Obama finger pointing) and the millions of brain dead drones who feed off his lies bought it hook, line, and sinker and voted for him anyway.
Congrats you got what you wanted. I just hope WE don't live to regret YOUR decision to re-elect an imbecile.
For fiscal 2013, the GOP-controlled House proposed spending $1.934 billion for the State Department's worldwide security protection program - well below the $2.15 billion requested by the Obama administration. House Republicans cut the administration's request for embassy security funding by $128 million in fiscal 2011 and $331 million in fiscal 2012. (Negotiations with the Democrat-controlled Senate restored about $88 million of the administration's request.) Last year, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton warned that Republicans' proposed cuts to her department would be "detrimental to America's national security" - a charge Republicans rejected.
Actually, Chafftez has admitted for the record that republicans voted against funding for security. Which is why the narrative changed.
Anyone else notice how this all started in trying to find out why requests for additional security were denied? And that once it was shown that republicans voted to decrease funding,it became about when the president said the word terror? And once that was taken away, it moved to why Rice said one thing and then another. And now that that has been resolved, republicans will either find another piece to dissect or become suddenly quiet until the next news cycle.
First of all, that post was originally mine and Mark reposted it. Secondly, I am an independent so insulting me by labeling me a Liberal is plain ingnorance on your part. Thirdly, Susan Rice was given talking points that the intelligence community made for her (see the article). The multiple streams of intelligence made it extremely difficult to label one organization or to pin point exactly what sparked this. It would take over a month to come up with specific information, but the people wanted to know what happened so that is what they got. This shouldn't be about politics and it shouldn't be about blame. It should be about fixing the problem so it doesn't happen again.
The truth of the matter is that the only story you will ever believe, however much it is investigated, is that Obama engineered the whole fiasco. No one and nothing will convince the 'haters' that Obama is innocent of all of their hateful accusations. My opinion: You are all sick in the head, filled with hate because we elected a black democrat as POUS. Get over it or get out. Maybe you can find some other country where racisim is still tolerated. You make me sick.
The Republicans don't care about facts. This story changes nothing in their minds. Or, excuse me....what passes for a Republican mind.
It is the last cry of the mohicans. Soon the GOP will be gone forever
AMEN!
Thank you GOD!
You should really try and buy some nourishment for your brain when you go shopping with your food stamps..!!!!!
Isn't that what you idiot liberals said four years ago? Then 2010 happened and you had your A$$ handed to you in the mid-terms.
There are no coat-tails to hang onto in 2014 so you better hope the country turns around quickly or you'll be losing not only the Senate but any chance at your boy from getting anything done in his second term.
There goes that race baiting noise that makes most non-whites dislike you repubs SO much...oh...and will ensure that you guys NEVER win a general election again. Keep on keeping on since it's working out for you SO well.
Wow Mike, you sound bitter... Be careful not to set before a mooving bus or jump out of high rise. Life has to go on man.. Eat you humble pie and have a great thanksgiving...
Get over it ALREADY--Dont think so, handouts will go away with the idiot libt-rds
Repukitards are neocon turds with exlax mentality and in need of kaopectate for their brains! House Republicans cut the administration’s request for embassy security funding by $128 million in fiscal 2011 and $331 million in fiscal 2012." (Washington Post). How about those TWELVE embassies and consulates that were attacked between 2001 and 2008? One of our diplomats, David Foy, was killed in Pakistan in 2006. Where was the outrage then? REPUKITARDS YOU LOST THE ELECTION GIVE IT UP......3,000 AMERICANS LIVES LOST ON 9/11 REPUKITARDS SAY NOTHING! 4 AMERICAN LIVES LOST THEY CRY FOR CRIMINAL PROCEEDINGS! WHAT A JOKE!
Just as Neoconservative Republicans refused to accept the reality of their defeat at the ballot box, they continue to live in their alternative reality universe of refusing to accept the word of the intelligence community THEY called to testify about this matter. At some point, the Republican Tin Foil Hat Brigade are going to have to accept reality or join the ranks of Orly Taitz and the Birthers.
Those who SAY THE WORDS are the ones responsible, period.
Then we need to indict Bush right now for sending 4000 of our brothers and sisters to die in the Iraqi desert.
Bush cannot even leave the country. He is a war criminal and will be arrested.
GOP is still licking it wounds for losing the election and acting out with rage to look for anything they can go after Obama. But they are dummmmb foools and need to grow up and take it and move on. Benghazi is not a issue and trying to forcefully make it makes GOP look stuuupid.
Well listen to your words. I think you are the one that is taking the time to keep conflict and hatred alive. Let me guess your profile. You have low intelligence, are physically weak, a real loud mouth in general, and have a very small pe*nis and cannot satisy a woman. I think that pretty much sums you up. And by the way, Obama is so incompetent he is off traveling overseas in the last hours of our fiscal cliff crisis. Great leader you chose. When the economy goes under, it is on your head!
So if 4 members of your family were murdered, you wouldnt consider it an issue. Thats terrible. and yes that is what you said. You said the death of 4 Americans is a non issue. But when it comes down to it, you dont mean that, you just are doing everything you can to support Obama/trash the republican party, regardless of how stupid it makes you look.
Sully, isnt it time to go watch Fox?
BTW...BENGHAZI IS IRRELEVANT. oh, and your party lost too....
LMAO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Gov Jindal has it right about the GOP – "We have to stop being the stupid party". I don't think any GOP politician has ever hit the nail on the head like Jindal!
So....when does the GOP apologize to Rice?
They dont have the dignity to apologize.
I don't know but isn't he the turncoat backing your boy?
Just another opportunity for republicans to waste tax payer dollars on personal attacks towards the president and his administration. They try so hard to create a scandal out of nothing, keep digging guys the walls will eventually cave in and you'll bury yourselves.
4 americans are dead because he failed to act and you call it nothing? You are a disgrace to America and its citizens.
It is nothing. IRRELEVANT
Go work on your next conspiracy theory SULLY. .
He is Commander in Chief, but 1) Embassies are the responsibility of the State Department, 2) GOP blocked the request to fund additional troops in that Embassy, and 3) Intelligence reports were a mess with multiple explanations and multiple suggestions as to who/what was responsible. The point should be to fix the procedures that led to the mistakes rather than waste time pointing fingers because, ultimately, multiple agencies, including Congress, failed.
It must suck to be with the GOP. Your boy lost an election with an unemployment rate near 8% you not only didn't get the Senate, but lost more seats. You held onto congress, but lost more seats. An now the once proud Senator McCain sounds like a nut job off his meds. God Bless America! OBAMA 2012-2016. Deal with it.
Four Americans are dead because extremists attacked them. We have more than 300 embassies and consulates around a world full of dangerous people. This is an argument about whose talking points were used when. Calling people a disgrace to America because they call you on your political BS is a disgrace to America. Now I'm up on the political high horse. See how easy that is?
The "disgrace" – are Republicans like you who will say anything to try and regain the reins of power that were used to run the country over the cliff financially and reputationally among the internation community.
You lost, your party lost, your platform lost, your candidate lost, your antiquated economic model lost, your greed lost – time to move back under the bridge and suck your thumb until 2014 when the American people will kick all the above to the curb AGAIN !
Ridiculous. Sure, we could have lanched tomahawk missiles or perhaps F-16's and wiped out all of the Lybians involved in the Bengazi incident be they "extremist", terrorists, "Al Qada" or any other label you want to place on them. Very doubtful that any American lives would have been saved but I'm sure you and your tin-foil hat Republican friends would have felt really good about killing the bad guys. And I'm sure you would have blamed Obama when our Embassy in Egypt was overrun by Islamists (again, call them anything you want) in response to our action and placing more American lives in danger. But that's what Republican tin-foil hat types do – propose silly solutions after the fact and blame Obama no matter what he does or does not do.
Sully, didn't you get Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal's memo.
On Monday he called on Republicans to "stop being the stupid party".
If you want someone to "blame" so much, why not start with Amb. Stevens? He felt threatened, requested extra security, but stayed on when no extra security was going to come (thanks to Congress). Why didn't he return to our protected embassy in Tripoli?? Seems a foolish choice was made!
Sully, you are an ignorant braindead follower.
How did the president fail to cat? What he din't flew there himself and shield the consoulate fron bullets and rpgs using his own body?
Even the testimony of AFRI-COM SHOWS HOW FAST THEY TRIED TO MOVE and send help.
Keep drinking your kool-aid with a dose of racism and stupidity
Case closed. Back to Fiscal hump!
Get over it already? if your family was murdered, would you just "get over it" without wanting answers? if so then you are a sad excuse for a human being.
Get over it. BTW, the families have answers. Terrorists killed them. But we already knew that.....whats your issue son?
We have answers. We have answers on who was behind and now, we even know who changed the talking points. Go hang that guy and quit trying to be self righteous. Pointing out that 4 people were killed doesn't strum my heart strings nor does that make this witch hunt any more justifiable. Pathetic.
Get over it Sully, you are starting to be the minority in this whole issue!
Enough with the Republican and Democrat bashing, good LORD!! Being Republican doesn't automatically make someone an ignorant conspiracy theorist anymore than being a Democrat automatically makes someone a lazy government freeloader. The truth is, the majority of people, both Dem and Rep, are pretty moderate and sane. And in my moderate and sane opinion, free from partisan hate spewing, it seems pretty obvious that someone in this administration dropped the ball regarding security in Benghazi, and when you're just seven weeks from election day in the midst of a tight race where you're propping yourself up on the death of Bin Laden and therefore the supposed crippling of Al Qaeda, of course you're going to do anything you can to cover that up, at least until after the election, and I would believe the same had this been a Republican administration.
Or...maybe they just weren't sure what happened at first. No need to make it a witch hunt.
Libya knew what happened the day after the attacks...Libya President Mohamed Yousef El-Magariaf: "It was planned, definitely. It was planned by foreigners, by people who entered the country a few months ago. And they were planning this criminal act since their arrival."
I'm sure there were definitely still things they were learning about the attack, but the fact is, everyone knew immediately that it was terrorism, including the WH and the director of the CIA, who personally wrote the talking points. I don't care what party you affiliate with, the handling of this situation has been suspect. I'm not shouting for impeachment or looking for an argument, I'm just saying it seems pretty clear to me what happened.
Ok everyone, we can go to bed now. Fear not now that CalmDown is on the case!
He feels like he knows what happended, no more investigation needed. Just make sure to pray that we have such an observational power house on our side.
Or you could quit with the armchair investigation and say what EVERYONE else knows, we don't know what happened and given the security impetus, we probably won't for quite some time.
But don't let that stop the speculation on something that makes about as much difference as the muffin I had for breakfast this morning.
I was stating my opinion, which is what I thought this board was designed for. I now see it's nothing more than another forum in which to spew nonsensical hatred and further the divisiveness that is plaguing our nation at the moment. I saw all the harsh and extreme comments being made and I foolishly decided to offer my more moderate two cents. That being said, I have absolutely zero interest in engaging in an argument or the type of juvenile name-calling that so many on this thread are lowering themselves to. We are all adults. Can't we have a difference of opinion without bitterly attacking each other? We all have the same underlying goal: to see America and Americans succeed and prosper. Let's take a deep breath and cherish the fact that we can even voice our opinions without fear. I hope everyone enjoys his or her Thanksgiving.
While there are parts of your analysis I don't quite agree with, I do like the spirit of your post. Have a great Thanksgiving.
Thank you Xavier, Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family!
The threatening emails from David Petraeus’ ex-mistress to a Florida socialite reportedly promised to make the apparent rival “go away” and boasted of her powerful, well-connected friends.
The New York Daily News reports that the messages sent by Paula Broadwell to Jill Kelley were far more sinister than previously reported and were from someone “clearly unhinged,” according to a close friend.
“This wasn’t just a catfight,” the friend told the newspaper. “Any normal person who got emails like that would have immediately called the police.”
Kelley read her the emails when she called, according to the unidentified friend, as she sought advice in the days before the scandal became a staggering public spectacle and led to Petraeus’ resignation as CIA director.
The friend, who declined to be identified, said Kelley saw the emails as death threats, specifically one in which Broadwell vowed to “make you go away.”
Good to know, but irrelevent to this article.
This is the most outrageous attack on an outstanding person Susan Rice, whose credentials are so outstanding that it shud embarrass any right thinking person. President O'Bama shud nominate her to spite the disgruntled sore losers. The Republicants are simply in disarray from their colossal loss.I predict it will be even worse in 2014 when the other half of the 2012 election comes up.
we get the government that we deserve
I'm sure he should, and he probably will.
She's Black. Conservatives hate Blacks.
She's a woman. Conservatives hate women.
She's a Democrat. Conservatives hate all non-Conservatives and most Conservatives.
She's a natural target.
OK. How would you explain Condi Rice's appointment and long tenure in the past administration?
She's a shill who had no idea what the "southern strategy" was and hated the Dems prior to it.
And you are dumb ..!!!
Actually,
1993 WTC Trade Center is bombed – blind cleric Omar is put in jail
1998 U.S. embassies in Nairobi, Kenya, and Dar es Salaam, Tanzania bombed
2000 USS Cole
Clinton Administration ends.
2001 WTC destroyed
Iraq and Afghanistan invaded
Middle East gets the message, Saudis, Libya, Syria, etc crack down on terrorists.
No more attacks
2008 – Community Reinvestment Act comes home to roost. Bail outs happen, to the tune of 7.7 trillion.
2010 – Inflation in communities markets due to US currency printing press, man sets himself on fire in Tunisa because he can't pay his bills.
2011 – Arab Spring. Bin Laden dream fulfilled. Secular dictators overthrown, Islamic regimes put in place. New Egyptian president requests blind cleric that bombed WTC in 1993 to be released.
2012 – Sept 11. Libya embassy attacked over a movie. CIA director resigns, sent memo to White House stating terror but was revised by the very intel community he lead? Sure why not.
What is the US response going to be to the Libya attack? Nothing. Sure put Rice there. I do give props to Obama for having her back. More than Colin Powell got.
Since you seem to know so much, why don't you tell us what you think the U.S. should do to Lybya/Lybians in response to the Bengazi incident? I won't hold my breath waiting for a response, because I doubt that you can come up with one that would make sense.
And five will get you ten that between now and the end of Obama's term the "blind Sheik" will get a jail free pass.
Let do what Clinton did. Nothing, and wait for another attack major attack, or wait for Israel to pummel Iran.
I had one of those oh so wise PhD's in international studies tell me, "Well, they have a mindset in that is in the 1600s" So, you give them a 1600s response, a firm smack in the mouth. No rebuttal. Bush had the guts to do it. Clinton, on the other hand sent a few cruise missiles, missed and blew up a pharmaceutical factory that supposedly had WMD's. Oh but he will send some troops to Croatia when he is up for impeachment. I was 1 of 2000 enlisted that personally booed him off staged for putting us in harms way to cover his Monica problems. The guy lies, gets disbarred, almost gets impeached then gets up at the DNC convention and says, Trust Me. Why does Obama need him anymore? He would have won anyway.
What would I have done? I would have had that embassy guarded with a tank and about 20 marines. Two seals held them off for as long as they could. 60 of them dead vs 4 of ours. I would have seen Arab Spring coming and tried to shape Iraq into a secular democracy like lets say Turkey or Iraq. Obama dropped the ball. The US how has about 5 more Iran's to deal with. That will eventually come home to roost as well.
Sully is a good Fox News sheep. Keep protecting it and pretending its Fair and Balanced. Do you record all the Hannity shows? You dont vote do you? I hope not
as typical your liberal bashing is is indicative of your ever changing the subjective in lieu of absolutes
Are you trying to use news words in a sentence?
Remember that time the intel community told Bush there were WMDS in Iraq and Bush sent over 4000 soldiers to die for no reason? Where is your outrage over that repubs?
Remember that time Bill Clinton was drilling Monica for intel? Sorry, I am an independent and couldn't resist the opening.
That was not a good thing but no one died. Where is the repucitain outrage over the 2 unpaid for needless wars that killed 360,000 people 230,000 of them woman and children. these are their # not mine all of you speakers of moral outrage are full of crap totally completely full of crap. Please shut up and take mc cain to the old folks home where he truely belongs old, bitter, sore loser
Seems that a large amount of democRAT Senators, including Ted Kennedy and Hillary Clinton were convinced of WMDs.
(Which were transported to Syria just before the invasion.)
Mark You are a blind sheep yourself.
@CavPilot – I seem to recall that Democrat and Republican congressmen were all convinced of the existence of WMDs precisely because the White House provided false and misleading information. Are you suggesting that someone who believes false intelligence is in collusion with those who provide the false intelligence? This is just another example of the misdirection used by those who want to justify political attacks on this Administration – the question is not whether Democrats believed the false information about WMDs, the question is why Republicans were not outraged when it was discovered that the information causing US to go to war was false – yet seem to think that the changing of some wording on an atrocity that was committed by some other group/country/organization is somehow an impeachable offense.
even you don't believe that they had every airport and every plane under their eyes that is total crap also why is the truth so hard for anyone here to speak. good bad or other wise
LMAO!!!!!!
Bush lied us into a war in Iraq in which dozens of American diplomats and thousands of American soldiers and tens of thousands of Iraqi civilians are killed. I'd say that's far, far worse than anything that happened in Benghazi.
Then Ted Kennedy and Hillary Clinton were lying as well....
This might be a shock to you but there is a difference between lying and believing a lie. And you can dip and duck all you want but the fact of the matter is the biggest horse the 'republicans' hitched their wagon to was the wording that Obama used about a terrorist attack.
I guess Teddy and Hillary missed their big opportunity to land on that aircraft carrier and declare mission accomplished. One of them is kicking herself.
What is the next conspiracy repubs? this one is starting to die down and I need your entertainment. It amuses me and the rest of Americans.
Stupid juvenile drivel such as yours gives not just Democrats but Americans a bad name.
Benghazi incident is an American tragedy and for you to politicize it is shameful.
Had the President and his staff been forthright from the start we wouldn't question their honesty.
Run along Josie, the adults are talking.
Go watch Fox so you can politicize this further. Benghazi is a NON ISSUE. Deal with it. Start working on your next conspiracy
I didn't know the intelligence community was in charge of the United States I thought the President of the United States is responsible for leadership over the government
It is amazing that this would not even be a story now if it wasn't for FOXNEWS.
It would have been covered up and the Obamatons would be basking in their win and future economic destruction of America.
You are a good sheep
baa baa
George W. Bush and Fox News are to blame for this. Obviously.
It's amazing that 9/11, the Patriot Act and the Iraq war weren't criminal investigations because of FOX NEWS.
Thank gawd for "fair and balanced."
I hate to tell you – most American's don't care about Benghazi anymore. American's have the attention spans of infants. The sparkly object has long been removed and most of America is back to being asleep now.
I am not an American but can't believe how so many people have such low expectations of this President.
Your media has become a mediocre news service , and as we know not having a free press is the first sign of a declining democracy.
Anytime people have questions about the handling of government affairs it is the duty of a leader and his government to answer honestly.
You elected a President not a king.