Amid Obama foreign policy personnel turmoil, key senator wants to hear from Clinton

Since his election victory last month, President Barack Obama has suffered a series of foreign and national security policy and personnel mishaps and embarrassments.  First, there was the sudden resignation of CIA director David Petraeus after he admitted having an extramarital affair. Next came the withdrawal of U.N. envoy Susan Rice from consideration as the next secretary of state in the wake of misleading comments she made about the Sept. 11 attacks on a U.S. facility in Benghazi, Libya.

Related: Key State official resigns in wake of Benghazi report

And Obama’s troubles continued this week as the five-member Accountability Review Board (ARB) appointed by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to investigate the Benghazi attack issued its findings. The panel said, “Systemic failures and leadership and management deficiencies” in the State Department led to a “security posture that was inadequate for Benghazi and grossly inadequate to deal with the attack that took place.”

The Independent Report slammed the State Department for "systematic failures" that grossly underestimated security needs at the U.S. mission in Benghazi leading to the death of Ambassador Chris Stevens and other Americans. Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., discusses.

In the attack Ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans -- Glen Doherty, Tyrone Woods and Sean Smith -- were killed.

Sen. Bob Corker, R- Tenn., slated to be the senior Republican on the Foreign Relations Committee in 2013, told NBC’s Andrea Mitchell Wednesday that Clinton “has to come before us. I think it’s imperative.” 

Corker and other members of Congress were given a classified briefing on the report and afterwards he insisted that Clinton must testify before she leaves her post and the Senate votes on confirmation of her successor.

The secretary was slated to attend briefings on the Hill this week but has been recovering from the flu and a concussion she suffered in a recent fainting episode.

Once rumored to be that successor at the State Department was Ambassador Rice. But she took herself out of contention after some Republican senators said her statements that the Benghazi attack was a response to an anti-Islamic video were misleading. They implied that she and the president had tried to keep voters from learning the truth about the attack before Election Day.

With Rice having bowed out, Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., seems to be a near-certainty as Obama’s nominee to head the State Department.

The Benghazi review board was headed by veteran diplomat Thomas Pickering, who has served in his 40-year career as an ambassador to six nations. Former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Adm. Michael Mullen was the vice chairman of the board.

The unclassified portions of the ARB report which were released Wednesday painted a picture of a State Department under Clinton which was not functioning well.

The panel placed responsibility on officials in her department for failing to adequately protect the facility in Benghazi.

The number of State Department security staff in Benghazi on the day of the attack and in the months leading up to it was inadequate, the board found, “despite repeated requests from Special Mission Benghazi and Embassy Tripoli for additional staffing.”

Gary Cameron / Reuters

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton delivers remarks at the State Department in Washington on the deaths of U.S. embassy staff in Benghazi in this September 12, 2012 file photo.

And it said that despite efforts by the Defense Department and other agencies, “There simply was not enough time for armed U.S. military assets to have made a difference.”

In the aftermath of the report, an official told NBC News on Wednesday that Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of Diplomatic Security Eric Boswell is resigning.

On Wednesday, after the closed briefing by Pickering and Mullen, Kerry praised the work of the ARB.

“Secretary Clinton committed to doing this report and said it would be a completely unvarnished appraisal, which it is,” Kerry said.

Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, said the unclassified version of the report “omits important information the public has a right to know.  This includes details about the perpetrators of the attack in Libya as well as the less-than-noble reasons contributing to State Department decisions to deny security resources.”

He also said, “In light of the report, I am concerned that the carefully vetted testimony of senior State Department officials at the October hearing was part of an intentional effort to mislead the American people.”

While tussling continues over the State Department, the question of who will lead the Defense Department when Leon Panetta departs also remains unresolved, and now questions are being raised about the presumed front-runner for that post.

On Wednesday the Washington Post, which usually supports Obama on its editorial page, ran an editorial opposing the yet-to-be announced nomination of former Nebraska senator Chuck Hagel to replace Panetta. 

The editorial called Hagel “isolated in his views about Iran during his time in the Senate. He repeatedly voted against sanctions, opposing even those aimed at the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, which at the time was orchestrating devastating bomb attacks against U.S. troops in Iraq. Mr. Hagel argued that direct negotiations, rather than sanctions, were the best means to alter Iran’s behavior.”

An independent review of the Sept. 11, 2012 attacks on the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi, Libya shows "systemic failures" at the State Department. The BBC's Katty Kay and Random House Jon Meacham join a conversation on the report and on Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

The editorial also noted that “Obama has said that his policy is to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon and that containment is not an option. Mr. Hagel has taken a different view, writing in a 2008 book that ‘the genie of nuclear weapons is already out of the bottle, no matter what Iran does.’ ”

It added that if Obama decides to use military force to try to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear arsenal, it would be doubtful whether Hagel would be “ready to support and effectively implement such a decision” if he were defense secretary.

Earlier, Wall Street Journal columnist Bret Stephens assailed Hagel for saying "the Jewish lobby intimidates a lot of people up here (on Capitol Hill)." Stephens said that and other remarks by Hagel about Israel were “insipid and insinuating” and cast a slur on Jewish-Americans.

Some Republican senators also expressed skepticism about Hagel becoming defense secretary but since his nomination has yet to be announced, it’s not clear whether the Senate would confirm him.

 

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She can't remember anything after she hit her head, Clinton pleads the Ronald Reagan "mind slipping" syndrome.

  • 6 votes
#1 - Wed Dec 19, 2012 10:46 PM EST

Ronald only circumvented congress, used the CIA to over throw democratically elected governments, allowed the money from drug sales to fund his covert activities, and begun the process of defunding government by giving the rich their first "trickle on the middle class" tax breaks.

Nothing as serious as having an embassy with inadequate funding for protection get attacked by the radical Islamists out for power in their own country.

  • 10 votes
#1.1 - Wed Dec 19, 2012 11:24 PM EST

Bob Corker, R- Tenn .. Give it up already.. Get to work.

  • 7 votes
#1.2 - Thu Dec 20, 2012 12:12 AM EST

Cork that Corker.

  • 5 votes
#1.3 - Thu Dec 20, 2012 12:46 AM EST

Corker is playing dirty, illegally corking his bats.

  • 2 votes
#1.4 - Thu Dec 20, 2012 12:53 AM EST

Yeah, why on earth would anyone in the Senate or the House want to hear from the Secretary of State on a case involving the murder of an American ambassador...

Why on earth would anyone in congress want to ask the Secretary of State about events that involved her department and revealed "serious" and "systemic failures"...

If this had happened under the Bush administration you guys would have called for impeachment, so now suddenly asking the top administration diplomat about failures in her department is out of bounds? I guess the Obama administration can do no wrong in some people's eyes, the economy could go into a second recession, a U.S. ambassador could be murdered inside a U.S. consulate on 9/11 and this administration would not be held to account. Now the Valery Plame case, that was a BIG DEAL! No one got killed, she had never been put in danger during the whole case, but you had calls for Dick Cheney to resign, and calls for impeachment! Over what?! A reporter talking to deputy secretary Armitage and Plame's name coming up by accident. Big f%$#-ing deal!

  • 9 votes
#1.5 - Thu Dec 20, 2012 5:04 AM EST

Yeah, we really do need to hear from the old, ragged-looking, sick, hurt (maybe?) cow! Drag her lard backside out of the sickbed and up to congress!

  • 6 votes
#1.6 - Thu Dec 20, 2012 5:38 AM EST

Corker a "key senator"? That's a joke.

  • 3 votes
#1.7 - Thu Dec 20, 2012 8:30 AM EST

Didn't Hillary say that when it concerned the State Department, the buck stopped with her. I guess she meant to exclude anything that goes wrong, in which case, the buck stops at everybody at the State Department but her.

  • 5 votes
#1.8 - Thu Dec 20, 2012 8:36 AM EST

"The panel said, “Systemic failures and leadership and management deficiencies” in the State Department led to a “security posture that was inadequate for Benghazi and grossly inadequate to deal with the attack that took place.”

Interesting for these representatives to complain about security when it is congress who is cuting all cost across the board and has been for years. I have to wonder just how much security there would be if Romney and his band had won the election and cut all the cost they are hoping to cut even now.

  • 2 votes
#1.9 - Thu Dec 20, 2012 9:12 AM EST

How telling is it the a panel appointed by the Secretary of State to investigate the Benghazi incident were unable to provide Clinton and Obama with better cover? The report was carefully worded for sure, did not accuse anyone directly, but it did nonetheless paint a picture of incompetence. The fact that liberals find this a waste of time proves they only set standards that apply to the other side of the isle. Holding the government accountable is the job of Congress, and it is time to put the partisan politics on the shelf and get to the truth. If the truth hurts Hillary's chance at a 2016 run, too bad.

  • 6 votes
#1.10 - Thu Dec 20, 2012 9:19 AM EST

Just hearing from the loons on the left here is very strong evidence that this country is in trouble with the progressive/liberals running things. Serious problems are never serious when it involves someone who is a progressive/liberal. Dead border patrol agent, no big deal. Dead Ambassador and 3 other Americans, no big deal. Fiscal cliff, unless you do it our way, no big deal. A Republican Senator thinks we should hear from Hillary Clinton the SOS, that guy is a partisan hack!!!

The Clinton's are scum. When are you progressive/liberals going to realize that? And President Obama has learned well from them, always duck for cover and demonize the other side.

  • 4 votes
#1.11 - Thu Dec 20, 2012 9:31 AM EST

JH,

Couldn't have said it better myself. The Clintons are all about #1 and that's all that matters to them. Democrats in general also don't care about the good of the country if something shines a bad light on them.

  • 5 votes
#1.12 - Thu Dec 20, 2012 9:45 AM EST

Why is there so much hate associated with every news story? I believe that political groups post on these pages to imflame the public's emotions into hate. Those who use hate speech are evil and are undermining the power of the real people and our Constitution.

Folks, we need to be very careful not to let hate propaganda manipulate us . . . hate puts us all at risk for loosing our rights.

  • 3 votes
#1.13 - Thu Dec 20, 2012 10:40 AM EST

Andy, Are you trying to take away our freedom of speech? Yes, we conservatives are angry and hate what dem/libs are doing to this country. I am an american whose grandfather fought in WWII for YOU. He won the Silver Star, the Bronze Star and Purple heart and put his life on the line so that YOU have the freedoms you have. When you and dem/libs try and take them away you bet I'm going to stand up and voice my opinion.

  • 1 vote
#1.14 - Thu Dec 20, 2012 11:41 AM EST

Good God, when will this non-story go the F away. Republicans, grow up and start working for the good of the country rather than trying to score cheap political points.

D'you know how we know there was a security lapse? Cause 4 people died. But it was not some big conspiracy or coverup, GROW THE F UP AND LET IT GO!

Yes, we conservatives are angry and hate what dem/libs are doing to this country.

and just what the hell are "dem/libs doing to this country?" These "take our country back" talking points are such hogwash.

Us "dems/libs" had to endure 8 years of multiple unpaid-for wars (in the face of tax cuts no less!), the patriot act, indefinite detention, torture, and mortgage/lending fraud.

You "conservatives" can deal with 8 years of universal healthcare, extended unemployment benefits, and tax hikes on the top 2%. Get over it, you lost the election. Americans as a whole obviously do not support your nonsense else they WOULD HAVE VOTED FOR IT!

  • 2 votes
#1.15 - Thu Dec 20, 2012 11:42 AM EST

See what I mean.

Grover, If you can't deal with the other side STFU. You dems /libs got 8 years of growth and prosperity under Bush because of the tax cuts. Excuse me, you got 6 years, the dems took over Congress after 6 years of Bush in 2007 and everything went to hell.

Who cares about a border patrol agent getting killed by guns delivered by this administration to terrorists? I do. But I should just STFU and live with executive privilege??? NO!!

And who cares about 4 Americans getting killed because of a mistakes? I do!! And after that happened it WAS A CONSPIRACY AND COVERUP by the Obama Administration. How many people in the world do you suppose were injured by unruly crowds because Obama blamed some video that nobody really had heard of until he used it for a stupid excuse for his inept administration????

NO we did not lose the election. We retained the House of Representatives. STFU and live with it.

  • 3 votes
#1.16 - Thu Dec 20, 2012 12:20 PM EST

I'm sorry, we got WHAT under 8 years of Bush? The only people who prospered under him were the 1% and war profiteers like Dick Cheney and Karl Rove! What we got from him was a massive deficit that still haunts us, an unfounded war that has taken 10+ years to end (I notice, as far as American lives go, the ones lost in that BS war don't seem to mean much to you and your ilk). That war was based on a CONSPIRACY and LIES, and Condoleeza Rice helped participate in the COVERUP after it was all said and done, even though she was one of the people who tried numerous time to warn W's administration that a terrorist attack was imminent (but we conveniently forget about those 3000 Americans, too, don't we Mr. Conservative, because Bush got a f***ing TOTAL PASS from your side of the aisle after being the WORST president in history).

So, when the Dems controlled Congress and things went to hell, it was their fault, but the Rethuglicans run Congress and everything is the Presidents fault? You people are so obtuse, it is really amazing that you have the brain power necessary to breathe...how many jobs bills have the Republicans blocked trying to sabotage the President? How many times have they acted in their own interest (as opposed to the interest of their constituents, which are the ONLY ones they are supposed to work for) because they signed that pledge for Grover Norquist?

No Democrat (no human being, for that matter) has ever once said that they don't care about people being killed at the border, or in Benghazi or otherwise. And there WAS NO COVER-UP! It happened right after the release of that horrible movie that basically set off the entirety of the Middle East. It was not even close to unreasonable for her to think that didn't have something to do with it. As the information became more clear and more abundant, the story changed, but they did NOT try to hide what happened. President Obama called it an act of terrorism from the jump! It isn't "telling" that the investigators can't provide a better cover for Mrs. Clinton and the State Department....clearly, mistakes were made there, and it resulted in tragic, unnecessary death. The reason is that they are NOT TRYING TO COVER ANYTHING UP! Maybe Sen. Corker should ask his fellow republicans why they cut funding for embassy security? But we can't talk about that, can we....that might put the onus of responsibility on someone else, and you can't lose any ground in this war on Clinton and the President, no matter how many facts you have to ignore or lies you have to tell!

You all keep hanging on to any majority you can, because after this election cycle and the endless parade of idiotic Republicans spewing their hate and bigotry at women and gays and anyone not in the 1%? I don't think there will be a Republican majority ANYTHING ever again, especially not a Republican President

    #1.17 - Thu Dec 20, 2012 12:55 PM EST

    You dems /libs got 8 years of growth and prosperity under Bush because of the tax cuts.

    "growth and prosperity", also sometimes referred to by our economist friends as a "bubble."

    Who cares about a border patrol agent getting killed by guns delivered by this administration to terrorists? I do. But I should just STFU and live with executive privilege??? NO!!

    terrorists? And hear I thought "Fast and Furious" (started by Bush and continued by Obama) was the ATF trying to track guns being purchased in Pheonix (you know, due to our lax gun control laws) and being sold to Mexican drug cartels...

    And who cares about 4 Americans getting killed because of a mistakes? I do!! And after that happened it WAS A CONSPIRACY AND COVERUP by the Obama Administration. How many people in the world do you suppose were injured by unruly crowds because Obama blamed some video that nobody really had heard of until he used it for a stupid excuse for his inept administration????

    Everyone cares about 4 Americans getting killed in the embassy attack, but there was no coverup or conspiracy here. If it was, it's the worst "coverup" that ever existed, considering the FBI and CIA were sent in to investigate.

    And with regard to the youtube video, plenty of people around the world had heard of it prior to the Benghazi attacks, which is of course why protests had sprung up around the muslim world and why the Benghazi attack was initially (and incorrectly) assumed by the CIA to be just another protest turned violent. Upon investigation however, that turned out to not be the case.

    The Benghazi attack was a lapse in security in a dangerous location of the world. Should we have been more prepared? Obviously yes. Does that make it a big anti-American conspiracy that is worthy of subpeona's for everyone in the state department, nonstop coverage on Fox News, 4 months of rancorous debate, and finger-pointing at the Socialist Overlord President? Not really.

    NO we did not lose the election. We retained the House of Representatives. STFU and live with it.

    yeah, thanks to gerrymandering, which is of course why the D's secured more House votes than the R's nationally, yet the R's retained overwhelming majority control...

      #1.18 - Thu Dec 20, 2012 12:58 PM EST

      Michelle and Grover

      You are blind to the truth. Pathetic fools.

        #1.20 - Thu Dec 20, 2012 1:58 PM EST
        Readoso141Deleted
        Reply

        Since when is Bob Corker a "key" senator. He's a Pee Potty stooge.

        • 12 votes
        Reply#2 - Wed Dec 19, 2012 10:47 PM EST

        Corker is just a laughing stock.

        Tennessee Voters should take stock and vote him out next time.

        • 6 votes
        #2.1 - Thu Dec 20, 2012 12:48 AM EST

        Besides, Clinton has hit her head and forgot everything she should have known about the State Department.

        • 1 vote
        #2.2 - Thu Dec 20, 2012 9:23 AM EST

        Well at least liberals have no problem amusing each other with classless comments. Name calling, blame, and excuses are the new liberal.

        • 2 votes
        #2.3 - Thu Dec 20, 2012 9:27 AM EST

        Tennessee voters out to stock up and butcher "Pig"otry.

        • 1 vote
        #2.4 - Thu Dec 20, 2012 9:51 AM EST
        Reply

        Sen Corker probably wants to HEAR from Sec Clinton because he obviously CANNOT READ on his own. If he could, he would have all the answers he needs from both the classified and unclassified report submitted by the Independent Review Team. The Report is very thorough. Congress will never admit this but they bear much responsibility in all of this too because they will not adequately fund the security situation abroad. Congress should also have enough sense to realize that we should not be establishing Consulates and Embassies in these developing countries because they are incapable of protecting American workers and they do not want our country sending in its own protection.

        As for Sec Clinton, I have never known her to run FROM anything difficult. I believe that as soon a she is well, she will testify before whichever Congressional group wants her. Since Congress has worked less than half a year and Sec Clinton has been on the job almost 24-7 for four years, I think they ought to cut her a little slack for recovery time. The Republicans should grow up.

        • 11 votes
        Reply#3 - Wed Dec 19, 2012 10:58 PM EST

        Hi Suval,

        What part of the "report was written by internal State Department employees" do you not understand? The reports were written in such a way as to not implicate anyone directly. And how would you know the reports are "thorough"? Have you read them? I doubt it.

        As for Clinton, she lies, deflects and attacks rather than runs from "anything difficult". It's all about protecting the Clinton brand as it always has been. The "concussion" was conveniently timed to postpone real answers to difficult questions.

          #3.1 - Thu Dec 20, 2012 9:55 AM EST

          .

            #3.2 - Thu Dec 20, 2012 9:56 AM EST

            Hi Suval,

            What part of the "report was written by internal State Department employees" do you not understand? The reports were written in such a way as to not implicate anyone directly. And how would you know the reports are "thorough"? Have you read them? I doubt it.

            that's right. Everything in this world is some big, anti-Republican conspiracy, perpetrated by shadowy overlords devoid of oversight.

            Put your tinfoil hat back on and their mind-control rays can't hurt you!

            • 1 vote
            #3.3 - Thu Dec 20, 2012 11:50 AM EST

            @DrowningGrover Isn't it pathetic? Their powers of projection and their ability to ignore facts boggle the mind. Would they believe anything if Faux News didn't tell them to? Hell, I don't watch TV, but I have often wondered if Faux News has to air reminder to breathe throughout the day so all of their brainless acolytes don't die of suffocation.....

              #3.4 - Thu Dec 20, 2012 1:03 PM EST

              yeah, pretty much.

              • 1 vote
              #3.5 - Thu Dec 20, 2012 1:09 PM EST
              Reply

              Key Sens.???

              Teapublicans???

              There are no "key" teapublicans in the Sen. Only glorified right wing speed bumps...

              • 7 votes
              Reply#4 - Wed Dec 19, 2012 11:04 PM EST

              Wow, the committee appointed by HRC found that responsibility for the Benghazi fiasco lays with someone other than HRC. Who saw that coming?

              • 6 votes
              Reply#5 - Wed Dec 19, 2012 11:14 PM EST

              You mean the person at the very tippy top of the State Dept., that is the Secretary of State, doesn't deal with and control the mundane and day-to-day operations of the entire department such as assigning security in remote and dangerous places around the world? You don't say.

              I bet you think the CEO of GM designs the engines and determines how many bolts are needed to secure each car seat as well...

              • 1 vote
              #5.1 - Thu Dec 20, 2012 11:54 AM EST
              Reply

              I can see no good reason for Clinton not to testify. The State Dept was her baby and she takes both the credit for it and fault. She leads, sets the agendas, and advocates for what she needs to run it. Since the incident occurred on her watch, the Congress should wait until she's healthy before launching a hearing.

              Say what you will, but it does look pretty suspicious that she suffered a concussion just before the report came out (it would have been more believable if she had run her car off the road). I bet you $100 that she knew what the report contained before she hit her head. Her injury suggests that she wants to preserve her good image, possibly for a presidential bid, and dodge the muck certain congress members are hoping to dirty her up with in a hearing. It's a bit obvious.

              • 5 votes
              Reply#6 - Wed Dec 19, 2012 11:17 PM EST

              bush administration - 53 deaths 90 injuries in embassy attacks. Where was the republican outrage then?

              also....ask the republicans why they cut funding for embassy security. the democrats argued strongly against cutting funds for security but had to accept it so the debt limit could be raised in 2011. The new budget proposed by boehner asks for even more cuts in funding for embassy security. sen porker is oinking up the wrong tree.

              • 9 votes
              #6.1 - Wed Dec 19, 2012 11:33 PM EST

              There you go....blame Bush.....Hahahahahahaha

              • 4 votes
              #6.2 - Wed Dec 19, 2012 11:38 PM EST

              Soon to be former Madam Secretary [Clinton] is DIRTY and deserves the tarnish. This ALL happened on her watch. The job involved much more than photo ops with world leaders - there was always budget money for her and her entourage to go globe-trotting. But the hard work of being an effective SoS was always beyond her. Naked ambition, deceit, and a sense of entitlement are not qualifications - they are usually disqualifiers.

              • 3 votes
              #6.3 - Thu Dec 20, 2012 12:08 AM EST

              trouble...........

              i didn't blame bush. obviously you can't read.

              • 6 votes
              #6.4 - Thu Dec 20, 2012 12:20 AM EST

              orb.............

              was condi rice questioned during the bush administration? 53 deaths 90 injuries attributed to embassy attacks.

              • 6 votes
              #6.5 - Thu Dec 20, 2012 12:53 AM EST

              More blame Bush rants, what a surprise. What, no racist comment yet? Liberals still clinging to the budget cuts as the cause for a lack of security, even though that has been debunked repeatedly. In fact not even listed as a cause in the Benghazi report, how inconvenient for liberals.

              • 2 votes
              #6.6 - Thu Dec 20, 2012 9:33 AM EST

              Liberals still clinging to the budget cuts as the cause for a lack of security, even though that has been debunked repeatedly. In fact not even listed as a cause in the Benghazi report, how inconvenient for liberals.

              Uh, except that the report specifically mentions those cuts as a reason for the "tightening of purse strings" and reduced security.

              http://www.cnn.com/2012/12/18/us/state-benghazi-report/index.html

              Quote:

              The board cited a lack of resources as at least partly to blame.

              "The solution requires a more serious and sustained commitment from Congress to support State Department needs," it said.

              elsewhere: (http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/12/18/16002158-benghazi-report-blames-systemic-failures-within-state-department)

              The report states strongly that Congress must meet budgetary challenges to "provide necessary resources to the State Department." Specifically, Congress should restore a security program to $2.2 billion by 2012.

              Quoted FROM THE ACTUAL REPORT: (http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2012/images/12/18/202446.pdf)

              The recommendations in this report attempt to grapple with these issues and err on the side of increased attention to prioritization and to fuller support for people and facilities engaged in working in high risk, high threat areas. The solution requires a more serious and sustained commitment from Congress to support State Department needs, which, in total, constitute a small percentage both of the full national budget and that spent for national security. One overall conclusion in this report is that Congress must do its part to meet this challenge and provide necessary resources to the State Department to address security risks and meet mission imperatives.

              So, uh yeah...

              • 1 vote
              #6.7 - Thu Dec 20, 2012 12:02 PM EST

              Number one there has been no oversight as to the handling of money in the State Department, another failure for Congress. But we are also not talking about actual budget cuts, just a reduction in what was a planned increase. Those sort of budgeting simply does not ever take into account actual need. Likewise no one at the State Department requested more funds for security, which is just more incompetence if in fact it was desperately needed. This endless liberal blame game is pretty pathetic. Besides when the term that is used is lack of resources, how can that only be interpreted as a lack of funding? Funny how you are trying to prove your point with news media opinions of the reports intent, and not actual language from the report itself. No where in the report does it state that budget cuts were to blame. So, uh yeah...

              • 1 vote
              #6.8 - Thu Dec 20, 2012 2:01 PM EST
              Reply

              I think sen porker should request a hearing with condoleza rice on why her lies about mushroom clouds and wmd's contributed to twice as many American deaths than were killed by the 911 terrorists?

              • 8 votes
              Reply#7 - Wed Dec 19, 2012 11:21 PM EST
              • It is not lost on anybody here that your name backwards is "warped"....and it fits on both counts....your thinking is backwards and it is always warped
              • 4 votes
              #7.1 - Wed Dec 19, 2012 11:40 PM EST

              trouble............

              did you get your name because you have " trouble " with the truth?

              • 5 votes
              #7.2 - Thu Dec 20, 2012 12:21 AM EST

              It's a universal view that Bush and Cheney are war criminals that lied to launch an unjustified war in Iraq that worsened the war on terror and jeopardized the lives of soldiers deployed to Afghanistan to hunt for bin Laden by removing troops and soldiers to Iraq to search for WMDs.

              Without the pretext of WMDs, there would have been no invasion of Iraq. Then the dope declared Mission Accomplished after two weeks of a war that lasted over 10 years.

              Why do you think Republicans don't even invite him to their conventions? The guy doesn't even travel internationally for fear of being detained for a war criminal trial.

              • 6 votes
              #7.3 - Thu Dec 20, 2012 2:03 AM EST
              Reply

              It will be minor league for Hillary talking with these idiots.

              • 5 votes
              Reply#8 - Wed Dec 19, 2012 11:21 PM EST

              He wants,,lmao

              He gets sheet.loser

              • 3 votes
              Reply#9 - Wed Dec 19, 2012 11:23 PM EST

              Fawk this old redneck coc sucker

              • 1 vote
              Reply#10 - Wed Dec 19, 2012 11:24 PM EST

              After Obama,

              Look forward to Hillary.

              • 2 votes
              Reply#11 - Wed Dec 19, 2012 11:25 PM EST

              maybe sen porker should ask his fellow republicans why they cut funding for embassy security.

              • 4 votes
              Reply#12 - Wed Dec 19, 2012 11:26 PM EST

              The State Dept. said that money was not the issue here.....but don't let facts get in the way of your narrative there "warped"

              • 1 vote
              #12.1 - Wed Dec 19, 2012 11:42 PM EST

              i am not defending what happened. it is the hypocritical attitude of mr mcain (still sore he lost in2008) and the republican party( still sore they lost again in 2012). they never questioned the embassy attacks under bush. so why are they so concerned now. If they showed the same concern during the bush administration then i would have no problem with their hypocritical concern now.

              • 6 votes
              #12.2 - Thu Dec 20, 2012 12:27 AM EST
              Reply

              I do have sympathy for the families of those that died, but the people involved knew what they were in for when they accepted their jobs. It should not be all gravy train parties. Things were heating up and they all had options to leave. They didn't.

              Clinton does not and has not run from difficult situations. She may not give tons of media coverage for her work, but she works hard, she is quite savvy in politics and knows where the bear poops.

              Anyone else notice how poorly she looks the last cpl months? THE WOMAN is running herself ragged because of butts wipes from others countries plus those in the Washington trying to make names for themselves.. They should be ashamed. She has more wisdom in her little pinky then almost all of them put together.

              She has given her all for more than just the last 4 yrs, she has given it since Bill ran for his first ticket. Suval - 3946679's summary of congress is spot on... and now they rush to finish their little problems for Xmas, but will not give Hillary any time for recovery? They need to be spanked.

              • 7 votes
              Reply#13 - Wed Dec 19, 2012 11:29 PM EST

              If she doesn't testify she can kiss 2016 goodbye..

              • 3 votes
              Reply#14 - Wed Dec 19, 2012 11:34 PM EST

              Yes Hillary - the GOP Senators want to hear from you. It's not a partisan issue. Please ignore that wood cross, the hammer, and the large keg of nails in the far corner of the Chamber. We just want to ask you a few simple questions. It's the only cause we have; since Mittens left us with nothing else to fuss about. We need to take the focus off of the economy and our pathetic job performance. You are allllll that's left to us now....

              Benghazi

              Benghazi

              Benghazi

              Benghazi

              Benghazi

              Benghazi

              Benghazi

              (I hope this works)

              • 8 votes
              Reply#15 - Wed Dec 19, 2012 11:42 PM EST

              Either way she is DONE....people will remember this massacre for a long time.....and Barry-Boy may have to testify

              • 3 votes
              Reply#16 - Wed Dec 19, 2012 11:43 PM EST

              The people know it is a witch hunt. She will have no problem winning in 2016 if she decides to run. wow...16 years in a row of democrats in the white house. D.C. will be flooded by republican tears.

              • 5 votes
              #16.1 - Thu Dec 20, 2012 12:30 AM EST

              trouble

              Your knowledge of politics is a lesson in stupidity. We've had many ambassadors and other Americans killed abroad without half of the scrutiny the Repukes are placing on Benghazi. Typical Repukes overlook all there own party presidents mishaps but never never a Democrat. Hypocrites This is old news and should be treated that way. An unfortunate event but certainly not like it hasn't happened before. Repukes will do anything to discredit President Obama. Couldn't win the election so let's continue to criticize the President and his cabinet members. HOW ABOUT GETTING ON WITH THE NATIONS BUSINESS AND FINANCIAL CRISIS.

              • 5 votes
              #16.2 - Thu Dec 20, 2012 12:41 AM EST

              depraw

              The people know it is a witch hunt. She will have no problem winning in 2016 if she decides to run. wow...16 years in a row of democrats in the white house. D.C. will be flooded by republican tears.

              Yeah, and the country will then be 30 TRILLION in debt and unemployment will still be at record highs. You liberals are stupid as @!$%#.

              • 1 vote
              #16.3 - Thu Dec 20, 2012 10:00 AM EST
              Reply

              It amazes me, the republicans will go as low as they can to try and tarnish the Obama administration. Remember what they did during the Clintion administration. Hounded him and Hillary for six years, tried to implicate them in Whitewater, made all kinds of accusations and what did they come up with: NOTHING. You would think that since they lost the election they would save all their energy trying to get someone who might have a chance of winning the white house in 2016, but the way the republicans are going, they can almost kiss that chance goodbye, especially if they let the country slide off the fical cliff. Last poll I saw said that if we go over, 55% of the people say it will be the republicans fault.

              • 9 votes
              Reply#17 - Wed Dec 19, 2012 11:51 PM EST

              Hi David,

              If I recall correctly, President Clinton was impeached. I also seem to recall that he was debarred for commiting perjury. I think that is a little more than "nothing" as you call it. The Clintons have always been out for themselves and always will be. They are narcissists at their worst and Obama is following right along behind and learning from them.

              • 1 vote
              #17.1 - Thu Dec 20, 2012 10:06 AM EST

              Impeachede for the little blue dress incident, not whitewater. Not as a defense for Mr. Clinton, I don't know of a single married man anywhere that would come right out and admit that they cheated on their wife, even if they had to lie about it. Of course I know republicans would never lie to the American people, not even Mr. Nixon concerning watergate.

              • 2 votes
              #17.2 - Thu Dec 20, 2012 10:22 AM EST

              @Nick-1103170 I see your Faux News Corporate master have programmed you well. You parrot all their talking points with smooth precision, never letting one single stray fact sway you.

              Narcissistic politicians? OMG, who ever heard of such a thing? I thought they were all humble folk just there in Washington to do right by the American public? /sarcasm/ FSM knows there has NEVER been a Republican president who lied...perish the thought!

              How about everyone stop pointing the finger here, there and everywhere and start looking at the big picture. While the loss of life in Benghazi was tragic, it wasn't exactly unexpected. Republicans cut funding for security....they should have seen this coming a mile away! The sad truth is, it is done and over with, and no amount of testifying or finger pointing or even punishment of any and all wrongdoers in this situation are going to bring them back. This is a pathetic attempt for the right to try and deflect some of their post election failure butt-hurt back at the President and his administration, because as numerous people here have pointed out, when this VERY SAME THING happened under Republican presidents, we did not hear you bitching or calling for impeachments or hearings or anything else....because you ALWAYS give a pass to the Republicans not matter what they do. If this same uproar had happened when 53 people died and 90 were injured in embassy attacks, we MIGHT believe that you all had an agenda other than trying to find pitiful ways to keep attacking the President and his administration, but the sad fact is, you only care now because it might make HRC and the Pres. look bad for once.

                #17.3 - Thu Dec 20, 2012 1:18 PM EST

                "If I recall correctly, President Clinton was impeached"

                • Do you also recall is he was acquitted of all charges by a Republican controlled Senate?

                • 1 vote
                #17.4 - Fri Dec 21, 2012 6:42 AM EST
                Reply

                Leaks? Kagan - Petraeus Gave Unpaid Analysts Unusual Access

                http://www.newser.com/story/159581/petraeus-gave-gop-advisers-questionable-access.html

                Civilians Fred and Kim Kagan worked for free in Afghanistan

                By Kevin Spak, Newser Staff

                Posted Dec 19, 2012 7:00 AM CST

                (Newser) – Military lawyers are looking into a strange arrangement David Petraeus had with a husband-and-wife team of conservative think-tank analysts, who served as unofficial, unpaid de-facto senior advisers to him in Afghanistan, the Washington Post reports. Fred and Kim Kagan had top-level security clearance, desks in Petraeus' headquarters, and enjoyed priority travel across the war zone. Senior White House and Pentagon officials were unaware of the arrangement, but many others were. At one Kagan function back in Washington, Petraeus quipped, "There's some suspicion that there's a hand up my back, and it makes my lips talk, and it's operated by one of the Doctors Kagan."

                The Kagans believed the US should shift to an offensive footing against the Haqqani network—and told commanders as much. "It created huge confusion," one senior military officer says. “Everyone assumed they were speaking for the boss.” Some generals praise the Kagans (one says they "did the work of 20 intelligence analysts") but others worried about their Washington connections, with some suspecting they funneled classified info to Republicans. "The situation was very, very weird," says one colonel. "It’s not how you run a headquarters." Even Fred Kagan admits the situation was "strange and uncomfortable" at times. "We were going around speaking our minds, trying to force people to think about things in different ways." Click to read the lengthy piece.

                Civilian analysts gained Petraeus’s ear while he was commander in Afghanistan

                http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/civilian-analysts-gained-petraeuss-ear-while-he-was-commander-in-afghanistan/2012/12/18/290c0b50-446a-11e2-8061-253bccfc7532_story.html?tid=pm_pop

                  Reply#18 - Wed Dec 19, 2012 11:57 PM EST

                  Only the government could produce a report citing "systemic failures" without actually finding fault with anyone in particular. The old "I have a concussion, from a fall, caused by the flu", excuse was a nice touch. By the time she testifies, she'll probably be just a normal citizen, which means we'll be hearing, "I would refer you to page..." a lot.

                  • 4 votes
                  Reply#19 - Thu Dec 20, 2012 12:03 AM EST

                  Nah, Roy, there will be a lot of the famous Hillary-speak like, "I don't recall."

                  • 1 vote
                  #19.1 - Thu Dec 20, 2012 10:07 AM EST
                  Reply

                  We would all like to hear the truth from not only our Commander-in-Chief but Mrs. Clinton. That wish is probably not to be granted due to the hiding and finger pointing that goes on in the Obama Administration when the criticism heats up beyond their capabilities.

                  • 5 votes
                  Reply#20 - Thu Dec 20, 2012 12:11 AM EST

                  newcomr......

                  but neither one of them has murdered 100,000's of innocent people and many of them children in 2 unnecessary wars. neither one of them killed twice as many Americans as the 911 terrorists did by fighting 2 unnecessary wars. (Obama voted against going. Hillary unfortunately believed the lies being told to congress by condoleza rice. maybe condi rice needs to be questioned about the lies SHE told?)

                  • 4 votes
                  #20.1 - Thu Dec 20, 2012 12:47 AM EST

                  Hi warped,

                  Bush isn't president anymore. He's been out of office for four years. You must not have gotten the memo. Get over it. The Obama administration screwed up and their incompetence is showing. It is what it is regardless of your attempted deflection.

                  • 1 vote
                  #20.2 - Thu Dec 20, 2012 10:09 AM EST

                  "Bush isn't president anymore. He's been out of office for four years."

                  Bill Clinton has been out of office for 12 years and Republicans are still whining about him. Jimmy Carter has been out of office for 32 years and Republicans are still whining about him.

                  • 1 vote
                  #20.3 - Fri Dec 21, 2012 6:45 AM EST
                  Reply

                  Hillary Clinton needs to be dragged to Capitol Hill by her ponytail to testify. Sen. Kerry should not be confirmed as SoS until Clinton testifies as to her role in the Benghazi incident.

                  • 5 votes
                  Reply#21 - Thu Dec 20, 2012 12:13 AM EST

                  Susan Rice should be confirmed.

                  • 3 votes
                  #21.1 - Thu Dec 20, 2012 12:50 AM EST

                  She is confirmed. A confirmed liar.

                  • 2 votes
                  #21.2 - Thu Dec 20, 2012 8:30 AM EST

                  "Hillary Clinton needs to be dragged to Capitol Hill by her ponytail to testify."

                  Be careful what you wish for Jim. Every single time Republicans in Congress attempt to take on any Clinton, they get their asses handed to them.

                  • 1 vote
                  #21.3 - Fri Dec 21, 2012 6:48 AM EST
                  Reply

                  Pretty simple don't a hire stupid bitch to do a MANS JOB!!!

                  • 2 votes
                  Reply#22 - Thu Dec 20, 2012 12:30 AM EST

                  And with a stupid comments like that Jim and Jack, the republican party will never get the women's vote, but then we know they really don't care about women anyway.

                  • 4 votes
                  #22.1 - Thu Dec 20, 2012 12:33 AM EST

                  jack "plays with himself" thought...........

                  wow.................you just proved that ignorance breeds prejudice. well done.

                  shallow minds drown in deeper thought.......sorry but we are fresh out of life preservers.

                  • 2 votes
                  #22.2 - Thu Dec 20, 2012 12:34 AM EST

                  Years ago,... little jack was dumped by his "liberal" girl friend....

                  He's never recovered....

                  He even went through a "gay" phase.....

                  Sad really...

                  • 2 votes
                  #22.3 - Thu Dec 20, 2012 12:45 AM EST

                  Hey Handy Jackoff

                  Stupid bitch? Shut your pie hole idiot. Hillary Clinton is one VERY smart lady and it would take a total mental midget to call her stupid........ wait you qualify as a mental midget. Do yourself and everyone else a favor and stop showing your ignorance. You're making a fool of yourself.

                  • 4 votes
                  #22.4 - Thu Dec 20, 2012 12:54 AM EST

                  Jack Handy................Condi Rice ?

                  • 3 votes
                  #22.5 - Thu Dec 20, 2012 1:51 AM EST

                  The only thing Hillary Clinton is good at is denying, deflecting and attacking. Same goes for her worthless husband. Lying traitors they are.

                  • 2 votes
                  #22.6 - Thu Dec 20, 2012 10:12 AM EST

                  Let me see now, Nixon did not lie and try to deflect about watergate, Bush did not lie and deflect about those famous MWD's, Regan did not lie and try to deflect about the Iran Contra affair and the one thing they all have in common was they were republican presidents.

                  • 1 vote
                  #22.7 - Thu Dec 20, 2012 10:25 AM EST

                  Pretty simple don't a hire stupid bitch to do a MANS JOB!!!

                  Republicans nationally: "Waah, waah. Why can't we win elections, we demonized women, and blacks, and hispanics, and anyone not rich for so long, WAAH. WHY CAN'T WE WIN!!"

                  • 1 vote
                  #22.8 - Thu Dec 20, 2012 1:17 PM EST
                  Reply

                  Wow... Apparently the "birther" crowd has found yet another non-issue to sink their collective teeth into...

                  Which of course, means,.. we get to laugh at birthers some more !!!!

                  Thanks....

                  • 7 votes
                  Reply#23 - Thu Dec 20, 2012 12:32 AM EST

                  I agree, the RWNJ's here are desperate for an issue...ANY issue.....to occupy their simple minds. Laughing at them is all that we have left....as the majority of their simpleton candidates were blown out in the 2012 election.

                  The entire Right is in total disarray. They are laughable.

                  Keep banging that Benghazi drum, morons. Hopefully you'll soon go deaf.

                  • 6 votes
                  #23.1 - Thu Dec 20, 2012 12:41 AM EST

                  ....as the majority of their simpleton candidates were blown out in the 2012 election.

                  Hmm, I guess you like to conveniently ignore that the House is still controlled comfortably by a Republican majority. I also seem to remember Obama winning each of the swing states by 2%. Get a false sense of security much? It will make Republican victories in 2014 and 2016 even more sweet when your asses get stomped.

                  • 1 vote
                  #23.2 - Thu Dec 20, 2012 10:15 AM EST

                  It will make Republican victories in 2014 and 2016 even more sweet when your asses get stomped.

                  Where have I heard this before? Oh yeah, in the run up to the 2012 elections! That's where!

                  Yeah, and we all see how that one turned out. Newsflash, the public ain't buying the @!$%# your selling anymore...

                  • 1 vote
                  #23.3 - Thu Dec 20, 2012 1:19 PM EST

                  Whatever you need to tell yourself to get through the night, Nick....he won all the states with enough of a majority that he's President elect again and you all got sent home with your tails between your legs...again. Enjoy that comfortable majority in the House....it'll be the last Republican majority ANYTHING in this country if the right doesn't change their played out old tune anytime soon. Also, since the President isn't going to have to worry about re-election, I don't think that majority will matter one whit if they try and stop him from setting things right in the next four years.

                  I know this will fall on deaf ears and an atrophied brain, but if you think that all of the crap W caused just up and disappeared when he left office, you're even more hopeless than we previously thought. You want to keep harping on the deficit and the jobs and whatnot, FINE....just remember that it all did not just appear out of thin air in 2009. I know it would go against your strongly held political tenet to never be swayed by a fact, but even a LITTLE bit of research from politically neutral sites have and will disprove most of the pap you Faux News watchers try to peddle here.

                    #23.4 - Thu Dec 20, 2012 1:30 PM EST
                    Reply

                    Rots of ruck - Democrat's are running from the true issues, and could care less! Democrats believe that our Diplomats, and Military, are expendable! {:-(}

                    • 3 votes
                    Reply#24 - Thu Dec 20, 2012 12:52 AM EST

                    gary.............

                    What administration got more American Military men killed than the number of Americans killed by the 911 terrorists? Please answer that question for me.

                    What administration ignored signs of the 911 attack just 2 months before it happened? Please answer that question for me.

                    What administration had 53 deaths and 90 injuries attributed to embassy attacks? Please answer that question for me.

                    • 4 votes
                    #24.1 - Thu Dec 20, 2012 12:59 AM EST

                    Gary Gary Gary

                    Are you high or drunk? Wasn't it Georgie Jr. and Slick Dick Cheney that started two major wars at the same time? Oh I guess you forgot that. Repukes always forget history that makes them look bad. Ronald Reagan was a master at it and he's the #1 Repukelican icon. Remember when Ronnie sent our Marines to Lebanon and 244 were slaughtered my a single car bomb. Two days later he pulled the remainder of the troops out. Must have been really important that they were sent into the middle of a civil war in the first place. Repukelicans have tunnel vision. It's okay you're just another brainwashed Repukelican and as usual not a very smart one.

                    • 2 votes
                    #24.2 - Thu Dec 20, 2012 1:14 AM EST
                    Reply

                    I have yet to understand why the GOPs are making this molehill into a mountain. Politics, perhaps? Naw..............!

                    • 5 votes
                    Reply#25 - Thu Dec 20, 2012 1:00 AM EST

                    Try FOUR DEAD AMERICANS who were left to be SLAUGHTERED. May Hussein, Hillary and Panetta get the same treatment when their time comes. Hopefully SOON!

                    • 2 votes
                    #25.1 - Thu Dec 20, 2012 7:43 AM EST

                    Hi Jackoff,

                    Just like democrats used the Newtown tragedy for political gain calling for gun control. Zing!

                      #25.2 - Thu Dec 20, 2012 10:16 AM EST

                      Oh Nick and Alan....your fake outrage is ALMOST believable. Google embassy deaths under President Bush (Jr. and senior) and get back to us when you're outrage goes far enough to be fair and balanced....or will you tell us that it doesn't matter, or that we're just deflecting? Because you would know ALL about deflection, wouldn't you? You all just expect us to bury our heads in the sand like you and forget about that 8 years of hell and Americans dying for a BS war, and embassy deaths that took 16 times the lives as the one in Benghazi. Sorry, I like my truths undiluted by politics and BS and I take it head on, even if it doesn't make Democrats look good. This isn't about being bi-partisan or trying to play the blame game. But frankly, we have bigger fish to fry right now than an embassy attack. People dying there was tragic and unnecessary, but that's the game. You want to put an embassy in a developing country that hates us? Be prepared for a little fighting and death. And cut the fake outrage....it's pathetic and EVERYONE can see right through it!

                      • 2 votes
                      #25.4 - Thu Dec 20, 2012 1:46 PM EST

                      "I have yet to understand why the GOPs are making this molehill into a mountain."

                      Because the GOP is now run by talk radio fanatics, conspiracy theorist, survivalist goof-balls, and the craziest of the right wing crazies.

                      • 1 vote
                      #25.5 - Fri Dec 21, 2012 6:53 AM EST
                      Reply
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