GOP Continues to Lie About Benghazi and Exploit Families

GOP LIES and Exploits Benghazi Families

John  A. Smith, Editor/Founder August 9, 2016

 GOP HELD 10 COMMITTEES AND SPENT OVER $50M IN TAXPAYER'S MONEY TO FIND NOTHING    

Photo by wonkette.com

     This is one of those rare times that Democratic Nominee for President of the United States Hillary Rodham Clinton is being "Mostly True" according to PolitiFact: "There have been seven investigations [there have actually been ten now] (of Benghazi) led mostly by Republicans in the Congress" that concluded "nobody did anything wrong, but there were changes we could make."— Hillary Clinton on Monday, October 5th, 2015 in on NBC's Today Show. "House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy suggested last week [from Oct. 5, 2015 article] that Congress’ current investigation into the 2012 terrorist attacks in Benghazi, Libya, is a political move against former Hillary Clinton, and she was quick to jump on the Republican’s gaffe." Read More: Clinton: 7 Benghazi probes so far. 

     What the Republicans don't talk about is how they cut funding to protect the embassies just six months prior. Ten (10) congressional committees have investigated the Benghazi tragedy in the Republicans’ nearly four-year obsession. The latest by the "Select Committee" brought this summary: "The Benghazi Select Committee has now spent more than 7 million in taxpayer dollars in its politically-motivated effort to damage Hillary Clinton. Over the past four years, a total of ten congressional investigations have now looked into Benghazi—and found no evidence wrongdoing [sic] by Clinton or the Obama Administration."  This is a breakdown of those committees by Correct The Record: THE GOP’S ADDICTION TO BENGHAZI “INVESTIGATIONS” JUST WON’T END - Republicans Are Determined to Keep the Benghazi Conspiracy Alive.   

*The following is an opinion column by R Muse*
Republicans have admitted, on several occasions by the way, that the House Benghazi committee’s investigation was a long-term campaign to damage Hillary Clinton even before she announced a run for the White House. The committee’s chairman, Representative Trey Gowdy (R-S.C.) has stated that he found nothing, but still, his committee is busy on a taxpayer-funded Republican “campaign” against Mrs. Clinton. The cost, according to estimates as of last year was approximately $6.7 million and it was enough of a waste of money to inspire a high-ranking Defense Department official to include the waste of money in a letter criticizing Gowdy’s tactics on the Benghazi Select committee. The Pentagon is weary of the three-plus years of several committees’ demands to waste their valuable time, money, and personnel. Read More: Pentagon Condemns House Benghazi Committee’s Wasteful “Speculative” Investigation By Rmuse on Sun, May 1st, 2016 at 9:29 pm.    

     From the Benghazi Research Center here is "Benghazi By The Numbers" showing money, hours, and much more about the wasteful, misguided, and at times fraudulent investigations where the "Select Committee" spent more than $7M and  "House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy suggested last week [from Oct. 5, 2015 article] that Congress’ current investigation into the 2012 terrorist attacks in Benghazi, Libya, is a political move against former Hillary Clinton." The article says there were approximately 252 witnesses, 10 Congressional hearings, 13 published reports, and much, much more. After all the money and time spent they found "0" investigations found evidence of a stand down order, "0" investigations to find evidence of an "intelligence failure" leading to the Benghazi tragedy, and "0" investigations that found any "administrative wrongdoing." Read More: Benghazi By The Numbers/Benghazi Research Center . 

GOP Busted On Benghazi: Voted For MASSIVE Embassy Security Cuts Starting in 2011

Photo by Pinterest McCain asked about Republicans cutting funds to secure embassies

     What the GOP never talks about is their cutting of funds to protect the embassies. The Hill reported as far back as 09/18/12 10:41 PM EDT By Alexander Bolton that GOP cuts to embassy security draw scrutiny, jabs from Democrats . The articles states "Republicans have sought to cut hundreds of millions of dollars slated for security at U.S. embassies and consulates since gaining control of the House in 2011.Democrats are scrutinizing the GOP proposals in the wake of attacks on U.S. embassies and consulates in the Middle East, one of which saw Ambassador to Libya Christopher Stevens and three other Americans murdered." In October 2015 the Reverb Press reported:"

GOP Complaining About Benghazi Security Issues Despite Previously Demanding Embassy Security Cuts

     "It looks like the GOP’s tendency towards history revisionism is continuing to bite the party in its collective ass." The article went on to say " It’s also worth noting that while the GOP was oh so indignant at the Democrats for questioning their embassy security budget cut proposals, we had then-Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney attempting to pin the failures to stop the attack on the American Embassy in Benghazi on President Barack Obama." Read More: GOP Busted On Benghazi: Voted For MASSIVE Embassy Security Cuts Starting in 2011/Reverb Press

GOP Exploits Families of Victims of Benghazi

 

Photo by www.pinterest.com

     “I blame Hillary Clinton personally for the death of my son,” Smith said during a tearful speech at the Republican National Convention on Monday."  Read more: Benghazi victim's mother blames Clinton for son's death . Today, Patricia Smith, the mother of one of the four Americans killed in the 2012 attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Hillary Clinton. Actually Hillary Clinton is being sued by parents of Sean Smith and Tyrone Woods, two of the four men who died in Benghazi in 2012. This after all those committees, money, time spent found "no administrative wrongdoing." Does anyone believe that this lawsuit is anything but the GOP exploiting these families? Read More: Parents of Two Benghazi Victims File Lawsuit Against Hillary Clinton . You can read the full lawsuit here. 

Media Outlets Report "New" Information on Benghazi - Only NONE OF IT Was New

Screenshot of MediaMatters June 2016 article

     Again, after all the money, time, and effort by the GOP they found nothing and continue to lie to the American people as if they found something, anything to prove wrongdoing. It's disgraceful and a waste of taxpayer's money, and time that the Congress and Senate could be spending actually representing their constituents needs. 

"Several media outlets falsely reported that the final report released by Republicans on the House Select Committee on Benghazi contained “new information,” when in fact all of the “key findings” in the report had been previously reported. Committee Republicans reportedly released “embargoed ‘exclusives’” strategically to manipulate reporters into presenting details in the releases as new information." Read More: Media Fell For Bogus “New Information” Spin In GOP Benghazi Report/MediaMatters For America

Where's all the investigations about these? Photo by www.Pinterest.com

     I don't know about you but I for one NEVER want to hear the word "Benghazi" again! 

 

Benghazi - The Facts are in - Republicans Enter "Ignore the Facts" Mode

The reality in Benghazi was Different, and Murkier, than either the YouTube Video Scenario, or the Republicans Claim that it was a Planned Attack by Al-Qaeda Suggests

Photo by NY Times

  Let's be real, we all know that politicians sometimes stretch the truth to say the least. Sometimes they out right lie, which has always disturbed me as far as why they are allowed to use the media to say things they know are false willingly, and without consequence. Both the Republican and Democratic parties often issue "talking points" for there members and surrogates to use whether it be for a campaign, or for a current issue they expect the media to inquire about. Benghazi was one of such incidents that the Republicans were relentless on. They viciously attacked The President, then Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and Susan Rice after she went on that Sunday's news magazine shows. The attacks were premature, in that the facts were not known when the Romney campaign made a crucial error in attacking the President for not protecting the Benghazi embassy while events were evolving. Fox News video from May 23, 2013 They made it a political issue when in fact it was a national security issue that was still unfolding. The republicans held numerous hearings and the attacks continued relentlessly and were still going on up to the time of the NT Times article came out on Saturday. At that point House Intelligence Committee chairman Darrell Issa and those advising him decided he was to go on the Sunday news shows and use their new talking points on how to deal with the new facts, ignore them. Double down on what they had been accusing the White House and the Democrats of, that being everything from cover-ups to negligence to lying about what happened. At this point, after a extensive investigation facts are finally clear, but that won't stop the Republicans in the least, from making up whatever they think should be taken from what actually happened.
 

 "A Deadly Mix in Benghazi" by David D. Kirkpatrick, in the New York Times, December 28, 2013, reveals the actual FACTS about what happened. This has caused House Intelligence Committee chairman Darrell Issa (R-CA49) and other Republicans to enter the "Ignore The Facts" mode.

 Months of investigation by The New York Times, centered on extensive interviews with Libyans in Benghazi who had direct knowledge of the attack there and its context, turned up no evidence that Al Qaeda or other international terrorist groups had any role in the assault. The attack was led, instead, by fighters who had benefited directly from NATO’s extensive air power and logistics support during the uprising against Colonel Qaddafi. And contrary to claims by some members of Congress, it was fueled in large part by anger at an American-made video denigrating Islam.

 Fifteen months after Mr. Steven's death, the question of responsibility remains a searing issue in Washington, framed by two contradictory story lines.

 One has it that the video, which was posted on YouTube, inspired spontaneous street protests that got out of hand. This version, based on early intelligence reports, was initially offered publicly by Susan E. Rice, who is now Mr. Obama’s national security adviser.

 The other, favored by Republicans, holds that Mr. Stevens died in a carefully planned assault by Al Qaeda to mark the anniversary of its strike on the United States 11 years before. Republicans have accused the Obama administration of covering up evidence of Al Qaeda’s role to avoid undermining the president’s claim that the group has been decimated, in part because of the raid that killed Osama bin Laden.

 The investigation by The Times shows that the reality in Benghazi was different, and murkier, than either of those story lines suggests. Benghazi was not infiltrated by Al Qaeda, but nonetheless contained grave local threats to American interests. The attack does not appear to have been meticulously planned, but neither was it spontaneous or without warning signs. Read the entire article

 Yesterday, in an article "Darrell Issa and Mike Rogers Still Think Al-Qaeda is Involved" by The Wire - The Sunday Grind by Conner Simpson, Darrell Issa and Mike Rogers started delivering the Republicans response and talking points. What they did was to ignore the facts, refuse to acknowledge the truth, and out right lie, about what happened in Benghazi and how they handled it. The article said: The New York Times reported local militias were responsible for the attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya that killed three Americans, that Al Qaeda played no role, and that anger was stoked by an anti-Muslim Youtube video. Darrell Issa and Mike Rogers are still convinced Al Qaeda was behind the attack. Darrell's response was to deny that it wasn't Al-Qaeda and that it had nothing to do with the video. It really disturbs me when these politicians just decide to ignore the truth, even after it's widely known, and to use the media to just make up whatever suits them as to what did, or didn't happen in a given circumstance.

 Mike Rogers said on Fox News Sunday that the Times report doesn't square with intelligence reports he has seen on the attack. "I dispute that, and the intelligence community, to a large volume, disputes that," Rogers said, referring to the notion anger over the video fueled the attacks. Host Chris Wallace asked the House Intelligence Committee chairman whether he thinks the report was designed to wash Hillary Clinton's hands of any responsibility. “I find the timing odd,” Rogers said. “I don’t want to speculate on why they might do it.” Really?!

 I guess this is there world and we're just living in it. The talking points and "preferred" version of the Republican Party have always been 1) The attack was conducted by Al-Qaeda, 2) The Obama White House tried to cover-up that fact prior to the election, and 3) there was no connection to an American-made video that had sparked riots earlier that day in Egypt. But now we know, thanks to David Kirkpatrick, the author of the NY Times article that that is simply no way the case. The author says "The attack was led, instead, by fighters who had benefited directly from NATO's extensive Air Power and Logistics support during the uprising against Colonel Qaddafi, and contrary to claims by some members of Congress it was fueled in large part by anger at an American-Made video denigrating Islam."

That should be the end of the conspiracy right? Ooh no, the Republicans want to continue with their version of what happened and tie it to a Hillary Clinton run for President. Why not, just ignore the truth and make it up as you go along. Rep. Eliot Engel (D-NY) on MSNBC Live today said the report is "accurate" and said "many months ago we (the Congress) got a classified briefing that this report seems to be clearly in line with," and went on to say that "unfortunately some of my Republican colleagues seem to be hell-bent on using this tragedy to further their political ends, they were wrong and as this article shows, they are wrong now." 

When Representative Eliot was asked was he surprised by what Darrell Issa said on the Sunday news shows yesterday, he said no, because I've heard him before, he has known he was wrong then, and he knows he is wrong now."  He said Hillary was an excellent Secretary of State and there was a commission that made recommendations as to Benghazi, she not only implemented them but added to them, so it never happens again. He said, in response to "will the Republicans try to use their version to slow Hillary down should she run for President?" "I think intelligent people can come to intelligent conclusions."

I'm not looking forward to all the lies and just plain garbage that is sure to come.