Mark Steyn…
…sums up Benghazi so far:
A terrorist attack isn’t like a soccer game, over in 90 minutes. If it is a sport, it’s more like a tennis match: Whether it’s all over in three sets or goes to five depends on how hard the other guy pushes back. The government of the United States took the extremely strange decision to lose in straight sets. Not only did they not deploy out-of-area assets, they ordered even those in Libya to stand down. Lieutenant Colonel Gibson had a small team in Tripoli that twice readied to go to Benghazi to assist and twice was denied authority to do so, the latter when they were already at the airport. There weren’t many of them, not compared to the estimated 150 men assailing the compound. But they were special forces, not bozo jihadists. Back in Benghazi, Tyrone Woods and Glen Doherty held off numerically superior forces for hours before dying on a rooftop waiting for back-up from a government that had switched the answering machine on and gone to Vegas.
I was reading some comments at a liberal site, and one of them said that the scandal was “all about a memo.” That’s what Obama would have you think. But the memo is actually the least of it.
It will be interesting (in a sickening, stomach churning sort of way) to watch the MSM go into full distraction, dodge, “look a squirrel” and spin mode — with every single move intended to protect Hillary!2016.
We’ll see military people get thrown under the bus, for failing to act; we’ll see how poor old Hil was fed bad information by bad bad bad underlings — you name it, we’ll see it, and not a whit of this will have been that Noble Woman’s fault. Watch for the Sliming of the Whistleblowers to begin, too. SwiftBoaters make allegations against Kerry….hmm, do we investigate the allegations, or do we investigate the SwiftBoaters, and question their motives and their character?
Even if it means pretending to come down hard on Barry; which the party of stupid and most of its registered members will get suckered into lapping up. If it deflects from Saint Hil, we MAY even get some of the MSM to start asking “where was the president – and why did he “disregard” the Secretary’s “forceful recommendations.”
But, its just a dodge, and the sole objective will be to take her out of the spotlight and away from the cross hairs. He is untouchable, cannot and will not be impeached, so — aside from discrediting him and showing him to be a man of zero character — in order to hurt the Dems in the 2014 mid-terms, and to try to thwart his second term objectives (e.g., gun grabbing, his war on domestic energy production, etc.) — this should not be about Barry at all.
Just my two cents.
The only way to have a chance to at least TRY to slow this freight train racings towards the cliff, is to prevent Hillary! from getting the Dem nomination, because from there, she WILL roll to victory. She must be completely and thoroughly discredited and made unelectable by this scandal. I just hope that the Ted Cruz wing of the party doesn’t turn “squish” — and remains relentless.
I remain, as I was after the election – – without any real hope. I think we are done. F–ked, as Ace would say. As somebody (might have been IowaHawk) tweeted — before, the reporters investigated “All the President’s Men.” Now the reporters ARE “all the presidents men.” Only because I have kids in their twenties, I feel obligated to go down fighting.
Good summary. I wonder about the interpretation that Obama did not respond because of the inconvenience that the attack called into question the wisdom of his decision to help overthrow Qadaffi and did not fit his narrative that killing Bin Laden meant Al Qaeda was finished. I think something must have stopped them from responding. Maybe Al Qaeda made an explicit threat to use the weapons they got from the US to bring down passenger jets. Why was the ambassador there on Sept 11? Not to make Benghazi a permanent post as has been floated recently. Maybe to transfer the weapons to Syrian rebels via Turkey, something the Al Qaeda group would find acceptable.
It’s about spin and frame. Their strategy is to redirect the spotlight away from their clients and impose a frame that places the right on trial (as southernjames pointed out), even if doing so means sensationalizing relatively unimportant issues, taking them out of context, and distorting the discourse so that the most relevant issues are marginalized.
The key is maintaining the frame and keeping the spotlight directed on the proper parties.
Seriously, I wonder how this will affect recruiting and retention into the military, the State department and the CIA. Intelligent careerists and potential recruits have got to be looking at this Benghazi matter, and realizing that when and if the situation goes all pear-shaped and it’s politically inconvenient for the President and his appointees – that they are going to be left stranded, by order. Oh, the POTUS and his minions will say nice things and cry some crocodile tears over the coffins for the benefit of the news cameras and reporters … but they will lie, and lie and lie about what actually went down. And those troops, analyists and State personnel will still be dead.
southernjames,
NY Governor Andrew Cuomo. Every bit as much a leftist demagogue as either Clinton or Obama. The left doesn’t have all their Presidential aspirants in one basket.
Sgt. Mom,
“Pentagon May Court Martial Soldiers Who Share Christian Faith”
“Obama administration Pentagon appointees meeting with anti-Christian extremist Mikey Weinstein to develop court-martial procedures to punish Christians in the military who express or share their faith.
(From our earlier report: Weinstein is the head of the Military Religious Freedom Foundation, and says Christians–including chaplains–sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ in the military are guilty of “treason,” and of committing an act of “spiritual rape” as serious a crime as “sexual assault.” He also asserted that Christians sharing their faith in the military are “enemies of the Constitution.”)”
The above should provide some insight into the Obama administrations plans for “how this will affect recruiting and retention into the military”.
They want a military that reflects the recent views of a U.S. Army training instructor: Army Training Material on ‘Religious Extremism’ Lists Evangelical Christians, Catholics and Some Jews Alongside KKK, Al-Qaeda and Hamas
Durbin the Turban was on CBS this morning, saying almost exactly the same thing. He claims that there were thousands of emails back and forth about the “talking points” and that we cannot focus on all of that. We must look to the future to prevent more attacks.
Nauseating, and I could not watch him spew his garbage for long. My wife tuned to CBS when I wasn’t looking.
The question as to why the Ambassador was in Benghazi, particularly at that time and with minimal security, is certainly a valid one. Ollie North was on FNC and commented that Pickering, of the “Report” was Ambassador to El Salvador during the Reagan Admin. He was personally threatened, and his security detail was tripled. Stevens was sent to a cesspool of violence with scant security. Go figure; but don’t ask.
Mark Steyn is certainly one of the best commentators on the scene.
Obama basically sacrificed people for his campaign. Plain and simple. The rest of the crew of thugs merely lied for him. He is the Commander in Chief and President of the US. Our sovereign territory was being attacked and he made no effort to defend or the people who were there.
Shameful. Reprehensible. In a just world, criminal.
The best case to make for Obama on this one is that he really is as ignorant of what he is and is supposed to do as we have said. He may not really know what his duties as President and as a man were in that situation. So he went to sleep.
So he could get up early. To find-raise in Vegas.
No fiction ever written could have devised a President so juvenile, craven and wicked. He is the worst President there has ever been because he is a rotten person.
I just saw a comment at the Daily Beast, some liberal dismissing Benghazi as “nothing” just meant to destroy Hilary! There was a time I could not think badly enough of my fellow Americans to imagine that even liberals would dismiss leaving Navy Seals and an Ambassador to die was “nothing.”
It truly breaks my heart to see what this country has become.
“It truly breaks my heart to see what this country has become.”
I’m with you. Democrats of yesteryear would never have sunk this low. They would be appalled, in fact. They actually put their country first when it mattered.
Burkean Mama.
Said it elsewhere: The libs are going to go to some very dark places; places they’d never have thought they’d see. They’ll go there to avoid admitting that Obama is a screwup and, by voting for him, so are they.
This is a guy who inspires a weird kind of loyalty in a fashion that ordinarily inspires strong distrust.
People are willing to soil themselves morally in order to support him.
Geoffrey Britain: Coumo is beatable like a Kerry was beatable. Yes the press will slime the opposition and shamelessly cheerlead for the Lefty. But in the end, he’ll be just another white northeastern liberal male – and a GOP candidate like say a Scott Walker from Wisconsin could beat him.
But if Saint Hillary gets the nomination – that is the real threat, because it will be An Historic Moment – just as the Election of The First African American was An Historic Moment — we may even need another set of styrofoam greek columns!! How dare you even think about speaking out against this Historic Moment First Womyn President Moment!! You sexist hater! Forget about how Sarah Palin could have been the first female VP and a heart beat away from Crotchety old Man’s seat. That doesn’t count. Just like Condi Rice didn’t count.
I recall how when that hapless goof the hapless party of stupid put up to run against her Highness when she returned to what was her home “in her heart” state, New York, where she had been a Yankees fan her entire life so she said – I think his name was Lazzio or someting – approached her from his lecturn to come to hers during a debate. To shake her hand or say something republicany stupid I suppose. And Her Most Delicate Snowflake felt “threatened” by the gesture. And the media howled bloody murder, in defense of her delicate honor.
Kind of like those strong, empowered, and fully equal womyn of Harvard, turned into Victorian Gentle Ladies and got the vapors and had to be helped to their fainting couch when that sexist hater right winger, Larry Summers, said that boys may be better at math. Gasp. Hand her the smelling salts.
The full court press to get her elected, combined with the full court press to protect her, could possibly equal or even exceed the fawning her predecessor received. Especially since unlike President Teleprompter, she can’t even sound good in a speech, and is exceptionally unimpressive, as she drones on. The MSM will provide all sorts of cover to make her appear inspiring. Because after all, it will be An Historic Moment.
They all know this. They know Americans will be ready for a change in 2016, and will be bored by a Cuomo or somebody similar. They can only bring the Cloward Pliven Train of Destruction home and complete the job, if they can wrap up the house in 2014 (which is goal No. 1 right now, 24/7), and then keep the WH in 2016. They are so close they can taste it, I’m sure. Getting close to rounding third base, if not already past third and closing in on home plate.
southernjames,
Astute analysis, you make a strong and persuasive case. I hadn’t thought of the First Woman (hear me roar!!!;-) President, aka Historic Moment angle. I must agree that it is the ‘killer app’ the democrats need to complete their seditious treason.
I also fully agree that regaining control of the House in 2014 is their #1 goal.
I hope that I never hear this from my local police department: “We’re not coming because we won’t be able to get there in time.”
While who the leaders are is important, more important is who the citizens are. We are the ones accountable, in a self-governing republic, for the situation we find ourselves in. Tell me, have we done ourselves proud in our choice of leaders in Boomer times? Which president adumbrates Washington, Jefferson, Adams, or Lincoln? Instead of focusing so much energy on Obama or Billary, perhaps we should spend more time engaging and arguing with those of our fellow citizens who find these folks so indispensable. If America turns its back on our founding principles and becomes just a bigger member of the EU, it won’t be the presidents who made it happen, it will be us.
Remember when Bubba Clinton went on TV to tell the the voters about the major risks to his presidency Obama had run when he gave the go ahead to the bin Laden raid? How bad it would have been for his legacy if the raid had failed? That is the thinking on the progressive side. You cannot risk a failed military operation that will make your decision making look bad. Bad for the legacy, and all that. It’s my opinion that Obama’s instructions to Panetta that evening were: “Do what you can, but take no risks of a failed operation.” Thus, Panetta and Dempsey (Head of the Joint Chiefs) were extremely conservative and took no risks – even though they knew there might be major casualties or hostages taken.
When it became clear that there were major casualties, the Obama and Hillary realized they needed cover for their dereliction of duty. This led to the immediate, full-helicopter spin job that it was a demonstration gone out of control that was fomented by an anti-Islamic video. With the MSM running with the spin, they were almost out of the woods.
The testimony of the DOS employees last week has resurrected the issue. Even a couple of the alphabet TV networks have started asking questions. There is a chance that the full story may get out. But I’ll believe it when it happens.
We need testimony in the House from Panetta, General Dempsey, General Ham, Hillary Clinton, Victoria Nuland, Mike Morell, Ben Rhodes, Jake Sullivan, Admiral Mullen, Pickering and others to get the full story. Will it happen? We can only hope.
The lives of the powerful and of the wealthy have an entire and different set of rules by which they reason and operate. We project our common values on them at our peril in trying to ascertain their motives and conduct. Though we can, and must, find them guilty.
Said she, famously. ” After all, what difference does it make?”
@ JFM: –“I hope that I never hear this from my local police department: “We’re not coming because we won’t be able to get there in time.”–
Exactly. The fact is they had no idea how much time they had. There was help in Tunisia an hour away. Obama left the victims to the mob. Plain and simple. They were expendable.
@Recovering Bureaucrat: George Bush was such a man. He had great heart and great character. The true measure of Americans today is that they cannot properly judge character, and a virtue-deficient to the max. Thus, they were easily brainwashed about Bush; and willing fools about Obama.
Obama is a charlatan, and a truly wicked man. His stand on partial birth abortion, the inaptly named morning after pill (which does major major metabolic effect to a woman’s body) OTC for 15 year-olds, the ramming down the throats of Americans Obamacare, and leaving Ambassadors to get killed by a mob should be enough evidence for anyone who wants to look at the man.
Boomers, with all of their good qualities, are morally as shallow as puddles. They do not know good from bad, many of them having rejected the very idea that there is even a right and wrong at all. The boomers are moral children. 90% of them could not hold a candle to their parents who were made of much more solid and deeper stuff. And I like boomers (being one myself). But the truth is the truth.
I have noticed the word ‘wicked’ being used recently to describe Obama due to overuse of words such as despicable, etc. ‘Wicked’ is quite powerful. Let’s use it more.
“‘Wicked’ is quite powerful. Let’s use it more.”
Agreed. This is a very powerful column by Steyn. Normally he gets his points across using maximum snark which I delight in not merely because he is funny but because the snark is usually deployed to make some good substantive points. But while there is still some snark here he can barely contain his anger. At one point he speaks of the “depravity” of the administration. And his bottom line is “a failure of character corrodes the integrity of the state”. Some of us have perceived this all along in Obama despite the concerted efforts of the media to conceal it. Will the American people ever finally understand?
Steyn made an excellent point that hasn’t been stated enough: Obama and Hillary did this to their own people – their own employees. If they could do this to “Chris,” then who among us is safe?
The other point I haven’t seen mentioned lately is that they not only punished some random videographer, and needlessly stirred up trouble in Pakistan with their apology ads, but Obama addressed the U.N. on Sept. 25th and used the attacks as an excuse to justify curbing free speech: http://tinyurl.com/9selfty
Steve: “I think something must have stopped them from responding. Maybe Al Qaeda made an explicit threat to use the weapons they got from the US to bring down passenger jets.”
Is this the new standard for protecting our people overseas?
Sorry Steve, you strike me as a Kool-Aid drinker. Always looking for a way to make “dear leader” look good.
Let the facts speak for themselves. The 2 Seals that went to help, like the 2 soldiers that repelled down from helicopters to bring ammunition to their comrades, back in Somalia (Black Hawk Down), knew they were going in Harm’s Way and didn’t flinch.
Oh, to have Leaders in the country and Generals in the military that understood what these men knew- There are some things worth dying for. As Shakespeare said
“Cowards die many times before their deaths, the valiant never taste of death but once.”
I have faith the cowards in the MSM and Govt will find ways to protect their leaders. 🙁
The Left will determine when you die, whether you are born, and how much you get to pay them to keep existing.
Those that thought otherwise, need only wait.