NBC: Obama Defending Susan Rice's Phony Benghazi Story Like A 'Dramatic' Movie Moment

NewsBusters.org ^ | November 14, 2012 | Kyle Drennen

[Kaslin]

Following President Obama's Wednesday afternoon press conference, NBC Nightly News anchor Brian Williams continued his longtime obsession with the liberal fantasy film The American President and his eagerness to compare Obama to Michael Douglas's fictional presidential character: "...the President today almost conjuring the wording of Aaron Sorkin from the movie American President, as will be pointed out all day, really decided to throw down." [Listen to the audio or watch the video after the jump]

Referring to Obama's indignation at critics of U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice, who made false statements about the terrorist attack in Libya, chief foreign affairs correspondent Andrea Mitchell gushed: "This was President Andrew Shepherd really coming through in the East Room of the White House. Because this was President Obama saying, 'If you want to pick a fight with my U.N. ambassador, and blame her for something that was not her responsibility on Benghazi, then you come after me'....It was dramatic. He is angry."

NBC: Obama Defending Susan Rice's Phony Benghazi Story Like A 'Dramatic' Movie Moment

Mitchell continued: "I know from talking to the White House that they are very angry, they feel Susan Rice is being unfairly blamed, that she was working off of talking points from the intelligence community....[that] she should not be blamed for what she said about Benghazi."

Neither Williams nor Mitchell bothered to detail the mountain of evidence showing Rice's statements about the attack, on all five September 15 Sunday shows, to be patently untrue.

Here is a transcript of the exchange that occurred during November 14 post-press conference coverage:

2:27PM ET

(...)

BRIAN WILLIAMS: And Andrea, there couldn't be more going on right now. There was talk of the fiscal cliff. We have no CIA director. Benghazi's still around. The Israelis took out the head of Hamas today. And then, John McCain said that if the President puts up his U.N. ambassador, Susan Rice, to replace Hillary Clinton as secretary of state, she will be blocked, they'll do everything in their power. That's where the President today almost conjuring the wording of Aaron Sorkin from the movie American President, as will be pointed out all day, really decided to throw down.

ANDREA MITCHELL: This was President Andrew Shepherd really coming through in the East Room of the White House. Because this was President Obama saying, "If you want to pick a fight with my U.N. ambassador, and blame her for something that was not her responsibility on Benghazi, then you come after me, John McCain and Lindsey Graham. Don't come after Susan Rice." It was dramatic. He is angry. I know from talking to the White House that they are very angry, they feel Susan Rice is being unfairly blamed, that she was working off of talking points from the intelligence community. And that in her Sunday appearance on Meet the Press, she should not be blamed for what she said about Benghazi.

(...)

[Pigsley]

I agree. He is VERY SCARED. He’s a textbook narcicisst. Very cool characters UNTIL they are exposed. He knows that Benghazi is going to be his Waterloo....this is NOT going away, no matter how many dopey women they try to distract with. That stand down order(s) came from HIM. He knows it is going to be revealed.

I’ve predicted a major meltdown from this creep for a long while. I thought it would come during the election—was SURE he would have been exposed by then—but the media dragged him over the finish line. But, Benghazi is going to be investigated and he is going to have to own it.

Things are going to get ugly, very quickly friends. I don’t know exactly how this ends, but once the Benghazi crap comes out, he’s going to lose it.

[Mike Darancette]

Mitchell continued: "I know from talking to the White House that they are very angry, they feel Susan Rice is being unfairly blamed, that she was working off of talking points from the intelligence community...

Why was the UN Ambassador being briefed by the CIA, why was she acting as a spokesperson for the CIA? She was told that if she went out and ran cover she would be the next Sec State,

[dead]

I was hoping to retire this image last week, but it's going to be hanging around for up to four more years.

[Terry Mross]

God, I pray Petraeus find some patriotism and tells the truth. And I hope he says “I was saying what I was told to say. My military training kicked in and I followed orders. I now regret doing so.”

[ez]

She was sent out for the exact reason we saw today... so Obama could let her off the hook by claming she had nothing to do with Benghazi.

[patriotspride]

With the MSM it is all about access which I am certain is subject to being cut off for those organizations that don’t goose step to the beat.

---

Agree. These are probably posh, look at me , assignments they dont want to lose

[Seeking the truth]

Yep...the mighty Davey will strike out.

[Goreknowshowtocheat]

They were typical “white people” not worth the effort.

[pepsionice]

I believe Ms Rice was the only one in the room of a dozen people who volunteered to take the story to the networks. She would simply memorize what they gave her and repeat it word for word. You have to remember....our UN ambassador doesn’t get inside of the President’s circle on a daily basis. She basically did this as the favor to ensure she got the State Department job...my humble opinion. At present....she needs only 51 members of the Senate to be approved. There’s at least three Democratic senator who probably won’t give her a thumbs-up. But I think she will pass through to be the next Secretary of State.

[Road Warrior ‘04]

As I’ve said before, she made an appearance at the request of the White House in which she gave her best understanding of the intelligence that had been provided to her.

This was on the 15th and as eyeCandy Crowley and Bowbama unequivocally announced at the debate, it was called an act of terror (actually it wasn't, check the transcript) in the Rose Garden on the 12th. Which way is it? Lyin' SOB!

[MinuteGal]

As one TV pundit said last night "when he's without TOTUS the president lets words slip here and there that contradict words he said prior".

Say what you will about Hannity (yes, he drives me nuts too, sometimes), he's the ONLY evening TV talk show host that consistently tackles those virtually verboten issues where others dare not tread.....and that includes my mentor Rush.

Sean is fearless. He can pin a lib to the wall like no one else when the guest spins or doesn't directly answer a tough question.

He regularly has on his show (like almost every night this week) guests who are have caught every one of Obama's slips of the lips that give lie to his own lies spouted after the Bengahzi attack.

You have to have a pretty good memory to be a good liar....and Obama is close because he's an accomplished slickster....but, alas for him, no one's memory is perfect.

As you put it so nice and succinctly, Bushbacker...... he's a "lyin' SOB"...and he's getting hoist on his own petard regularly now.

Leni