Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Eugene Robinson: Republicans lead a witch hunt on Benghazi
Washington Post ^ | 05/10/2013 | Eugene Robinson

Posted on 05/10/2013 1:44:22 PM PDT by SeekAndFind

Those who are trying to make the Benghazi tragedy into a scandal for the Obama administration really ought to decide what story line they want to sell.

Actually, by “those” I mean Republicans, and by “the Obama administration” I mean Hillary Clinton. The only coherent purpose I can discern in all of this is to sully Clinton’s record as secretary of state in case she runs for president in 2016.

That’s not a particularly noble way to use the deaths of four American public servants, but at least it’s understandable. Attempts to concoct some kind of sinister Whitewater-style conspiracy, however, don’t even begin to make sense.

The hearing convened Wednesday by Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) produced a riveting narrative of the chaotic events in Libya last September. But what was the supposedly unforgivable crime?

Did Clinton’s State Department fail to provide adequate security for the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi? In retrospect, obviously so. But the three diplomats who testified at the hearing gave no evidence that this failure sprang from anything other than the need to use limited resources as efficiently as possible.

House Republicans who voted to cut funding for State Department security should understand that their philosophy — small government is always better — has consequences. Bureaucrats have to make judgment calls. Sometimes they will be wrong.

Is the scandal supposed to be that a four-man Special Forces team was not sent from Tripoli to help defend the Benghazi compound? This is a decision that clearly still haunts and enrages Gregory Hicks, the former deputy chief of mission in Libya, who sat helplessly in the capital while Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens and three other Americans were being killed at the consulate 650 miles away.

(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Editorial; Foreign Affairs; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: benghazi; eugenerobinson; libya; partisanmediashill; partisanmediashills; republicans; spin; strawman; talkingpoints; waronterror; washingtonpost; whitehousespin; witchhunt
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-47 next last
To: SeekAndFind
As I recall it was Hillary Clinton who told a family member of one of the slain about the administration's intention to undertake a most aggressive witch hunt to round up the video makers.

And she did it knowing there was no protest in Benghazi.

As for the author he nver considered the possibility that the rioting and protesting elsewhere was all a diversion to insure that an obscure little diplomatic station - not even an embassy- would be a wide open, easy target since the admin -which new about the protests in advance- would divert resources to "more important" embassies and away from Benghazi? Did the admin fail to respond because they were assuming Benghazi attackers were just some irate "occupy" youths in Guy Fawkes masks and the US personnel there were exaggerating the danger?

21 posted on 05/10/2013 2:10:16 PM PDT by piasa (Attitude adjustments offered here free of charge)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind

Was Eugene quiet when Harry Reid led a “taxer” conspiracy witchhunt against Mitt Romney during the 2012 election demanding to see his “papers please”?

Stalinists are funny about their mock outrage.


22 posted on 05/10/2013 2:12:57 PM PDT by a fool in paradise (America 2013 - STUCK ON STUPID)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: EQAndyBuzz

he’s insinuating Hillary is a witch.

with that I agree.


23 posted on 05/10/2013 2:14:01 PM PDT by TurboZamboni (Marx smelled bad & lived with his parents most his life.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 16 | View Replies]

To: FReepers; Patriots; FRiends










Free Republic is Our Beacon of Truth.
FReepers post articles 24/7 to keep all of us informed.
Likewise, it takes all of us to keep FR on the air!
Please Make your Donation today!

24 posted on 05/10/2013 2:14:44 PM PDT by onyx (Please Support Free Republic - Donate Monthly! If you want on Sarah Palin's Ping List, Let Me know!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: MrB; spawn44; Mouton
(grooveshark link) careful with that axe eugene (pink floyd)
25 posted on 05/10/2013 2:17:05 PM PDT by bigheadfred ( barry your mouth is writing checks your ass cant cash)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 17 | View Replies]

To: annieokie; penelopesire; maggief; Protect the Bill of Rights; thouworm; SE Mom; Nachum; onyx; ...
What rhe hell business does he have sticking his nose in this?

Anyone wanting on or off this ping list, please advise.


Benghazi Index

26 posted on 05/10/2013 2:18:10 PM PDT by MestaMachine
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: EQAndyBuzz

Ok, I’ll go there...
Nothing to see here because only four WHITE guys got killed...
(I just came from a local grocery store and witnesses very rude behavior from a group of young black kids...I’d be pissed if they were white, too).


27 posted on 05/10/2013 2:20:11 PM PDT by matginzac
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 16 | View Replies]

To: bigheadfred

Careful with that axe eugene

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dx-2e0FL160


28 posted on 05/10/2013 2:20:13 PM PDT by Nachum (The Obama "List" at www.nachumlist.com)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind

Eugene Robinson = Juan Williams

They are twins separated at birth.

May their tongues cleave to the roofs of their lying sycophantic mouths!


29 posted on 05/10/2013 2:20:56 PM PDT by miserare
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Irenic

Haha...good point!


30 posted on 05/10/2013 2:21:58 PM PDT by miserare
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: spawn44

Eugene, if you ever have or are still passing yourself off as a journalist you need to stop. When you put your crap out on front street like this you just prove to all you are nothing but a whore. Mother’s day is coming up Eugene. Do her a favor and STFU Eugene.


31 posted on 05/10/2013 2:25:51 PM PDT by bigheadfred ( barry your mouth is writing checks your ass cant cash)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 15 | View Replies]

To: Nachum

I like the ummagumma version the best (post 25) and thanks.


32 posted on 05/10/2013 2:30:14 PM PDT by bigheadfred ( barry your mouth is writing checks your ass cant cash)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 28 | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind

Like the sun rising, sure enough there’s Token Gene carrying the water for his masters


33 posted on 05/10/2013 2:32:05 PM PDT by A_Former_Democrat
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind

Shouldn’t be much of a hunt. Or has Hillary gone into hiding?


34 posted on 05/10/2013 2:41:02 PM PDT by generally (Don't be stupid. We have politicians for that.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind

Poor ol’ eugene got dropped down the affirmative action rabbit hole and met up with the red queen. His chances of recovery are nil.


35 posted on 05/10/2013 2:46:11 PM PDT by sergeantdave (No, I don't have links for everything I post)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind

Eugene: go Macaca yourself.


36 posted on 05/10/2013 2:52:23 PM PDT by rfp1234 (Arguing with a marxist is like playing Chess with a Pigeon.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind
no evidence that this failure sprang from anything other than the need to use limited resources as efficiently as possible.

Such as the electric-car charging stations at the Vienna US Embassy. Priorities, priorities...

37 posted on 05/10/2013 2:53:56 PM PDT by rfp1234 (Arguing with a marxist is like playing Chess with a Pigeon.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind

Well, when you’re not in Kansas anymore, and people are dying, and there’s some weird artificial guy pulling levers behind a curtain, you need to start hunting witches.


38 posted on 05/10/2013 3:21:29 PM PDT by Maceman (Just say "NO" to tyranny.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind

“The only coherent purpose I can discern in all of this is to sully Clinton’s record as secretary of state in case she runs for president in 2016.”

Then you reveal your own shallowness with your own words, Eugene. Maybe you should not be writing about stuff you don’t understand. Would that be too much to ask, or don’t you understand even that simple proposition?


39 posted on 05/10/2013 3:41:06 PM PDT by Attention Surplus Disorder (This stuff we're going through now, this is nothing compared to the middle ages.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind
THERE WERE, in fact, tumultuous anti-American demonstrations taking place in cities throughout the Muslim world because of the video.

That would be the annual Muslim celebration of the 9/11 attacks.

40 posted on 05/10/2013 3:46:44 PM PDT by sportutegrl
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-47 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson