I stand by what I said 2 weeks ago: We were "being played by a political maneuver designed to keep us from looking deeply and broadly into the issues surrounding the Benghazi attack." We were lured into focusing on and talking about Rice:
She was sent out onto 5 Sunday talk shows a few days after the attack, to say something about that terrible video, which is itself a contrivance, a distraction. So make it about the video and embody that in a specific person, whom we never noticed before. And let's yammer about her for weeks and months until we're tired of talking about her, and then — who knows? — John Kerry is the real choice for Secretary of State. Rice was always expendable. She was the capsule into which the Benghazi scandal was enclosed for burial. Once we're tired of Rice... we'll automatically already be tired of talking about the Benghazi scandal, which never even broke!Ah, but the news comes out today — coincidence? — that Hillary Clinton is going to testify on Benghazi before both the House and the Senate committees.
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98 comments:
We were "being played by a political maneuver designed to keep us from looking deeply and broadly into the issues surrounding the Benghazi attack."
Chess not checkers.
It's probably a good idea since where ever she goes people wind up dead.
Hillary! must go on record w/her carefully contrived account so that loose ends are tied up before she starts to prep for 2016...
It is still the Sgt. Schultz war.
Attacking Rice is all part of con's/Rep's plan to win back minorities ...
Forward!
It is amazing how the Right keeps wanting to find a good "scandal" where no scahdal exists. Terrorists attacked the emabassy. Happened under Clinton, bush and Obama. Part of a dangerous world. Last time I heard Rice did not attack the embassy. She is a partian dem that is not liked by the Right so they want to make her somehow to blame for something that is at best a mistake in intelligence. You would think with happily accepting 8 years of dear Georgies funny way with words you could not, wihtout blushing, whine about her verbal misque.
I'm just an average American and I still have questions about why we did not provide more security for our Ambassador in Libya? I've heard blame put on Republicans for cutting funding for embassy security but then why did we had more marines stationed in the embassy in the Bahamas than Libya? And why when they were attacked was the order given to stand down?
It was so unAmerican it hit a nerve.
Hail President McCain and the Huckleberry Closet Case.
Obama should call a press conference and announce that he wanted to pick McCain, but McCain disqualified himself by relaying bad intelligence about WMDs in 2003.
Attacking Rice is all part of con's/Rep's plan to win back minorities ...
Forward!
It's sad the left prioritizes politics over deaths. It's worse they're proud of those priorities.
"I didn’t want to see a confirmation process that was very prolonged, very politicized, very distracting and very disruptive because there are so many things we need to get done." Rice
Translation: I will not subject myself to any analysis of my affirmative action promotions through out my life, that may disrupt others who are going to be promoted because of their qualifications of being a minority. No matter how many people died in Africa or this place called Libya.
By some accounts, she is a multi-millionaire, but she's always been in government service.
How'd that happen??
Was Rice wearing panties when she made the announcement?
Benghazi is where they were basing arms shipments to Syria. Also a bit of waterboarding going on back there in the "annex." All hush hush.
Mad as Hell: I think her husband is wealthy but I had the same question.
There is no chance that HRC's testimony will clarify anything, whether she runs in 2016 or not. Its not in their MO to be truthful whether there is an election at stake or not.
Susan Rice was sent out to tell a story that would help get the real details buried until after Nov 6 and probably forever. The poor black woman sob story was no coincidence, just another chip to play.
so they want to make her somehow to blame for something that is at best a mistake in intelligence
This is correct, but you left out the rest:
"and at worst is an example of an administration deliberately and knowingly lying to the american people in order to cover up for their actions three weeks before an election."
" She is a partian dem that is not liked by the Right so they want to make her somehow to blame for something that is at best a mistake in intelligence."
Nice try but she is a walking clusterf**k. She was involved in the African embassy bombings and lied on TV when the truth was known. A "mistake in intelligence" might explain the lack of security but not the lies after the fact.
just another chip to play
More than just another chip, since they knew they could (would, and did) claim any questioning of Rice was just nasty ol' racism/sexism. (see useful stooge #2 in that regard, Gwen Moore)
You would think with happily accepting 8 years of dear Georgies funny way with words you could not, wihtout blushing, whine about her verbal misque.
Verbal miscue?
She knowingly and deliberately lied to the American people three weeks before the election, purely for domestic political reasons, on all five Sunday morning talkshows.
I wonder what kind of "re-education" is going on with the survivors that the State Dept. won't allow them to give interviews or even acknowledge their identities and whereabouts?
A bulletin from another front in the race wars. The star rookie quarterback for the Redskins (Why are they allowed to keep that name?), Robert Griffin III is not "one of us" because he has a white fiance and "might be a Republican.". His parents are also career army noncoms.
Maybe Susan Rice can play QB for DC. I guess she's black enough.
Robert Griffin III is not "one of us" because he has a white fiance and "might be a Republican.".
He could get away with this if Griffin were an average player. But he's fantastic and everyone loves him. Rob Parker's gone.
I'm in Canada.
We have our own political theater here.
But, I can't believe that you let this stuff happen day in and day out.
You've got media companies like CNN and the NYT and Newsweek that are bleeding red ink and somehow you can't control The Narrative.
What is wrong with you?
Michael K said...
Maybe Susan Rice can play QB for DC. I guess she's black enough.
husband is white, pop is a millionaire banker...
not that I care, but it contrasts well with the rg3 slurs above
There's rice under the bus! O-o-o-h n-o-o!
MSM announcing Rice is out so Benghazi story over, or closes book on it. They wish.
It's coming out and it's not pretty. Security not armed. No shots fired to resist. DOD had live tape also. No order to go in an secure people as claimed by Obama. No pix from WH cameras ala OBL glory road. No answer who started the phony video false front. No answers why Al Queda links deleted. Survivors (yes there were several saved by exSEALS that were killed) are not being disclosed, against normal policy.
News flash: 4 still dead without answers promised by POTUS & SOS.
Andrea Mitchells big girl panties all bunched up.
I am very, very, very disappointed.
NOT.
I am sick of the poodles that run American media/print. I am even more sick of Obama who uses them. I am forever more sick of stupid Republicans who are not up to this game with the media dogs and their fucking master.
Why didn't the Republicans ask the right questions? They were the only ones we could depend on for doing justice here.
May be Hillary will tell the truth and throw Obama under his own bus. Where was he during the 7 hours and what did he do? Start asking that question at least from now on.
So now we get Lurch at State, so we can "pass the global test" (can't wait to see how that goes) and Hegel at DOD.
So the answer to the question asked 4 years ago is, "Actually, he wants to enslave us".
shiloh said...
Attacking Rice is all part of con's/Rep's plan to win back minorities ...
Forward!
Yes, moron, this has only to do with her race.
Or half of it. Of course, all those "low information" (read low intelligence) voters we're supposed to believe got up off the couch to vote for Commandante Zero are about the only ones who'd buy that.
Pragmatist said...
It is amazing how the Right keeps wanting to find a good "scandal" where no scahdal exists.
Yeah, 4 guys abandoned to be murdered is cool, right?
Rice lied knowingly and willingly to the American public (5X in half a day) to serve her masters reelection.
Perhaps she didn't think it through, just got her orders to do misleading partisan spin without question and blindly and loyally went out like a good soldier.
And later, she and her bosses discovered there was just no way any sort of cover or rehab would make Rice acceptable if she faced Senate confirmation hearings and extensive questioning.
Too bad. But when you fall on your sword for the boss...the boss can;t pluck the sword out and redeem your shredded reputation.
edutcher - Yeah, 4 guys abandoned to be murdered is cool, right?
Hundreds and hundreds of "Heroes" suffered the same fate under Bush in Iraq and Afghanistan. Overwhelmed by enemy and rescue not possible or practical without lots of dead rescuers.
Sorry, Cedar, casualties under Dubya were incredibly low.
Commandante Zero, of course, master strategist that he is, tripled them in half the time.
Not cool...neither is making political hay out of it...
No scandal? Lying to us about a "protest against a YouTube video that got out of hand" is not a scandal. For Shame!
Squirrel!
The media have no appetite for the truth about Benghazi. There are a few solid reporters who will ask tough and honest questions, but most act like they work for the white house. For every Jake Tapper there are a dozen Soledad O'Briens.
Again, not to worry Althouse con sheep as you'll have plenty to whine ad nauseam about the next (4) years.
Hey, it's what Reps do best, god love 'em ...
Isn't John Kerry too wealthy to become Secretary of State? What kind of message does it send about the huge inequality of wealth in this country to make Kerry our representative to the world?
shiloh said...
Again, not to worry Althouse con sheep as you'll have plenty to whine ad nauseam about the next (4) years.
Whine, of course = tell the truth.
Hey, it's what Reps do best, god love 'em ...
Really?
I still remember Sore - Loserman.
not to mention "torture" and "The real war is in A-stan".
Speaking of doing best, where do you hide for weeks at a time?
Zeus' mud puddle?
I hope you are wrong professor, but sadly for our nation, you are probably right. We'll have to wait for the history books to be written because justice is unlikely to be done in our time.
I'm glad the liar won't be Secretary of State. It's not much of a victory; after all, her boss still has his job. But at this point, I'll take any victory I can get.
Granpa's cough medicine?
Since Rice is now out of the way, that means Lurch is now the odds-on favorite to be named SoS. Senate Repubs have already said that they'd let him sail right through.
Guess why that is? Because it opens up the Mass. Senate seat for a special election. Hey, the Repubs won the special election last time.
pm317 said...
May be Hillary will tell the truth and throw Obama under his own bus. Where was he during the 7 hours and what did he do? Start asking that question at least from now on.
Yeah, perhaps Hillary really doesn't want to go through another campaign (2016), figures this is her last, best chance to get even with Obama for stealing the nomination from her in 2008, and has decided to tell us all that he truly wasn't up to that 3:00 a.m. call.
A fantasy, but wouldn't it be marvelous if it did happen?
Since Rice is now out of the way, that means Lurch is now the odds-on favorite to be named SoS
Ironic that Swiftboating Rice would clear the way for John Kerry!
We have also stopped talking about "Fast and Furious" (even Telemundo received little traction), regime change, torture (delegated), assassinations, freedom of speech, etc. If there was ever a good reason to keep Democrats out of power, it is their seeming invulnerability to accountability.
About that Kerry Senate seat, YoungHegelian -- the Democrat-controlled Massachusetts legislature has already been discussing changing the succession law back to what it was before Romney became governor. That is, they might do away with the need for a special election and let the person appointed by the governor serve out Kerry's full term.
garage mahal said...
Since Rice is now out of the way, that means Lurch is now the odds-on favorite to be named SoS
Ironic that Swiftboating Rice would clear the way for John Kerry!
Apparently garage has finally realized "Swith Boating" means telling truths about the left they'd rather you didn't think about. Better late then never.
So Repubs said Hillary was going to appear at the senate(?) hearings on Dec 20. Now the State is saying she is not. And she is sick and has stomach virus. All I can say is stay safe. Remember what happened to Petraeus.
Bad bad shit was going down in Benghazi. We dont get to know on this one.
@Pragmatist
That the attack occurred was, as you say, an intelligence failure. Not the first and won't be the last.
That Americans were under seige, under fire for hours and hours at a place less than two hours flying time from a major US Airbase (Sigonella), with no credible attempt to send support is a fvcking scandal and a crime. That the Dems used lies and misdirection (Rice) to hide all this during the election is, sadly, par for the course. Both parties try to do it, but the Dems succeed because of the MFM.
@lydia,
That is, they might do away with the need for a special election and let the person appointed by the governor serve out Kerry's full term.
Yeah, but they talked about doing the same thing before Brown got elected, and they never got around to doing it while he was in office.
Once something is given to the voters -- money, special elections, whatever -- it's very difficult to take it back. I think that changing the law between now & swearing in Lurch would be difficult to pull off even for the pols that inhabit the cesspool that is MA politics.
Re: Swiftboating and what it means to the Left and Right.
The Right burns sinners. The Left burns heretics.
Did you all know about this? An article quietly making no waves at all gets published on Dec 5th.
U.S.-Approved Arms for Libya Rebels Fell Into Jihadis’ Hands
The Obama administration secretly gave its blessing to arms shipments to Libyan rebels from Qatar last year, but American officials later grew alarmed as evidence grew that Qatar was turning some of the weapons over to Islamic militants, according to United States officials and foreign diplomats.
Susan Rice learns the hard way--lies have consequences.
Yeah, Qatar was to blame.
but the news comes out today — coincidence? — that Hillary Clinton is going to testify on Benghazi
Or maybe not.
It is indeed an odd thing that Susan Rice has withdrawn from a nomination that has not yet been made seeing that the present occupant of the office has not announced her intention to depart. I don't remember anything like that happening before.
I think Susan Rice would have been much preferable to John Kerry as Secretary of State, but the Administration did not want to risk sending her up on Capitol Hill for a full confirmation procedure.
There is something really wrong about the Libya war - the whole thing, not just the 9/11 attack - that they still do not want to come to light, even though the election has been won.
At that, the Administration may need to re-think about nominating John Forbes Kerry too.
The Swift-boaters say they are ready and waiting for him!
Gene, you're a fool if you think Rice won't be well-paid for her part in this Kabuki.
Either that or she'll be looking over her shoulder for the rest of her life.
Actually, probably both.
The Swift-boaters say they are ready and waiting for him!
Indeed we are.
I agree Ann althouse that we, the american people, were being played. One of several examples over the last few years. What is frightening to me at least is that our elected executive played us, not leveled with us. It's was all about the election. It was all about Obama. They are not public servants in any sense of the word. We are just sheep to be played, not citizens to be served. It's venal. If this is the new normal, the American experiment may be over.
I don't have the time or interest to debate those in opposition who will predictably bleat yeah but what about Bush, he lied people died. I don't believe that one bit. But even if I granted you that point, so what. That would only extend the playing, not mitigate it. The American experiment would be no less over.
Speaking of fat Christie and that woman Walters (I don't know how she got as far as she did with that voice) -- she asked Hillary, 'won't you be an old hag at 69 if you want to run in 2016?'
This is like Reagn and Iranrgate. It took months to slowly drip, drip, drip out. At first its "Nothing to see, no big deal." Then the rot oozes out. A little at a time. The non-MSM will surface this but it'll take a year or two. Because there is a lot of pissed off people in intel, state, and military who know we could have helped but didn't. And some journalist is looking to make a name for themselves. Not going to bring the administration down; this is going to be sand in the gearcase. There are tapes, transcripts, etc. This it'll come out and leave several forever stained. Rice is just a first casualty.
This is like Reagn and Iranrgate. It took months to slowly drip, drip, drip out. At first its "Nothing to see, no big deal." Then the rot oozes out. A little at a time. The non-MSM will surface this but it'll take a year or two. Because there is a lot of pissed off people in intel, state, and military who know we could have helped but didn't. And some journalist is looking to make a name for themselves. Not going to bring the administration down; this is going to be sand in the gearcase. There are tapes, transcripts, etc. This it'll come out and leave several forever stained. Rice is just a first casualty.
Kerry has the hat. To this day, he has the hat.
hmm, how pissed off will Reps be if Obama still nominates Susan Rice? Rhetorical.
It is amazing how the Right keeps wanting to find a good "scandal" where no scahdal exists. Terrorists attacked the emabassy. Happened under Clinton, bush and Obama. Part of a dangerous world. Last time I heard Rice did not attack the embassy. She is a partian dem that is not liked by the Right so they want to make her somehow to blame for something that is at best a mistake in intelligence. You would think with happily accepting 8 years of dear Georgies funny way with words you could not, wihtout blushing, whine about her verbal misque.
No, it wasn't a verbal misque, but rather, lying through her teeth. It was intentional, and designed to punt the scandal beyond the election.
True, Rice doesn't have blood on her hands, per se. Rather, she is closer to an accessory after the fact, for her blatant lying to the public on 5 news shows to cover up the "crime".
Rather, the blood is on the hands of State and CIA, which, combined, ignored repeated warnings about violence and warring militant bands rampaging around Benghazi, and, over strident protestations, significantly reduced Benghazi security a month before the attack. And, of course, implemented rules of engagement almost designed to lead to American deaths and ignored actionable intelligence about 9/11/12 attacks in Benghazi.
Oh, swiftboarders. That's what the Republican Party needs to be tied to.
Time to break out the purple band-aids! Proud moment that....
And I do not think that Hillary! will recover sufficiently from her "indisposition" to testify about "Benghazi" unless the State Dept. and the Senate first reach a deal about what the questions and answers will be.
So Obama wanted Rice cause she was willing to get up in front of the nation and LIE knowing full well what talking points she was given were not kosher.
And THAT makes here State Department material?
Come to think of it.. yea it does. Selling out citizens who are abroad is part of their job if they are 'inconvenient' to the government.
Since we are talking about the State, let me introduce this guy's blog here. He is quite a good writer and I love reading about the stories of his adventures. He jokes about his small readership, may be there will be some new traffic after this.
Chef Mojo said...
"The Swift-boaters say they are ready and waiting for him!"
Indeed we are.
-----------------
Won't matter if it is an appointment for running diplomats at State. Kerry as Head or Ranking member of the Foreign Policy Committee has been doing that for 20+ years and doing it pretty well in the eyes of both Dems and Republicans.
So he will have an easy confirmation.
What would be a firestorm would be Kerry going to head DOD. The Vets would raise hell about that...but Obama's handlers are smart enough not to want that, and I think if Kerry was offered DOD he would turn it down on prospects of it being incredibly controversial.
What would be a firestorm would be Kerry going to head DOD. The Vets would raise hell about that...but Obama's handlers are smart enough not to want that,
heh, Obama will do just that to poke those vets in the eye. He is that kind of a guy.
Kerry is a somewhat dopey-looking, stentorian Boston Brahmin (wannabe) who could bore a tree stump to death with his speaking style. Pretty much what most Americans assume a top diplomat is anyway. He also knows how to play the Senate game - for all he was a terrible presidential candidate, he was never nasty like Obama. He has lots of friends on both sides of the aisle who will take care of him.
This from Allahpundit:
It was a classic Washington exit: stealthy and swift, with few fingerprints. President Obama didn’t want to be seen as backing down. So Susan Rice — one of his most devoted aides since 2007 — gave him the way out, seemingly all on her own…
Sounds about right. Why does everyone do Obama's bidding?
Cooked Rice.
Self-cooked, in this case.
I wonder if Hlls and Bill see more upside to totally discrediting Obama after 01/23/2013. Payback and Oama can't do a thing about it. Bill saved Obama's 2nd term election. No Bill speeches and Obama rots in the sun.
Hills knows where the bodies are buried. Imagine if she writes an expose about how Obama couldn't make the decison to approve of OBL's murder. Maybe she release new informationtha tthe Bengazi deal was an Obama screw-up. After all once he is sworn in again he's a lameduck. I hope the GOP screews Obama during hte fiscal cliff negotiations and the debt discussions. Let the gov't go over the cliff. Raise everybodies taxes and institute taxes on the 47%.
After all we only discussing how much we wan't to spend on the elder care for Boomer seniors. How about terminating Medicare after age 85? Your on your own sweetheart. Why should Gen X and Gen Y be sacrificed so we Boomers can enjoy La Vida Loca?
GOP War on Women & Blacks! :-)
Hey,it worked with the low-information voter in Election 2012.
You can fool all of the people some of the time & some of the people all of the time & 2 outta 3 ain't bad.
MK @ 5:17
Wow. Thanks for that.
Some guy has determined that RGIII is an uppity [can't write it].
Gee, sports used to be fun & escapism before all the political wannabees took over.
I want a first rate sports comment from these guys not a 10th rate political one.
And yes, when the political talk-radio guys start to give me their NFL picks for the following Sunday, I do turn 'em off.
What is it with these women?
When Obama was elected, there were a number of female Democratic governors and, of course, Hillary who was the senator from New York. Had they bided their time in those positions or run for senator during Obama's term(s), then they would have been in a great position to challenge Biden in 2016. (Really? Is any one seriously considering BIDEN???)
Instead, all of them (except Granholm who couldn't run for president anyway) can't wait to get on board as cabinet officers - a position that is a "been there, done that" position for women. They spend four years doing his bidding and taking heat for him for his policies.
Then we have Rice who willingly fell on the sword here.
What's the political upside for them personally? Most of us - even somewhat political junkies - cannot name most of the cabinet officials. Do they think Obama is the sentimental type who will help them in the future?
Rose
phx said...
Oh, swiftboarders. That's what the Republican Party needs to be tied to.
I think you meant -swiftboaters-right?
Don't like veterans?
Attacking Rice is all part of con's/Rep's plan to win back minorities ...
Minorities cannot be questioned. They cannot handle the criticism.
This, mind you, is the basis of "progressive tolerance".
Last time I heard Rice did not attack the embassy. She is a partian dem that is not liked by the Right so they want to make her somehow to blame for something that is at best a mistake in intelligence.
She lied. Obviously you are OK with it, but when the administration, including her, invented a "protest gone awry", NOBODY involved warrants a promotion.
She also covered up the African genocide in the 1990's so we wouldn't have to do anything about it.
A bulletin from another front in the race wars. The star rookie quarterback for the Redskins (Why are they allowed to keep that name?), Robert Griffin III is not "one of us" because he has a white fiance and "might be a Republican.". His parents are also career army noncoms.
It's funnier when you realize Rush was fired from ESPN for far less than that.
Another reason I do not watch --- but do pirate online whenever possible --- media.
But, hey one plus of all this: I now understood how progressives felt when that dude threw a shoe at Bush.
Any assault on Obama, by anybody in the world, will be a wonderful thing.
Chess not checkers.
It's easy to look like a brilliant strategist when the referees are calling the game in your favor.
"Minorities cannot be questioned. They cannot handle the criticism."
Obama is a minority who gets questioned all the time by inane con media/bloggers like yourself.
And having been re-elected fairly easily appears to have overcome constant criticism, mittens being a total train wreck notwithstanding.
blessings
No, our idiot President answers no questions and virtually cries when criticized. His kneepad wearing sycophants cry racism when people notice that he doesn't really know what he is talking about.
As usual, you are mistaken. And a dullard.
It's easy to look like a brilliant strategist when the referees are calling the game in your favor.
That's called whining. Excuse making. If you're playing chess you find ways to win. Republicans would be better advised to get their heads in the game rather than belaboring the injustice of the results.
That's just a theory I have about winning however. You might think whining works best.
Don't like veterans?
Please do not try to co-opt veterans as a category into your swiftboaters fantasy.
I don't think I've called anybody an asshole here before. And you don't know anything about my relationship to veterans.
damikesc childish name calling and obsessive whining about Obama are duly noted.
It appears it's gonna be a longgg (4) years for dispirited dami ...
"Don't like veterans?"
Typical con non sequitur/deflection.
You're aware that the swiftboaters are veterans, right? Don't worry...your type spat on them for over 30 yrs.
phx said...
Don't like veterans?
Please do not try to co-opt veterans as a category into your swiftboaters fantasy.
I'm not co-opting anything. YOU'RE the one that put the "swiftboaters" on the same plane as "teabaggers" They, swiftboaters, were his shipmates. If any group of people would know Kerry's character they would.
I don't think I've called anybody an asshole here before.
Do your worst.
And you don't know anything about my relationship to veterans.
I know you don't like "swiftboaters"
That's called whining. Excuse making. If you're playing chess you find ways to win. Republicans would be better advised to get their heads in the game rather than belaboring the injustice of the results.
That's just a theory I have about winning however. You might think whining works best.
You can call it whining, but I call it telling the truth.
I can understand why you want to claim it is whining, why you want to deny the obvious: it is to your advantage to pretend there is no difference in the way the mainstream media treats GOP and Democrats.
You can't acknowledge the obvious because you would have to call into question all sorts of bullshit you happily swallow on a daily basis.
But we both know it would take someone actually developmentally disabled to believe that the mainstream news media is anything but the propaganda arm for the Democrat party.
That's called whining. Excuse making. If you're playing chess you find ways to win. Republicans would be better advised to get their heads in the game rather than belaboring the injustice of the results.
Conservatives best move would be to buy out distressed media properties and either co-opt them to become impartial or just shut them down.
Media companies are doing TERRIBLY. Shouldn't be that hard to take over quite a few of them.
dami
Your continued whining, irrelevant deflections and childish name calling aside, I'm a veteran.
take care and try to control your anger re: the 2012 presidential election.
Ironic that Swiftboating Rice would clear the way for John Kerry!
Huh? "Swiftboating" (assuming accurate etymology) is when someone makes claims about some past incident(s) and gets publicly fisked by people involved in said incident(s). When did happen re Susan Rice - or anybody else other than Kerry, for that matter?
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