House votes to establish select committee on Benghazi

[Londoner]

You don't think the GOP is just playing politics, huh?

Everyone knows they're playing politics. The Republican House voted to defund security for Benghazi and other diplomatic assets. It's on the record, but FOX News and Rush Limbaugh haven't reported it - so the lemmings here don't know about it. They just repeat the talking points they're given.

 

[tinydancer]

The source is "The Gateway Pundit" and there is no proof of what it claims only a screen shot of a page that makes no mention of contributions. hhmmmm....

The direct quote is from the Examiner. It's real. Just deal with it. Re: contributions did you even read this quote?

Team Obama still raising money--off Sandy Hook shootings | WashingtonExaminer.com

Organizing for Action is a website by OFA. The information about Sandy Hook is on a frame page where the top frame has donate alone with login, signup, and other stuff that is shown all the time. Now I have to look this stuff up because you and your source are too sleazy, lazy, and dishonest to present the truth, oh the irony in that. You say, "they do it too." But we do not do it too. We are not lying, sleazy, scum like you. You have the monopoly on that one.


What is OFA?

Organizing for Action is the grassroots movement built by millions of Americans to pass the agenda we voted for in 2012.

Oh bite me. Give me a break that OFA is a grassroots movement. Who's name is on this?

Why David Axelrod. Is he not a highly influential Democrat? Axelrod is not a name one associates with grass roots.

Was he not tied at the hip to Obama and his campaigns? Intimately involved?

Don't try to run down shit on me.

 

[RandomVariable]

The direct quote is from the Examiner. It's real. Just deal with it. Re: contributions did you even read this quote?

Team Obama still raising money--off Sandy Hook shootings | WashingtonExaminer.com

Organizing for Action is a website by OFA. The information about Sandy Hook is on a frame page where the top frame has donate alone with login, signup, and other stuff that is shown all the time. Now I have to look this stuff up because you and your source are too sleazy, lazy, and dishonest to present the truth, oh the irony in that. You say, "they do it too." But we do not do it too. We are not lying, sleazy, scum like you. You have the monopoly on that one.


What is OFA?

Organizing for Action is the grassroots movement built by millions of Americans to pass the agenda we voted for in 2012.

Oh bite me. Give me a break that OFA is a grassroots movement. Who's name is on this?

Why David Axelrod. Is he not a highly influential Democrat? Axelrod is not a name one associates with grass roots.

Was he not tied at the hip to Obama and his campaigns? Intimately involved?

Don't try to run down shit on me.

Are you changing your story or do you still have no idea what you are talking about or both?

 

[Londoner]

"Paul Ryan, [Rep. Darrell] Issa and other House Republicans voted for an amendment in 2009 to cut $1.2 billion from State operations, including funds for 300 more diplomatic security positions. Under Ryan’s budget, non-defense discretionary spending, which includes State Department funding, would be slashed nearly 20 percent in 2014, which would translate to more than $400 million in additional cuts to embassy security [including BENGHAZI]"

 

[tinydancer]

Organizing for Action is a website by OFA. The information about Sandy Hook is on a frame page where the top frame has donate alone with login, signup, and other stuff that is shown all the time. Now I have to look this stuff up because you and your source are too sleazy, lazy, and dishonest to present the truth, oh the irony in that. You say, "they do it too." But we do not do it too. We are not lying, sleazy, scum like you. You have the monopoly on that one.


What is OFA?

Organizing for Action is the grassroots movement built by millions of Americans to pass the agenda we voted for in 2012.

Oh bite me. Give me a break that OFA is a grassroots movement. Who's name is on this?

Why David Axelrod. Is he not a highly influential Democrat? Axelrod is not a name one associates with grass roots.

Was he not tied at the hip to Obama and his campaigns? Intimately involved?

Don't try to run down shit on me.

Are you changing your story or do you still have no idea what you are talking about or both?

Organizing for America was never a grassroots organization. The DNC was instrumental in founding and running it.

Now they've become Organizing for Action. Messina and Michelle kicked that off after the Inauguration.

It's completely tied to the WH. Get a grip. Carson heads it up. Left the WH to do so and Axelrod is a consultant.


Executive Director: Jon Carson (former White House Director of Public Engagement, 2008)
Senior Advisor: Adrian Saenz (former Obama for America National Latino Vote Director, 2012)
National Organizing Director: Sara El-Amine (former Obama for America National Training Director, 2012; former Obama for America Virgina GOTV Director, 2012)
Director of Issue Campaigns: Lindsay Siler (former Obama for America North Carolina State Director, 2012)
Immigration Reform Campaign Manager: Emmy Ruiz (former Obama for America Nevada General Election Director, 2012)
National Data Manager: Matthew Phillips (former Obama for America Pennsylvania Deputy Data Director, 2012)


Organizing for Action - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[Nyvin]

The WH raised money over the Newtown Massacre.

As to the 7 investigations? That means jack shit because the WH was still stonewalling Congress on information that they subpoenaed.

Judicial Watch who has been suing under the FOIA has just over the past few months been winning in court to get the information the WH wouldn't put out there.

All sorts of new evidence.

This is called obstructing Congress. With the Select Committee there is no fooling around.

None of the newly released emails were requested by any Issa investigation.

And it really doesn't matter because the entire premise on Benghazi is flawed from the get go since.....we still don't know exactly what happened!!

Benghazi was a war zone, there was no functional government in Libya and for days after the attack no investigations at the location were done. No one has been prosecuted for the attacks themselves and none of the attackers have been clearly identified.

Any "new evidence" that comes out will just be more or less people taking educated guesses as to what was going on, nothing will be conclusive since nothing about Benghazi is conclusive even today.

It's just an endless chase that's done for political gain. They've had seven investigations and a year and a half already.....It's not going to lead anywhere.

I guess you missed the testimony of Secretary of Defense Panetta and General Ham. That was just released in January of this year.

They testified that they knew immediately and without a doubt that this was a terror attack.

And they were the ones that briefed the President. Their testimony is now out there.

Regarding Libya. Mmmmmm some one really freaking dropped the ball to allow a Libyan militia to be the guardians at the consulate.

I'd love to know who authorized the militia.

I mean what could possibly go wrong?

Do you know that the night of the raid the CIA couldn't get the militia to respond to the attack?

Do you know that when the rescue team arrived and landed they had to haggle with locals to get them to the the Consulate?

If all this comes down to is the talking points to the media about a video and demonstrations then everything has already been said.

Yes...they said it was caused by a video, OMFG, that's so amazing. That's been brought up more then 10,000 times already.

Tell me, would John Stevens still be alive if Obama went on national television and said "This was a planned terrorist attack from Al'qaeda" after the event?

In all honesty the PR people in Obama's administration were probably trying to minimize damage from the event, and yeah, that's kinda bad. But really....eight investigations into this? Thousands of pages of data collected? For editing talking points after the event happened? It's just ridiculous.

If that's all that they have going for them with this "scandal" it's really sad.

 

[Geaux4it]

 

[tinydancer]

"Paul Ryan, [Rep. Darrell] Issa and other House Republicans voted for an amendment in 2009 to cut $1.2 billion from State operations, including funds for 300 more diplomatic security positions. Under Ryan’s budget, non-defense discretionary spending, which includes State Department funding, would be slashed nearly 20 percent in 2014, which would translate to more than $400 million in additional cuts to embassy security [including BENGHAZI]"

Oh give it up. Apart from the basic fact that not one idiot could figure out that they could move personnel from other very secure embassies around the world the security budget was still more than in 2008.

It was just a reduction in the "increase".

 

[jillian]

"Paul Ryan, [Rep. Darrell] Issa and other House Republicans voted for an amendment in 2009 to cut $1.2 billion from State operations, including funds for 300 more diplomatic security positions. Under Ryan’s budget, non-defense discretionary spending, which includes State Department funding, would be slashed nearly 20 percent in 2014, which would translate to more than $400 million in additional cuts to embassy security [including BENGHAZI]"

Oh give it up. Apart from the basic fact that not one idiot could figure out that they could move personnel from other very secure embassies around the world the security budget was still more than in 2008.

It was just a reduction in the "increase".

benghaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaazzzzzzzzzzzzziiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii

 

[tinydancer]

None of the newly released emails were requested by any Issa investigation.

And it really doesn't matter because the entire premise on Benghazi is flawed from the get go since.....we still don't know exactly what happened!!

Benghazi was a war zone, there was no functional government in Libya and for days after the attack no investigations at the location were done. No one has been prosecuted for the attacks themselves and none of the attackers have been clearly identified.

Any "new evidence" that comes out will just be more or less people taking educated guesses as to what was going on, nothing will be conclusive since nothing about Benghazi is conclusive even today.

It's just an endless chase that's done for political gain. They've had seven investigations and a year and a half already.....It's not going to lead anywhere.

I guess you missed the testimony of Secretary of Defense Panetta and General Ham. That was just released in January of this year.

They testified that they knew immediately and without a doubt that this was a terror attack.

And they were the ones that briefed the President. Their testimony is now out there.

Regarding Libya. Mmmmmm some one really freaking dropped the ball to allow a Libyan militia to be the guardians at the consulate.

I'd love to know who authorized the militia.

I mean what could possibly go wrong?

Do you know that the night of the raid the CIA couldn't get the militia to respond to the attack?

Do you know that when the rescue team arrived and landed they had to haggle with locals to get them to the the Consulate?

If all this comes down to is the talking points to the media about a video and demonstrations then everything has already been said.

Yes...they said it was caused by a video, OMFG, that's so amazing. That's been brought up more then 10,000 times already.

Tell me, would John Stevens still be alive if Obama went on national television and said "This was a planned terrorist attack from Al'qaeda" after the event?

In all honesty the PR people in Obama's administration were probably trying to minimize damage from the event, and yeah, that's kinda bad. But really....eight investigations into this? Thousands of pages of data collected? For editing talking points after the event happened? It's just ridiculous.

If that's all that they have going for them with this "scandal" it's really sad.

The "video" talking point was a deliberate lie to protect Obama with only weeks left to the election.

Remember? Obama had vanquished Al Qaeda. They were squashed. In their death throes. He was campaigning on his success of knocking out terrorism.

So a mega terrorist attack that was complex and extremely well organized would contradict the "Osama is dead GM is alive" election pitch wouldn't it now?

A lie to the American people. It was also a deliberate lie to protect the next candidate Hilary Clinton for her and her subordinates failure to provide adequate security after multiple warnings and repeated requests for security by Ambassador Stevens.

Victoria Nuland's panicked emails confirm this. She did not want terrorism mentioned.

 

[tinydancer]

"Paul Ryan, [Rep. Darrell] Issa and other House Republicans voted for an amendment in 2009 to cut $1.2 billion from State operations, including funds for 300 more diplomatic security positions. Under Ryan’s budget, non-defense discretionary spending, which includes State Department funding, would be slashed nearly 20 percent in 2014, which would translate to more than $400 million in additional cuts to embassy security [including BENGHAZI]"

Oh give it up. Apart from the basic fact that not one idiot could figure out that they could move personnel from other very secure embassies around the world the security budget was still more than in 2008.

It was just a reduction in the "increase".

benghaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaazzzzzzzzzzzzziiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii

You're in Politics. Don't troll. Remember the rules now. If you don't like the thread, get the hell out of it.

 

[protectionist]

I'm a registered Independent. I've slammed Democrats and Republicans both, plenty of times for what I think they've done wrong in the past, and these are all right here in this forum. On Benghazi, I think the Democrats are up the creek without a paddle.
I don't think the Republicans are just trying to get political gain, and they have a very valid issue here that demands real answers.

Wow...you know things the rest of the world hasn't discovered as of yet. Amazing.

Your posts alone shows you have bias since "Democrats" as a whole had no influence on Benghazi. It's the Obama administration and arguably Hillary Clinton that would be up the creek saying anything really happened.

So you hadn't notice that Hillary and the Obama administration are Democrats ? This isn't a Democrat vs. Republican thing. Iit's an important matter that needs to have ALL the facts brought out, and then, determinations can be made what to do.

One thing that needs to be done though that there's no question about, is the guys who did this need to be caught and punished. And together with that, is the question of why so little has been done regarding that.

 

[tinydancer]

Old Jimmeh is going to his grave happy!

 

[protectionist]

No one can even name a crime that might have been committed.

When the facts come out, THEY will name the crimes and criminals.

 

[protectionist]

Seven investigations have already happened. Seven.

Over the course of about a year and a half....Seven investigations.

How in the heck can anyone believe that anything new will come up? It's nothing but political games...heck you have Republicans raising money off of Benghazi...how much more clear do you need it spelled out for you????

Anything new ? If the killers who did this (who remain scott free right now), were apprehended and brought to justice, THAT would be new, wouldn't it ? So why aren't those guys even being sought ? That question needs to be answered. You got an answer for it ?

Also who gave the orders to stand down, and not send in help, while a siege progressed for 8 hours ?

Also, who are these infamous CIA "analysts" that what's his face ( former deputy director of the CIA Michael Morell) kept referring to ? (hiding behind)

I'd say there quite a few unanswered questions.

The killers are being sought.
There were no orders to stand down.
No idea what you are talking about.

HA HA HA. The killers photographs were shown on international TV weeks ago. Sought ? There's not search period. Nobody's gong after them. If you have some evidence of anybody going to Libya to get them, let's hear it.

On 26 October 2012, Fox News reported "urgent requests for military back-up" from those on the ground during the attacks on the U.S. mission in Benghazi were turned down by the CIA:
Fox News has learned from sources who were on the ground in Benghazi that an urgent request from the CIA annex for military back-up during the attack on the U.S. consulate and subsequent attack several hours later on the annex itself was denied by the CIA chain of command — who also told the CIA operators twice to "stand down" rather than help the ambassador's team when shots were heard at approximately 9:40 p.m. in Benghazi on Sept. 11.

Former Navy SEAL Tyrone Woods was part of a small team who was at the CIA annex about a mile from the U.S. consulate where Ambassador Chris Stevens and his team came under attack. When he and others heard the shots fired, they informed their higher-ups at the annex to tell them what they were hearing and requested permission to go to the consulate and help out. They were told to "stand down," according to sources familiar with the exchange. Soon after, they were again told to "stand down."

According to a Fox News report by Jennifer Griffin, former Navy Seals Ty Woods and Glen Doherty (who were later killed), were ordered to stand down three times following calls during the attack. The first two times occurred soon after they heard initial shots fired, informed higher-ups at the CIA annex, and requested permission to go to the consulate to help out. However, they ignored those orders and made their way to the consulate, which by that time was on fire. The rescue team then returned to the CIA annex about midnight after evacuating those who remained at the consulate and retrieving the body of Sean Smith. They had not succeeded in locating Ambassador Stevens.

Woods and Doherty called again for military support as they began to take on gunfire at the annex. Again, the request was denied. According to those present at the compound, there were no communications problems at the annex, and the team was in constant radio contact with headquarters. Ty Woods was manning a machine gun on the annex roof at the time. He painted a targeting laser on the enemy mortar that later killed him after calling for support from a Spectre gunship that never arrived.

The fighting at the CIA annex lasted for more than four hours. That provided plenty of time for American aircraft and commandos based at our Sigonella Air base in Italy 480 miles away to intervene.

Two separate Special Operations forces were instructed to stand down. Senior military and intelligence sources informed Fox News that a force specializing in counterterrorism rescues which was already in place at Sigonella could have reached Benghazi within less than two hours. The other team had previously operated in Central Europe, and was being moved to Sigonella.

Old saying >> proof is in the pudding. Military professionals ready to respond to anything. It's what they do. But they didn't.

 

[Interpol]

It's pretty safe to say that this Benghazi committee investigation exists only to motivate the Republican base to get the vote out in the fall.

It has grown tiresome to hear some Republicans ask questions that were answered and settled long ago, like how Rice said what she said on t.v. because that's what Patreus and the CIA told her to say.

No coverup.

It's just another bullshit issue because to talk about the minimum wage, Republicans would lose. Or to talk about immigration, they'd lose. Or eliminating tax loopholes on corporations and the wealthy in order to save taxpayer money, they'd lose. Republicans have to cling to this non-story, same with the IRS non-story. And on the IRS matter, we have learned that the "Tea Party" was not even their main target; "Acorn" type left-wing groups were!

What a ******* farce for Republicans. The amazing thing is that their brand of stupid actually works on easily-led people who cling to things with a kind of religious hysteria.

But as Obama told Romney in the second debate, when Romney was in the middle of digging himself a grave, "Please......continue".

Grab your popcorn and get ready for another nutty adventure, brought to you by one of the least competent HoR's that we've seen in some time. They just love winning national attention to their bullshit, but once they do, they crash and burn because of how unreasonable they appear to be. So it should be entertaining once the hearings start.

 

[tinydancer]

It's pretty safe to say that this Benghazi committee investigation exists only to motivate the Republican base to get the vote out in the fall.

It has grown tiresome to hear some Republicans ask questions that were answered and settled long ago, like how Rice said what she said on t.v. because that's what Patreus and the CIA told her to say.

No coverup.

It's just another bullshit issue because to talk about the minimum wage, Republicans would lose. Or to talk about immigration, they'd lose. Or eliminating tax loopholes on corporations and the wealthy in order to save taxpayer money, they'd lose. Republicans have to cling to this non-story, same with the IRS non-story. And on the IRS matter, we have learned that the "Tea Party" was not even their main target; "Acorn" type left-wing groups were!

What a ******* farce for Republicans. The amazing thing is that their brand of stupid actually works on easily-led people who cling to things with a kind of religious hysteria.

But as Obama told Romney in the second debate, when Romney was in the middle of digging himself a grave, "Please......continue".

Grab your popcorn and get ready for another nutty adventure, brought to you by one of the least competent HoR's that we've seen in some time. They just love winning national attention to their bullshit, but once they do, they crash and burn because of how unreasonable they appear to be. So it should be entertaining once the hearings start.

Nuland started the push back on any mention of terrorism and now thanks to Judicial Watch and the courts we have a direct link to Rhodes at the White House aka Home of the Whopper.

The Select Committee needed to be formed to force the White House to stop stonewalling Congress.

Obama's crew have been playing "obstruction of a Congressional investigation" at their own peril.

Gowdy will get to the bottom of this mess finally.

 

[tinydancer]

It's pretty safe to say that this Benghazi committee investigation exists only to motivate the Republican base to get the vote out in the fall.

It has grown tiresome to hear some Republicans ask questions that were answered and settled long ago, like how Rice said what she said on t.v. because that's what Patreus and the CIA told her to say.

No coverup.

It's just another bullshit issue because to talk about the minimum wage, Republicans would lose. Or to talk about immigration, they'd lose. Or eliminating tax loopholes on corporations and the wealthy in order to save taxpayer money, they'd lose. Republicans have to cling to this non-story, same with the IRS non-story. And on the IRS matter, we have learned that the "Tea Party" was not even their main target; "Acorn" type left-wing groups were!

What a ******* farce for Republicans. The amazing thing is that their brand of stupid actually works on easily-led people who cling to things with a kind of religious hysteria.

But as Obama told Romney in the second debate, when Romney was in the middle of digging himself a grave, "Please......continue".

Grab your popcorn and get ready for another nutty adventure, brought to you by one of the least competent HoR's that we've seen in some time. They just love winning national attention to their bullshit, but once they do, they crash and burn because of how unreasonable they appear to be. So it should be entertaining once the hearings start.

Nuland started the push back on any mention of terrorism and now thanks to Judicial Watch and the courts we have a direct link to Rhodes at the White House aka Home of the Whopper.

The Select Committee needed to be formed to force the White House to stop stonewalling Congress.

Obama's crew have been playing "obstruction of a Congressional investigation" at their own peril.

 

[asterism]

The probe ensures that Benghazi will remain front and center during the midterm election season, something Democrats say is by design. They have slammed the select committee as a partisan, and unnecessary, exercise.

This says all anyone needs to know about why they did this.

The probe will turn up nothing new. It's all just about keeping the witch hunt alive.

I agree that this is a partisan investigation and it's pure politics.

Just like Kerry trying to run on his anti-war platform after voting for it, just like Hillary bragging about voting for the Iraq invasion and then acting like she'd been duped - even though her husband said this:

Statement on Signing the Iraq Liberation Act of 1998
October 31, 1998

Today I am signing into law H.R. 4655, the "Iraq Liberation Act of 1998." This Act makes clear that it is the sense of the Congress that the United States should support those elements of the Iraqi opposition that advocate a very different future for Iraq than the bitter reality of internal repression and external aggression that the current regime in Baghdad now offers.
Let me be clear on what the U.S. objectives are:

The United States wants Iraq to rejoin the family of nations as a freedom-loving and lawabiding member. This is in our interest and that of our allies within the region.

The United States favors an Iraq that offers its people freedom at home. I categorically reject arguments that this is unattainable due to Iraq's history or its ethnic or sectarian makeup. Iraqis deserve and desire freedom like everyone else.

The United States looks forward to a democratically supported regime that would permit us to enter into a dialogue leading to the reintegration of Iraq into normal international life.

My Administration has pursued, and will continue to pursue, these objectives through active application of all relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions. The evidence is overwhelming that such changes will not happen under the current Iraq leadership.

In the meantime, while the United States continues to look to the Security Council's efforts to keep the current regime's behavior in check, we look forward to new leadership in Iraq that has the support of the Iraqi people. The United States is providing support to opposition groups from all sectors of the Iraqi community that could lead to a popularly supported government.

On October 21, 1998, I signed into law the Omnibus Consolidated and Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act, 1999, which made $8 million available for assistance to the Iraqi democratic opposition. This assistance is intended to help the democratic opposition unify, work together more effectively, and articulate the aspirations of the Iraqi people for a pluralistic, participatory political system that will include all of Iraq's diverse ethnic and religious groups. As required by the Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act for FY 1998 (Public Law 105-174), the Department of State submitted a report to the Congress on plans to establish a program to support the democratic opposition. My Administration, as required by that statute, has also begun to implement a program to compile information regarding allegations of genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes by Iraq's current leaders as a step towards bringing to justice those directly responsible for such acts.

The Iraq Liberation Act of 1998 provides additional, discretionary authorities under which my Administration can act to further the objectives I outlined above. There are, of course, other important elements of U.S. policy. These include the maintenance of U.N. Security Council support efforts to eliminate Iraq's prohibited weapons and missile programs and economic sanctions that continue to deny the regime the means to reconstitute those threats to international peace and security. United States support for the Iraqi opposition will be carried out consistent with those policy objectives as well. Similarly, U.S. support must be attuned to what the opposition can effectively make use of as it develops over time. With those observations, I sign H.R. 4655 into law.

WILLIAM J. CLINTON

The White House, October 31, 1998.

William J. Clinton: Statement on Signing the Iraq Liberation Act of 1998


From H.R. 4655:

Since March 1996, Iraq has systematically sought to deny weapons inspectors from the United Nations Special Commission on Iraq (UNSCOM) access to key facilities and documents, has on several occasions endangered the safe operation of UNSCOM helicopters transporting UNSCOM personnel in Iraq, and has persisted in a pattern of deception and concealment regarding the history of its weapons of mass destruction programs.

http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/BILLS-105hr4655eh/pdf/BILLS-105hr4655eh.pdf

 

[asterism]

Select committee on IRS abuses should have come first.

Bad enough that an organized attack and murdering of four people overseas was, the unleashing of the taxing agency as an instrument of intimidation and harassment upon the American people is an abomination.

No need for a select committee, all the facts are right there. Lerner was bucking for a job with Organizing for America and she helped the Progressive cause. She got caught and now has a pension.