Hillary Clinton was tired from travel and coming down with flu like symptoms when the Benghazi situation developed. She was so sick that she handed off to Susan Rice who was given a briefing and talking points. Rice stuck to the script.
Hillary bumped her head and was out of commission leaving Susan Rice flapping in the breeze. Susan was being considered as Clinton’s replacement so she act assertively and confidently, however the system let her down and she failed to ask enough questions.
The next thing you know, weaknesses in the State Department security apparatus is in the news. Communications about the light weight security gets snarled in the election campaign as Obama is riding on his having eliminated Osama bin Laden and having reduced al Qaeda’s effectiveness. Well, that may have been an exaggeration and Republicans sensed that.
So now there is Libya, Mali, Algeria, and more in Africa with which to deal at a time when Americans need to turn off the cost spigot. On one hand, Republicans want to cut spending; on the other, they don’t want to cut defense. That’s politics.
“Benghazi back in congressional spotlight
By Carlo Muñoz
For months, congressional Republicans have been champing at the bit to press top administration officials on how they handled the aftermath of last September's terrorist assault on the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi, Libya.
This week, lawmakers will have two chances to hold the White House's feet to the fire over its response to the attacks, which left four Americans dead, including Ambassador Chris Stevens.Their first shot comes on Wednesday, when Secretary of State Hillary Clinton makes her much-anticipated appearance before the House Foreign Relations Committees. She is also set to come before the Senate Foreign Relations panel to answer questions on the consulate strike.
Clinton had been scheduled to come before the House panel last year as part of the committee's inquiry into the White House's contradicting claims that the attack was the result of a public protest gone wrong.
That appearance was called off when Clinton was hospitalized for a concussion caused by a fall in December and a resulting blood clot in her head. While several State Department officials testified in her stead, GOP lawmakers demanded Clinton come to Capitol Hill to explain the department's role in the Benghazi incident.
On Thursday, members of the Senate Foreign Relations panel are expected to grill Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) on the administration's handing of the attack and its aftermath during his confirmation hearing to replace Clinton as secretary of State.
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