In final days as Secretary of State, Clinton faces Benghazi grilling
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton
In two of her final public appearances as secretary of state, Hillary Clinton will testify today in much-anticipated hearings about the September 11 attacks in Libya, going head to head with Republican lawmakers who have been deeply critical of the White House response to the violence -- and opening the door for controversy just days before the end of an otherwise pacific tenure.
Though her testimony to the Senate Foreign Relations and House Foreign Affairs Committees comes more than four months after four Americans were killed in attacks on a U.S. consulate in Benghazi, political debate surrounding the incident has been contentious from the start. Republicans were fiercely critical of how the Obama administration addressed the violence from nearly the moment the attacks became public, and a handful of GOP senators has continued to make the issue a sticking point in the days since.
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Much of the political controversy has surrounded the administration's characterization of the attacks in their immediate aftermath: In early comments, White House officials -- including press secretary Jay Carney and U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice -- suggested the violence might have been the result of spontaneous protests spurred by an anti-Muslim video. Those comments, which ultimately proved untrue, were guided by a set of unclassified talking points given to Rice ahead of her television appearances. Those talking points, however, were edited to cut specific references to "al Qaeda" and "terrorism" ahead of Rice's Sept. 16 television appearances.
Republicans pounced on the discrepancies between Rice's comments and others, and the ambassador ultimately clarified that there had been "no protest or demonstration in Benghazi" and that "the intelligence assessment [had] evolved" since her Sept. 16 comments. Still, the administration attempted to smooth over the criticism in a series of closed-door meetings with members of Congress. In November, acting CIA Director Mike Morrell and Rice met privately with Sens. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., John McCain, R-Ariz., and Kelly Ayotte, R-N.H., specifically to address their questions about the Benghazi attacks. In that meeting, Morrell said he believed it was the FBI that removed the references, despite previous accounts stating the edits had been the work of the CIA. Morrell later retracted that statement, saying he "misspoke" and that the CIA was, in fact, responsible; meanwhile, the senators continued to rail against the White House for its inconsistencies.
While Rice has borne the political consequences of the controversy -- she had been among the top contenders to replace Clinton as secretary of state but withdrew from consideration in December due to the protracted criticism -- Clinton has so far avoided much of the fallout. She publicly accepted responsibility for both the attacks and the internal failings that led to them, and was quick to begin implementing a series of outside recommendations for ensuring that similar incidents aren't repeated going forward. Today's hearings, however, will test her abilities to stay above the fray of criticism.
According to State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland, Clinton will, during the hearing, answer "any remaining questions" lawmakers have on the Benghazi attacks, and outline the operational reforms she's put in motion for her expected successor, Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., whose confirmation hearings are scheduled for tomorrow.
Lawmakers look for answers on Benghazi
"[B]oth on the Senate side, and on the House side, members of Congress will have a chance to hear what the secretary has to say, but also to ask her any remaining questions that they have on this matter," Nuland told reporters Tuesday. "She will focus, not only on [an outside Accountability Review Board (ARB) report on what went wrong in Benghazi], but on all the work that the department has done already to implement the ARB report, and give a status on that, and an update on the work that -- that remains."
Much of that ground was covered last month, in a similar hearing with State Department Deputy Secretary of State William Burns and Deputy Secretary of State Thomas Nides. Clinton had originally been slated to appear at that hearing, but canceled after suffering from both the flu, a concussion, and ultimately, a blood clot that landed her in the hospital.
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take turns praising Hillary to high heaven, followed by a general question
via which she can blame a lack of funding or say "we're looking into it."
The Republicans ask tough questions, and seem to have a hard time getting direct answers. McCain, after praising her work -- and her feistiness, plainly stated he didn't think much of her answers so far. Durbin, after praising her, claimed Rice was unfairly attacked, and blamed the Republicans for the disaster because they refused Hillary the money she requested. One might think that questions on both sides are coordinated somehow. And, as of right now, still no answers on how and why Rice kept spreading stories we all now know are smokescreens.
At least CBS Morning News Shirley Attkisson is willing to ask the tough questions none of the other MSM journalists will ask. Please note she works at CBS not at FOX.
I know that most of you believe Obama walks on water, but your idol is a man and men do make mistakes. The Administration has refused to answer questions on this event so what are they hiding?
She is testifying now, hope you listen and learn.
As far as the thousands getting killed, wounded, etc in the wars....yes, that is a travesty as well....but are you saying you don't hear any people complaining about that?? Seriously??