RSS Feed for This PostCurrent Article

White House Drafted Rice Talking Points

By Larry Johnson on November 15, 2012 at 10:07 PM in Current Affairs

Here’s the news from today’s closed hearing with acting CIA Director Morell and Director of National Intelligence James Clapper:

Fox News was told that neither Clapper nor Morell knew for sure who finalized that information. And they could not explain why they minimized the role of a regional Al Qaeda branch as well as the militant Ansar al-Sharia despite evidence of their involvement.

If they do not know then the talking points were not drafted by someone in the intel community. That means they talking points were drafted at the White House.

How do I know?

As someone who regularly and frequently wrote talking points on issues pertaining to the Contra in Honduras during my time at the CIA in the 1980s, every thing had my name on it. My Branch Chief reviewed it and then it was reviewed by my Office Chief. Then it was reviewed by senior personnel in the Office of Latin America and African Analysis. Anything produced for a policymaker downtown had my name on it. Why? Accountability. The Intel production side of the house–the Analysts–do not get anonymity. Even though I was undercover, my product had my pseudonym on it.

The intel community has not changed. That is a standard practice. If Clapper and Morell allowed something to be produced without knowing who wrote it they are guilty of malpractice and should be relieved immediately of their jobs.

There is only one other logical possibility. The talking points were written in the National Security Council and passed off as an intel product.

  • HARP2

    President Jarret is the one everybody should be asking questions of.
    She thinks she can control ALL departments. Get rid of her and the whole administration collapses like a house of cards.

    • Fred82

      Years back, Yuri Bezmenov spoke of the danger of unelected bureaucrats.

      Valerie Jarrett is causing all sorts of damage and is unelected. In fact, Valerie Jarrett does not even hold an official position. Period.

      Say what one will about Dick Cheney, he was elected and held an official position.

    • http://twitter.com/kmbog kmbog

      To that point did she undergo a security clearance…

    • Eyes Wide Open

      Does she even have security clearance? Forget I asked we have someone as president who was never vetted. He could not even get some jobs with his sketchy background.
      Then we have all those shadowy czars walking the halls of the White House.

      • Fred82

        I am inclined to think that neither Valerie Jarrett nor David Axelrod hold a security clearance.

        • Eyes Wide Open

          Yes

  • Popsmoke

    Why would I not be surprised?

  • Popsmoke

    By the way, if neither of these guys can explain who wrote this stuff. Then they need to retire anyway….

    • jrterrier

      Isn’t the point that it wasn’t written within CIA. It was written at the White House. Why should they know. Doesn’t the info flow in the other direction (CIA > WH).

      • Popsmoke

        Watch this come out as a CIA fuck up… Anyone want to take bets?

        • jrterrier

          It’s pretty clear that’s what the WH is setting up, with the P4 affair, no?

          • Popsmoke

            This just might become the falling on the swords contest…

        • TeakWoodKite

          Well Popsmoke, it ain’t gonna be the 7th race at Belmont…

          • Popsmoke

            Watch how this plays out… CIA sent mixed signals to NSC and DNI so the talking points got all fucked up…..

  • retire05

    I’m not sure that Clapper is lying about not knowing who finalized the information. Remember when Diane Sawyer embarrassed Clapper when he didn’t know about the arrest of 12 Islamists in London, although the story had been the headline in every media outlet in the nation? I’m not sure that Clapper even knows where he is at any given time. He is the epitomy of stupid.
    Morell on the other hand, is not stupid. And he is either lying, or so damn inept at his job that he should be fired immediately.
    These men are simply puppets to Obama. They are trying like hell to keep their jobs, but down deep in their hearts they know that Obama will throw them under the bus just as fast as he threw his “typical white” grandmother under the bus. Somewhere someone forgot to tell them that while they were hired by the Community Organizer, they work for the American people who picks up the tab for their paychecks.
    One other thing Larry might want to comment on: does anyone really think that the FBI would start an investigation into Petreaus without notifing the Oval Office? I don’t think anyone in the FBI would want to take on that responsibility without presidential approval. And if they did investigate Petreaus’ “personal” email history, where is the court order allowing that activity? Did the FBI go to court and say that Petreaus was a national security threat and they needed a court order allowing them to access his private email account?
    Where are all the left wingers who were screaming to the mountain tops about Bush’s supposedly warrentless searches? Was Petraus a target of Obama’s warrentless searches? And if you can search the private email account of the nation’s top spook, what about yours?

    • Popsmoke

      The FBI dude? He is no hero when he decides what justice is… When you take an oath to protect the constitution. That does not mean you get to decide when its applicable….. I will await the OPR hearing outcome….

      • retire05

        Sorry, but it was due to the hard work of Humphries that the LAX terrorist attack was thwarted. Also, perhaps you should check the recent news and not appear so damn uninformed. The FBI agent was investigating a simple case of cyber bullying when the case was yanked away from him. Who yanked it? And why? Was Jill Kelley under investigation before the FBI agent got involved?

        Obama wants to discredit our career intel officers, and it seems with you, he has succeeded.

        • Popsmoke

          But 05… that does not mean he has the right to break procedure violating anyones civil rights, as like the gernerals, because HE thought differently. His bosses pulled him off the case and that should have been enough. But he decided that was not good enough even though the USA and USAG decided that there was no criminality or national security threat was established. But this guy decided he was the entire law. That makes every other agents job more difficult. That is very dangerous.
          By the way, they need to take a bulldozer to Langley and start over…

          • scottymac54

            Pop, you need to inform yourself regarding all nonexistent terror attacks, so you are able to corroborate their existence, if needed.

            • Popsmoke

              You mean the stings we prevented?

    • jrterrier

      AG Holder said he was told but did not tell the President because he decided there wasn’t a national security problem. http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2012/11/15/petraeus-investigation-justice-holder-obama/1707851/

      • sowsear1

        Sure he did ….

        • jrterrier

          agreed. i’m willing to bet he’s taking another one for the President.

          • elizabethrc

            Holder isn’t taking one for the President. He’s announced he’s staying as AG. God help us all if he’s delving into national security matters, using the same ‘high’ standards he’s displayed in domestic issues.

            • KenoshaMarge

              Holder’s “high standards” are somewhere beneath a snakes belly.

      • TeakWoodKite

        If it wasn’t so deadly serious it would be laughable that AG Holder would state he has the final say on what is or is not a NST. That little gem is only for Motel 1600.

        • Popsmoke

          Well actually he does! Scary eh?

          • mgm

            “Scary” doesn’t begin to describe it. At this point, is it possible to know WHO is in charge of WHAT? (Holder’s statement is so ludicrous that someone in these various committees has to ask who this “we” is.) If Holder is being allowed to make decisions as to what constitues a threat to national security we are well and truly screwed.

            • Popsmoke

              Legally speaking? He is the Attorney General…..

              • mgm

                A law degree makes him qualified to recognize national security threats? I don’t think so.

                • Popsmoke

                  He is the CHIEF Law Enforcement Officer of the United States Of America. Like it or not he has the power…..

                  • HObama HObamanana

                    That is precisely the problem. These lunatics treat terrorism and threats against our country as matters of law enforcement.

                  • shelldoll2

                    He has the power in legal matters. If he also has the power when it comes to national security then he should be the AG and the director of the CIA, NSA, and DIA.

                    His job would be to prosecute those involved in the murders.

                    I thank the Powers That Be (PTB) that these clowns were not involved with national security. When the AG decides what is classified and national security and what is not I guess the intel agencies can all go home.

                    Who needs a Sec of State? Who needs a head of the CIA? Eric Holder! Super Security Guy!

          • TeakWoodKite

            Who’s “we” ??? I can’t believe that Obama didn’t know such a juicy tidbit.

            • Popsmoke

              You know…we…
              We… Them guys, those guys, the other guys.
              Everyone and anyone except…….
              Me!

        • getfitnow

          Gone rogue.

      • getfitnow

        The POTUS is one of his “peeps.”

        Eric Holder is a national security problem.

  • Popsmoke

    It ain’t Kansas Dorothy…. http://video.foxnews.com/v/1969077353001/

    • Van_Dessel

      Runnin’ guns. Fast and Furious but the Al-Qaeda version.

    • HObama HObamanana

      Thanks for the link. I agree that we should be rethinking our involvement in a big way. I would love to see more videos like this that have actual experts like Ali Soufan that tell it like it is. His declaration that Al Qaeda is larger and stronger than when they attacked us on 9/11/01 is sobering and quite frankly, frightening. And it is in direct contradiction to everything the Obama folk have been telling us.

  • sowsear1

    Lest we forget…

    • BettsAZ

      In an eerie and disturbing way, the red streaks of what looks like blood on the wall are very similar to the red “streaks” on Obama’s “flag”.

    • Eyes Wide Open

      I see that I am not the only one who saw this.

  • Theymustbemorons

    I did not see this on CNN but, Breitbart.com cites CNN’s Barbara Starr who talked with a “high-placed source” and learned that Petreaus would “… amend his previous testimony.” In addition: “… Petraeus also told this source he believed the CIA talking points given to Susan Rice came from within the White House or Administration.”

    http://www.breitbart.com/InstaBlog/2012/11/15/CNN-Petraeus-To-Testify-He-Knew-Libya-Was-Terrorism-Almost-Immediately

    • Popsmoke

      DoH!

    • mgm

      I hope he is asked WHY he “misrepresented” the situation in his initial testimony.

      • getfitnow

        Likely scenario.

    • getfitnow

      Come clean, general, for the country.

      • Eyes Wide Open

        Think he fell on his sword where the Benghazi story would have to come out in the media. It is my opinion that he was confronted with his affair and offered the chance to go along with them and he made the choice to serve his country. I may be wrong but I think it traveled somewhat along this path.

  • TeakWoodKite

    “This administration has lied to the American people about this tragedy,” Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, R-Calif., said. “The arrogance and dishonesty in all of this is breathtaking. Let’s not stonewall this issue and cover up mistakes, which seems to be what is going on today.”

    • Popsmoke

      LoL! Dana Rohrebacher….. gosh how does surfer boy keep getting himself reelected?

      • TeakWoodKite

        That aside, he is refreshingly blunt. He’s let out that BO wants Suan Rice for SOS. ….

        • Popsmoke

          Teak… he is the male version of a california gil…

  • jrterrier

    OT- Jimmy Fallon: It turns out that Democrats are actually considering Mitt Romney’s tax plan as a way to avoid the fiscal cliff. Three weeks ago, Obama was like, “Mitt Romney has terrible ideas!” And now he’s like, “Hey, you gonna finish those ideas?”

    • getfitnow

      Romney for Sec of Business? /s

      These people make me sick.

      • KenoshaMarge

        Romney’s nuts if he has anything to do with this bunch of thugs.

        • HObama HObamanana

          Agreed. He needs to enjoy retirement and let Obama fall flat on his face.

    • http://www.facebook.com/sandy.rickett.96 Sandy Rickett

      Just like he said of Hillary’s ideas in the 2008 primaries, before rewording them and claiming them as his own a day later…..time after time after time…

    • DianaLC

      I know Romney will do the right thing for our country. If it were my tax plan, I’d get it copyrighted immediately and not allow them to use it unless they agreed to make a statement that I drafted for them, something to this effect: “I, Obama, campaigned on the premise that this tax plan was stupid and unfair, instead I was the stupid and unfair person. I made sure to steal the election away from the person who actually wrote it and then try to say it was a plan my administration came up with so I could get the glory if it worked. The kudos go to Romney.”

      • Eyes Wide Open

        Absolutely

      • http://twitter.com/jbjdjbjd jbjd

        DLC, I am unable to access NQ at work and so, I haven’t been able to catch up until now… But I keep thinking; the Electors don’t vote until December. IF a good case can be made that O took the election via fraud (including lying about R); and IF it can be established that, but for this fraud, he would not have been re-elected; then, the Electors can always vote for R instead of O.

        Of course, I still hope that the press (or even Donald Trump) exposes, any ‘birth-appearing’ documents for O released in 2008 and again in 2011, were generated by his election and then re-election campaign and were nothing more than paid political campaign advertisements, the dishonest speech contained in which were thoroughly protected by the 1st Amendment.

  • jrterrier

    These people play hardball. Last time P4 went to Congress, they were holding the affair over his head. This time, they are holding a CIA investigation over his head

    “U.S. officials familiar with the investigation stressed this in not about finding out whether the former CIA director passed classified information to Broadwell, but rather “about general conduct.”

    “It’s about checking to make sure no agency resources or personnel were used to facilitate this affair,” one official told Fox News.”

    http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/11/15/cia-to-investigate-conduct-ex-director-petraeus/#ixzz2CM9Jt57X

    • retire05

      Yeah, have the brass bring Petreaus up on UCMJ charges. Nothing like having a full blown courts martial to expose the actions of the Oval Office and Petreaus going public with it. His honorability is already in question. What has he got to lose?

      • TeakWoodKite

        I love to take that action….like the ending scene from Shawshank…..

      • Popsmoke

        This Petreaus thing is so overblown its not even funny. Mind you know I am no Petreaus fan but I really feel for both he and his wife. Imagine all of this was caused by a over zealous FBI agent. Not good for anyone…

        • Mike Monroe

          It is just a simple sex scandal. Makes good TV though.

      • elizabethrc

        To testify honestly would go a long way toward restoring Petraeus’s self-inflicted wounds to his reputation. Frankly, I don’t give two hoots about his reputation, but the example he’s set by both his extramarital affair and his apparent heeling to Obama’s whistle on Benghazi is a bad one for the members of the military who are young, fresh and idealistic. No one likes to see their heroes fall.

      • shelldoll2

        But you and I know short of treason they won’t prosecute a 4 star. It ain’t right and it ain’t fair. It is what it is.

  • Van_Dessel

    The Rice pick for the Sunday shows after 9/11/12 was an interesting pick. What does a UN ambassador have to do with intel? She must of drawn the short straw…or did she?
    I doubt Clinton actually testifies.

    • mgm

      Apparently what qualified her to talk about Benghazi was, as Obama said in his press conference, that “she had nothing to do with Benghazi.”

      • HObama HObamanana

        And she was probably one of the very few in his Administration that had absolutely nothing to do with Benghazi. I guess they thought it might look suspicious if they trotted out the Secretary of Agriculture, so Rice got the job.

        • TeakWoodKite

          If she indeed held talks with the Iranians in Qatar, I would be reasonably certian the gun running in Libya to Syria would have come up.

    • getfitnow

      Would this be the “trade” Bill Clinton was campaigning so hard for?

    • Mike Monroe

      She was one of this country’s highest diplomats commenting on the death of a diplomat. Completely reasonable. Talking to the press about the death of Stevens had nothing to do with “Intel”, especially when no one had all the answers.

      • vinnie winkel

        then you tell the American public that it’s still under investigation. why go with the youtube meme? Is it not reasonable to say ‘we know little right now’ vs. there was a mob that was enraged by the youtube video. Oh, wait, that’s right “osama is dead and GM is alive.”

      • http://twitter.com/jbjdjbjd jbjd

        “Completely reasonable…” only if you have never viewed the State Dept. organizational chart.

        If the Secretary could not speak; a Deputy Secretary should have.

        http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/rls/dos/99494.htm

  • Popsmoke

    Well here is the bad news…. Your all dead! Now the good news. Its just a game. So now Jr meateaters, spooks and DIPs let see you do?

    http://tellmehowthisends.com/

  • Jeremy Norton

    I’m not surprised!

  • Popsmoke
    • TeakWoodKite

      So Holder was requiredd to inform the Select Intel on the hill and the DNI, who briefs the POS TUS…
      sure he didn’t know.

  • BettsAZ

    Why no information from the 30 people who were rescued from the attack in Benghazi?…Surely one of them could tell us what the facts on the ground were.

    • 3seven77

      I’ve wondered that myself. There were more than 4 people involved in Benghazi. Where are they and why aren’t they talking?

      • DianaLC

        Maybe someone did this to them.

        • KenoshaMarge

          Also what the MSM did to themselves.

      • TeakWoodKite

        CIA etc. ghosts?

    • randi

      That’s a very good question. You are obviously NOT a journalist. ;)

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1270454953 Jerry Lawrence

    Intelligent politicians who wanted to lead during the second chance would take the opportunity to clean house and select aides who might make a genuine effort to restore some semblance of trust between the American people and the President. Jarret must be replaced immediately. The Chicago connection must be severed. The restoration of trust could bear immense dividends. Failure to make sincere efforts to open up communication will result in a catastrophic situation. which will spin out of control.

    • elizabethrc

      What you’re speaking about is a nobility of spirit. This is an unknown to Obama and those he has chosen to surround himself with. Sure, there are honorable people out there who love this country, but you won’t find any of them in the White House and frankly, in our houses of Congress. They much prefer to enrich themselves and their egos, regardless of how damaging to our country.
      It used to be said that politicians were slightly above used car salesmen in terms of honesty. They’re actually quite a bit below car salesmen.

    • Retired_from_SPOnaj

      Jarrett considers herself re-elected. She isn’t going anywhere.

      • Popsmoke

        Now there is something to loose sleep over…

      • Fred82

        Too bad.

        Valerie Jarrett must think very lowly of the US Constitution given the fact that it prohibits her from being elected as President of the United States.

        Even if Valerie Jarrett wasn’t born in Shiraz, I tend to think that George Steinbrenner would have had a greater shot at being elected mayor of Boston than Jarrett being elected as President of the United States.

  • shelldoll2

    I am shocked! Alert the media! BTW the NSC sucks. Just the opinion of those of us who kinda sorta know them.

  • VirginiainCarolina

    It’s 18 minutes into Morning Joe and NOT one word about Benghazi and the hearings yesterday. Unbelievable! How can any of them, the panelist included sleep at night?

    • HARP2

      Kudos to you for having the stamina to watch that drivel.

    • KenoshaMarge

      Not a problem for them to sleep and sleep well. They are Dems. No conscience, no problem. Or in Mika’s case, no brain no problem.

      That includes the Dem masquerading as a conservative, Joe Scarborough. Who by the way has never actually explained the dead girl in his office.

      http://www.dirtandseeds.com/the-strange-case-of-a-dead-woman-in-joe-scarboroughs-office/

      But he is espousing liberal causes these days so the media has no interest it this strange story.

    • jrterrier

      I know. I turned it on for a moment and they were about to start trashing Romney. I guess they are still getting paid by OFA to support the Obama election effort.

  • getfitnow
  • HARP2

    CNN is already asking if John McCain is being too political for calling Benghazi a coverup…

    • HObama HObamanana

      I don’t know whether to laugh, cry or just start screaming.

    • KenoshaMarge

      CNN is to news what a Twinkie is to nutrition.

      May CNN go the way of the newly departing Twinkie.

      Actually a Twinkie did have some value. CNN?

      • shelldoll2

        Well K Marge, there goes the Twinkie defense.

        • KenoshaMarge

          Aw shucks!

    • vinnie winkel

      Friggin’ media is so corrupt! Cover his ass at all costs. Those families deserve to know. And Clapper says he can’t explain why someone would change the talking points or delete that Al Qaeda was involved?! Enough with the BS! EVERYONE in the news know exactly why it was done.

  • getfitnow

    o/t:
    Late Breaking News!

    Hostess, the maker of iconic treats like Twinkies,
    is shuttering its plants and liquidating its 82-year-old business.(WSJ)
    ***************
    Dominoes falling.

    • HARP2

      I thought most of the “Twinkies” were already in Obama`s administration ?

      • getfitnow

        Ding Dongs too!

        I must say, as a child, one of my favorite treats was the Hostess snowball cupcake,

        • HARP2

          Ho Hos…..?

          • HObama HObamanana

            Hey, I resemble that remark!

    • KenoshaMarge

      Them unions sure taught Hostess a lesson!

      • HARP2

        Hey unions……

        • KenoshaMarge

          My sentiments exactly!

    • Retired_from_SPOnaj

      Will President Obama step in, take over the Twinkie factory, and run it at taxpayer expense?

      • Popsmoke

        I smell the cream of a bailout coming on!

  • getfitnow

    I am sooo tired of the affirmative action crowd running this country into the ground.

    http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2012/11/15/susan-rice-miserable-record-at-un/

  • Mike Monroe

    What exactly are you complaining about Larry Johnson? Do you even know what Susan Rice even said? Or is it all politics and the facts don’t really matter?

    Here is what she said:

    BOB SCHIEFFER: And joining us now, Susan Rice, the U.N. ambassador — our U.N. ambassador. Madam Ambassador, he [the Libyan president of the National Assembly] says that this is something that has been in the planning stages for months. I understand you had been saying that you think it was spontaneous? Are we not on the same page here?
    SUSAN RICE: Well, Bob, let me tell you what we understand to be the assessment at present. First of all, very importantly, as you discussed with the president, there is an investigation that the United States government will launch, led by the FBI that has begun.
    SCHIEFFER: But they are not there yet.
    RICE: They are not on the ground yet but they have already begun looking at all sorts of evidence of various sorts already available to them and to us. And they will get on the ground and continue the investigation.
    So we’ll want to see the results of that investigation to draw any definitive conclusions. But based on the best information we have to date, what our assessment is as of the present is in fact what — it began spontaneously in Benghazi as a reaction to what had transpired some hours earlier in Cairo, where, of course, as you know, there was a violent protest outside of our embassy sparked by this hateful video.
    But soon after that spontaneous protest began outside of our consulate in Benghazi, we believe that it looks like extremist elements, individuals, joined in that effort with heavy weapons of the sort that are, unfortunately, readily now available in Libya post-revolution. And that it spun from there into something much, much more violent.
    SCHIEFFER: But you do not agree with him that this was something that had been plotted out several months ago?
    RICE: We do not — we do not have information at present that leads us to conclude that this was premeditated or preplanned.
    SCHIEFFER: Do you agree or disagree with him that al-Qaeda had some part in this?
    RICE: Well, we’ll have to find out that out. I mean, I think it’s clear that there were extremist elements that joined in and escalated the violence. Whether they were al-Qaeda affiliates, whether they were Libyan-based extremists or al-Qaeda itself I think is one of the things we’ll have to determine.

    http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/fact-checker/post/mccains-claims-about-susan-rices-comments-on-the-libya-attack/2012/11/15/e6590650-2eb1-11e2-beb2-4b4cf5087636_blog.html

    Tell me what is wrong with that statement? If you have the balls to. Seems like a perfectly reasonable response at the time.

    The election is over, so you can stop your politicing. You lost big time. You can start dealing with the facts now.

    By the way the popular vote for Obama continues to go up as the West coast vote count continues to go up. He has so far beat Romney by a solid 3.5 million votes with a 51% popular vote. That is very very good. Very few incumbents win their second election with more than 50% of the vote.

    • HARP2

      You left out the part where EVERYONE was watching the attack….real time.
      Since it does not fit your preconceived vision of Captain Zero, you, like most uninformed libs choose to bury it.

      Talk about a bubble. PATHETIC !!

      • HObama HObamanana

        Not everyone was watching the attack in real time. Obama was watching ESPN.

        • HELENK2

          then went to bed to be rested for his fund raising trip to Las Vegas

    • HARP2

      Apparently you are new to this game…….9 comments and 0 likes.

      And you have the nerve to attack LJ ?

    • Hokma

      “But soon after that spontaneous protest began outside of our consulate in Benghazi, we believe that it looks like extremist elements, individuals, joined in that effort with heavy weapons of the sort that are, unfortunately, readily now available in Libya post-revolution. And that it spun from there into something much, much more violent. ”

      The problem with Daily Koz Kidz is that they don’t read.

      That statement is a lie – a deliberate fabrication – the beginning of a deliberate cover up. ALL evidence shows that they knew it was a pre-planned attack from the outset and that they should have been expecting one.

      • HObama HObamanana

        Anyone with a brain could tell that this was an organized attack from the start.

    • http://noquarterusa.net Larry Johnson

      Your comment is so stupid and obtuse that I will leave it up just to entertain others. They enjoy laughing at a fool.

      Obama and Rice have insisted that she only said what the intel told her to say. That is a lie. The White House sent her out to spin the myth that the video inspired the attack. The truth is otherwise. From the outset, and I base this on conversations with key personnel who saw the intel, it was an organized attack carried out by Ansar Al Sharia.

      I realize you enjoy the comfort of a dark, warm place, but your head really is not supposed to live up your ass.

      • Retired_from_SPOnaj

        Larry,
        After losing your job at the Twinkie factory, you have to do something while you’re waiting for the welfare check to come in.

        • Hokma

          Look at what Obama has cost this country
          - our economy
          - our freedoms
          - our standing in the world
          - and now Twinkies.

        • TeakWoodKite

          What on earth are all those fine intel / law enforcement souls to do while on a stake now? With no Twinkies, crime will be on the rise.

    • Van_Dessel

      Pietraeus just testified, according to several Congress critters, that they knew it Ansar Al Sharia and Al Qaeda, even if it was just the continued attack at the annex/prison house, within 24 hours of the attack. That would be 3 full days before Rice went on Sunday shows. I didn’t catch where Rice et. al, watched Stevens body dragged in the streets.

      Obama better put on his big boy pants.

  • HARP2

    YEP !!!

    Barry`s doing a Hell of a job for those union idiots that voted for him.

    Hostess going out of business; nearly 18,000 to be laid off

    Read more: http://www.myfoxdfw.com/story/20115859/hostess-going-out-of-business-nearly-18000-to-be-laid-off#ixzz2COQYum87

    • HObama HObamanana

      It just means that our country will be producing less white bread. /s

      • HARP2

        snicker….

        • Scorpio

          Obama built that!

          • HObama HObamanana

            Ain’t that the truth!

            • HARP2

              Must be time to have a press conference to save the Twinkie industry…….Ohhhhh the humanity of it all.

        • KenoshaMarge

          Snickers too? Damn there does the sugar rush I count on to get me out of bed in the morning.

    • Retired_from_SPOnaj

      I think that the government will be taking over Hostess and running it at a loss, just like GM. Anyone for a solar-powered Twinkie?

      • sowsear1
      • TeakWoodKite

        Got mine!

      • Popsmoke

        Yeah and rather than hand out govt cheese. It will be processed govt twinkies….

        • http://www.facebook.com/margaret.maree Margaret Maree

          Obama Twinkie in one hand, Obama Phone in the other.

          • Popsmoke

            Its that 3am twinkie that worries me! Oh my gosh! All that sugar next to the nuclear football!

        • sowsear1

          Well, if they are putting liquor into donuts, they probably can put it into Twinkies.. should sell like hotcakes..or something.

      • http://twitter.com/jbjdjbjd jbjd

        Next thing you know, his friends will seek funding for start-ups which research whether Twinkies can be converted into bio-fuel…

  • HARP2

    Petraeus to Testify He Knew Benghazi Was Terror Attack “Almost Immediately”

    http://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2012/11/petraeus-to-testify-he-knew-benghazi-was-terror-attack-almost-immediately/

  • jrterrier

    By the way, forget the Rice talking points. Didn’t the President go to the UN several weeks later and blame the movie-trailer? What’s his excuse?

    • HObama HObamanana

      He was just doing what Valerie Jarrett and David Axelrod told him to do. No biggie.

    • getfitnow

      Rice is small potatoes in this. She was a pawn, albeit a willing pawn
      probably. I want to know who gave her the talking points, who gave her the intelligence briefing (such as it was), who selected her to speak for the administration on this, and why wasn’t someone with organizational responsibility chosen instead.

      That One said come after him—DO IT!

      • jrterrier

        I also want to know whether the same CYA mentality is what kept help from getting to Benghazi in time to save the two Seals who were killed 7 hours later?

        • HObama HObamanana

          Of course it is. If Obama would have acted it would have intentionally exposed how false the narrative was.

      • Retired_from_SPOnaj

        That having been said, apparently President Obama, or whoever is telling him what to do, thinks that pawns make excellent Secretaries of State. Perhaps he feels that way because pawns apparently make such good Presidents.

        • Popsmoke

          Becareful them pawns can box in them kings! Just ask Petraeus

        • getfitnow

          and BTW, where are the witnesses from the 30 plus who were rescued?

          Has a single survivor been identified by name? How many were Americans? If survivors were Americans, why doesn’t the committee subpoena the Americans? Are they all CIA?

      • sowsear1

        What’s that about “paper cuts”?

    • KenoshaMarge

      Ignorance? Deceit? Stupidity? Take your pick.

      • foxyladi14

        All three Marge.

  • jrterrier

    More post-election news about how the economy is NOT recovering. Why didn’t any of this come out before the election?

    “The Federal Housing Administration is projecting a $16.3 billion deficit in its insurance fund for fiscal year 2012, setting the stage for the first subsidy from Treasury in the agency’s 78-year history, the agency said in a statement. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-11-16/fha-sets-stage-for-taxpayer-subsidy-with-16-3-billion-deficit.html

    Sears reports net loss of almost $500 million http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/business/2012/11/15/sears-earnings-down/1707583/

  • jrterrier

    House Intel Chair GOP Rep. Peter King: Petraeus Said Original CIA Talking Points On Benghazi Pointed To Al-Qaeda, Later Removed…

    http://weaselzippers.us/2012/11/16/house-intel-chair-gop-rep-peter-king-petraeus-said-original-cia-talking-points-on-benghazi-pointed-to-al-qaeda-later-removed/

    • HObama HObamanana

      Petraeus gave a statement to Congress that the whole thing was a demonstration that got out of control. He cannot now say that his “original” talking points blamed it on Al Qaeda without explaining why he lied, which time he lied and was he directed to lie.

  • Penngirl

    OT:
    ABCnews.com front page story is on deceitful politicians. The photo that’s with the story is of Nixon (of course)…and so far the comments say the current administration should be on that list or that out of the 7 “deceitful politicians,” all but Nixon are democrats. Timely, I’d say and coming from ABC News?

    • sowsear1

      Rice’s husband works for ABC News???

      • Popsmoke

        Don’t tell me you thought we actually had an independent press?

        • Fred82

          Not Anymore!!!!!!!

  • jrterrier

    While we focus on Petraeus, what is going to happen when the ground war starts in Gaza? Will the Egyptian army jump in?

    • Hokma

      The first concern would be attacks out of Lebanon from Hezbollah and from Al Qaeda on the Syrian border.

      I do not think Egypt wants to get roped into any military conflict with Israel. The last times that happened it did not have good endings for Egypt miltarily or economically. Now they have a much weaker military compared to Israel and it would be doubtful. Also the U.S. is providing needed financial support to Egypt and they would not risk that.

      Having made that last statement, we have to remember that we are dealing with Barack Obama who is the most anti-Israel President the U.S. has had so nothing is beyond the realm of possibility.

    • HObama HObamanana

      I am not so certain that there will be a ground war. But if Hamas launches any more rockets it will likely occur. I agree with Hokma that Egypt will stay out of this though not for the same reasons. I believe that Obama will not allow Egypt to attack Israel because that act in itself would plunge the entire region into a massive war. Not to mention that it would destroy Obama’s plans to convince us that the Muslim Brotherhood are really just misunderstood moderates.

  • akaPatience

    Video showed road blocks had been set up around the area of attack. I would think that detail alone could refute any notion that a “spontaneous mob” was responsible.

  • HELENK2

    off topic

    http://www.nationalreview.com/articles/332454/red-flag-over-atlantic-gordon-g-chang

    Chinese air base in the Atlantic. what is this about and should we be concerned????????

  • HELENK2

    http://www.newsdaily.com/stories/bre8af0lk-us-jordan-protest/

    muslim brotherhood join protesters in Jordan

    • JohnnyTwoDog

      Join? My guess is they are the protesters. (actually it is not a guess)

    • binky354

      I expect Code Pink will be beside them soon, if they’re not there already.

  • HELENK2
    • binky354

      Does he ever do the right thing?

  • HELENK2
    • Hokma

      This makes a lot of sense. But it could backfire on Iran if Israel enters Gaza and then decides for its national security interests to occupy and dismantle Hamas and then allow Abbas to take control of the territory.

      Israel is amassing about 75,000 troops along the Gaza border and a ground war looks imminent. Your article is why.

  • HELENK2

    http://weaselzippers.us/2012/11/16/iraq-urges-arab-countries-to-use-oil-as-weapon-to-punish-america-for-supporting-israel/

    not this really gets my goat. Iraq urging arab countries to use oil as a weapon to punish America for supporting Israel

    • Hokma

      That is what happens when you turn tail and escape – Iran is controlling Iraq now.

      • getfitnow

        But That One said he won the war./s

        • Hokma

          We did win the war and the peace. Obama lost both.

  • HELENK2

    http://nation.foxnews.com/benghazi-gate/2012/11/16/gutfeld-obama-rage-over-criticism-benghazi-far-exceeds-his-rage-over-benghazi

    backtrack’s outrage over the criticism of Benghazi, exceeds his outrage over the attack on Benghazi

  • HELENK2
  • HObama HObamanana

    A bit OT but I really like Rand Paul’s Amendment to the Defense Authorization Act.

    A citizen of the United States who is captured or arrested in the United States and detained by the Armed Forces of the United States pursuant to the Authorization for Use of Military Force (Public Law 107–40) shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the State and district wherein the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the Assistance of Counsel for his defense.

    You’d think a liberal would support something like this.

    • randi

      Liberals do. Fascists won’t and don’t.

      • HObama HObamanana

        Fascists is the right name for them.

  • Popsmoke
    • HObama HObamanana

      Petraeus states that his initial assessment was that it was Al Qaeda behind the attacks and that is what he sent to the White House. Somewhere along the way his assessment was changed and he is now claiming that the White House did not politicize the process and mislead the American people? He must be drinking some pretty strong kool-aid. Either that or all that thinking he wasn’t doing with his brain finally caused it to atrophy.

      • Popsmoke

        How did I know Petraeus was going to pull the carpet from under Peter (I see bad guys every where) King!??

        • http://twitter.com/TheAngieNC2 Angie

          Hmm, maybe because you’re an American-hating bigot Obama cultist?

          • Popsmoke

            Ok let’s try it this way…
            Take the air compressor and blow out the dust between those two ears of yours hoping to cause a friction spark to jump start those neurons of yours.

        • HObama HObamanana

          Surely you are finding joy in this deception because you think it makes King look bad. All this time you have been preaching about how both sides are bad for the country. So why the change of heart?

          I don’t care where the truth comes from as long as we receive it. Frankly, the Obama Administration has been lying about this from the very start. If that makes some Republicans look good because they get to reveal that truth then so be it. I sure as hell don’t believe there is a single person associated with this Administration that will speak the truth.

          ALL news outlets reported that Petraeus initially told Congress that this was a protest gone wild. Now he is saying that he said it was an act of terrorism from the start. He is lying.

          • Popsmoke

            Yes I am having ole shits and giggles on this and my position has not changed. Petraeus is Kings boy buddy and the darling of the republlicans. You see, Pete King wanted Petraeus to rung for POTUS. So the former D/CIA shows up at the hearing and tells ole Pete that CIA babbled the ball and Rice was not wrong. Though Petraeus knew it was a terror strike. Then we have Obama the Bin Laden Killer….. who can’t tell the difference between a terror strike or video violence as if they are really different.
            I sit here shaking my head and laughing as if I was watching the Marx Brothers…
            Bad part of this is that this is some serious shit..

      • getfitnow

        I’ve grown jaded/cynical after this last election. If Petraeus really wanted to do what’s right after the fact, he would have said something prior to elections. There was plenty of time.

        I don’t buy anything anyone in the admin says, and this includes
        Petraeus. An honorable person , and a “war” general to boot, would not leave people to be murdered, imo.

        He’s just another career hack at this point who got caught.

        • HObama HObamanana

          I’m right there with you. I don’t believe a single thing anyone in this Administration says. I remember how stressed out I was when I read all the reports stating that Petraeus told Congress this was a protest gone badly. Now he wants to rewrite known history and claim that he always said it was terrorism. And of course every Democrat is backing him up. I have never seen anything like this before.

      • JohnnyTwoDog

        he does not want the sex tapes finding their way to youtube.

      • binky354

        Petraeus must be getting senile. Had hoped with his affair outed, he’d be more honest and forthcoming.

        • seattlegonz

          BO is probably threatening to court-marshall him and deny his family any retirement benefits if he gets too honest.

  • RICHARD

    Susan Rice was only following the talking points from the White House. The White House happened to de-emphasize the role of Al Quaels and changed the talking points. Susan Rice is absolved from responsibility. Her credentials for taking over Sec of State are not diminished. How convenient.

    • getfitnow

      I’m not so sure about that.
      http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2012/11/15/susan-rice-miserable-record-at-un/

      Of course, we’re living in Obamaworld, so she is probably over–qualified, as he is for POTUS.

    • http://twitter.com/TheAngieNC2 Angie

      Being a dupe isn’t much of a recommendation for SoS gig.

    • getfitnow

      Susan Rice is NOT totally blameless. You could make such a claim only if she were akin to a secretary, who had simply come out to read a statement from her Boss.

      Susan Rice is an accredited senior administrator, not a lowly secretary, and
      therefore, she must be held responsible for what she does.

      If she, in her authority as that senior
      administrator of the WH, as the Ambassador to the UN, told the American people that Benghazi was caused by an American-made video, then, she is responsible for this statement.

      • binky354

        In my opinion, Rice knowingly lied to the American public. How could she not know? She allowed herself to be used and I’m not buying it was unwittingly.

        • scottymac54

          Nonetheless, she’s really doing an excellent job.

  • HARP2

    So when the intelligence community from 4 nations said Saddam had WMD, the left still called Bush a liar.

    Now they want to blame everything on the CIA and not Obama.

    Democrat hypocrisy in full bloom for all to see.

  • foxyladi14

    Well the whole thing stinks.

  • getfitnow
  • getfitnow
    • HObama HObamanana

      I’m sure if we wait a day or two they will.

  • mergeright

    Blah blah blah plausible deniability blah blah blah. Anyone else insulted by how stupid they think we are?

    • HObama HObamanana

      I consider the source of the insults and let it roll off my back.

    • shelldoll2

      Speechifying. It’s what’s for dinner.

      Eat up kids!

  • getfitnow

    o/t a little late. Unfortunately, I don’t find this one as funny as others because of the outcome.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MuG1SVLvM6Q

  • getfitnow
    • HObama HObamanana

      No one in their right mind can blame them if they decide to go into Gaza.

  • MG6
  • JohnnyTwoDog

    Here is what happened, Everyone knew the Benghazi attack was an act of terrorism, even Patraeus who now recalls saying that to the Senate committee a few days after the event, and even Obama who said it in the Rose Garden (just ask Candy Crowley).

    That only leaves Rice who had no way of knowing what actually happened because she was just reading from a piece of paper that appeared out of nowhere.

    Rice must have mistakenly picked up a draft that was supposed to have been shredded, and did not pick up the real intel talking points that Obama was obviously quoted from in the Rose Garden, on the View, Letterman, the UN and to those horribly offended Pakistanis.

    This is one big circular argument that no one is willing to get to the bottom of, lest any of their videos make it accidently to youtube.

  • elijahzabmom

    Roy Blunt just said it took them 10-12 days to call it terrorism. McCain called it an intelligence breakdown and rushed out of the press conference.What was Charlene Lamb watching? Did anyone call for help? Were they denied help? This attack happened on 9/11 and they have had a long time to classify into and get their stories together. No one is under oath and the truth will never come out.

  • sowsear1

    O/T but now, I Won, wants to implement his main plan:
    Taking over our private retirement accounts for redistribution: (I told you, there goes your inheritance, kids)
    http://noisyroom.net/blog/2012…

    • DianaLC

      Can’t click the thumbs up on this news. I need to call them back and give more for the impeachment effort.

    • elijahzabmom

      I’m in my thirties. My generation should be able to opt out of Social Security. It’s a scam

      • binky354

        Sounds like your IRA or 401k won’t be your own. So what’s a person to do?

        • elijahzabmom

          Go galt!
          /kidding

  • akaPatience

    Well, I certainly hope we find out more about the Benghazi attack than whether or not it was characterized correctly. Surely there had to be more discussed about the incident during the hearings of the last two days. Reporting only about the Rice sideshow seems dismissive of those of us with a deeper interest.

  • HELENK2

    http://weaselzippers.us/2012/11/16/obama-calls-egypts-president-morsi-to-thank-him-for-helping-calm-situation-in-gaza-seemingly-unaware-morsi-threatened-israel-earlier-in-the-day/

    backtrack calls morsi to help him calm situation in gaza seemingly unaware morsi threatened Israel earlier in the day.

    didn’t varjar tell him and take away his phone???

    what an embarrassment to this country

  • Ed Reilly

    Axelrod plaid a big role in changing the Talking Points and should be called to testify. He seems to be playing it low recently.