Republicans continue to sound the alarm over Benghazi, even though the facts continue to suggest that we’re really dealing with a scandal that wasn’t.
Iowa Congressman Steve King has said that “if you link Watergate and Iran-Contra together and multiply it times maybe 10 or so, you’re going to get in the zone where Benghazi is,” and Oklahoma Senator James Inhofe calls it “the most serious, most egregious cover-up in American history.” The facts don’t seem to be on their side, especially after the White House release of 100 pages of emails regarding the construction of the CIA talking points.
That’s just a taste of what we’re hearing from the crowd who pounce on any opportunity to blast the president’s leadership. However, if you had to name a couple of Republicans who should probably refrain from weighing in on national security, who would you go with? How about Donald Rumsfeld or Dick Cheney?
It appears they missed the memo. Both Cheney and Rumsfeld have been making the rounds this week, suggesting the Obama administration was unprepared for the tragedy that unfolded in Libya.
“I think it’s one of the worst incidences, frankly, that I can recall in my career,” Cheney said on Fox News earlier in the week. “They claimed it was because of a demonstration video, so they wouldn’t have to admit it was really all about their incompetence.”
“The idea that it was somehow related to a YouTube video and that that narrative kept being promoted, I suppose it’s because it fit their hopes and what they wanted to be the case,” Rumsfeld said.
Yes, that was in fact Donald Rumsfeld suggesting that the current administration constructed a narrative about an international situation in order to promote a certain agenda.
There’s no evidence to suggest this is a correct summary of the actions of the Obama administration’s reaction to Benghazi, but even if it were, this might be a case of “pot, meet kettle,” for the history books.
The Daily Show’s Jon Stewart had a lot to say about this one. Stewart referred to a photo of Mike Tyson (with face tattoo) in order to help make his case. “It’s like this. That’s Mike Tyson. He doesn’t get to make fun of someone’s tattoo.”
Take a look at the Hardball Sideshow for the return of the Bush administration, and Jon Stewart’s flummoxed response.
Maryalice Aymong