Patterico's Pontifications

3/12/2017

Jake Tapper Claims Necessary To Fact Check Trump More Than Obama

Filed under: General — Dana @ 6:27 pm



[guest post by Dana]

CNN’s Jake Tapper was interviewed by Ana Marie Cox at Austin’s SXSW Festival, where he had a couple of interesting things to say.

First, Tapper made a comment about “Fake News,” which is amusing because, well, CNN. As we know, the network has previously demonstrated, on numerous occasions, that they have integrity issues. Consider there was that little incident involving the election debates and Donna Brazille, there are examples of the reporting being less than objective, and on top of that, there is the undeniable partisanship of some its reporters. These are but a few examples. Nonetheless, here is Tapper:

Tapper, who’s been a favorite piñata of the alt-right in recent weeks, compared Trump’s statements on “fake news” to that of his own 7-year-old son. He said the boy will notice when he’s not in a good mood and will react by using an exaggerated hand gesture and screaming, “Fake news!” Said Tapper with an underlying condemnation of the president’s maturity level, “Except, my 7-year-old knows it’s a ridiculous, childish thing.”

But what was of more interest to me was his comment about fact-checking presidents:

“To be completely candid, I did fact checks about Barack Obama, too, not at the same rate, nor was there a need for them at the same rate,” he said. “I know people that hated me back then but now like the fact checks I’m doing about Donald Trump. I feel like I’ve stayed consistent.”

Look, I happen to be an equal-opportunity cynic when it comes to my politicians. Presidents, especially. I believe that they should be viewed with deep suspicion given the fact that these individuals truly believe that they are the best person to hold the most powerful position in the world and take on the Herculean task of leading the most powerful nation on earth. That’s a mighty sizable ego we’re talking about, as well as a lot of power to assume. We all know that the insatiable thirst for power has brought down many a good man throughout history. Thus I hold that no matter who is elected, I want their every word exposed and examined and held up to the spotlight. I want their decisions to be made as transparent as is safely possible, and their very character, warts and all, laid bare before Americans so we know who we’re dealing with. I think viewing our presidents with skepticism, at the very least, is both prudent and responsible. It also acknowledges their fallibility as mere mortals.

Yet given the documented accounts of media bias, my first reaction to Tapper’s comparison was some serious eye-rolling. Of course a CNN anchor is going to fact-check a Republican president more than he would a Democratic president. Because Democrats good, Republicans bad. Further, in a season where the animosity between this administration and the press has been ratcheted up and collusion between mainstream journalists and Democratic politicians appears to now be a given, there is every reason to roll one’s eyes at Tapper. However, let me ask you: If the current president has been caught repeatedly telling untruths and making misleading statements, don’t you want that exposed? And don’t you believe every journalist covering politics has a duty to do just that, no matter who is in office? I say, yes, they do. Fact check the hell out of any and every president. It’s what we’ve been clamoring for, and if the current president just happens to be on the right side of the aisle, so what? To me, this is the bottom line: If leading up to the election and after his win, President Trump had been more truthful, forthright and demonstrated an unassailable character before the American people, there might not be this pressing need to fact-check his every claim with such intensity. Regardless of whether it’s Tapper’s own personal politics motivating his fact-checking urges, or a sense of professional obligation, or even Trump’s own outrageous claims begging it, don’t we want our presidents held responsible for their lies and false claims, whether they be intentional or impulsive knee-jerk reactions?

Setting all of that aside, it is certainly fair to question whether Tapper indeed fact-checked President Obama as he claimed. I spent some time searching out his alleged fact-checking of Obama, and considering the amount of time involved, I found pretty thin gruel at best. And that’s interesting because it’s not like we don’t know that President Obama lied alot, and was occasionally called out for it by a non-conservative media. Even Glenn Kessler was compelled to tally up his lies. Unfortunately, too many members of the press either ignored the lies, or circled their wagons to protect the president from scrutiny. But should that make any difference when it comes to President Trump and his lies? I am reminded of this simple truth:

I get why so many of my friends on the right are freaking out about the double standard being applied to Trump. It is an entirely legitimate complaint. But it is also incredibly insufficient and, at times, dangerous. Every day I see conservatives on Twitter and TV denouncing, say, the New York Times for calling Trump a liar because the Times didn’t say the same thing about Clinton or Obama. Fine! Great point. It’s a double standard. Who among us can contain our shock that the MSM is tougher on Republicans? But it doesn’t mean it’s not true about Trump! The media’s double standard doesn’t absolve Trump of lying, does it? O.J. Simpson literally got away with murder. Is it unfair to other murderers if we don’t let them get away with it, too? Actually, I’m sure it would feel unfair to other murderers, but that’s not an argument for repealing laws against murder.

It goes without saying, of course, that an even-handed assessment of presidents, regardless of party affiliation, is not going to happen if schools just keep churning out liberal reporters, resulting in Big Media being dominated by a smug and insular group unable to fully admit there is a problem, and ignore the very reasons why the public sees the press as biased toward the left. But if our side of the aisle rightfully demands that the press does its job, shouldn’t we then be cheering on any who make an effort to do just that – no matter who the president is, and no matter what the outcome might be? Does the motivation matter if the facts bear them out?

As I’ve said before, I believe Trump has certainly been targeted by the MSM. And yet Trump continues to give them so much to work with. Any day of the week, scan the The New York Times, The Washington Post, or The Los Angeles Times and you will find that almost every report on Trump or his administration is a negative one. Even when he’s done something good. And while there are patently absurd efforts being made by the press to gin up more disdain for the president, there are also reports that accurately reflect serious issues concerning this administration. Unfortunately, if the media continues to react with an equal amount of hysteria over President Trump preferring his steak well done and served with ketchup as they do when he is caught lying, then they’ve set themselves up as the proverbial journalist who cried wolf. No one is listening because we tuned out long ago when solid reporting was drowned out by the overwrought and frenzied reactions to the nothing burgers designed to enrage us. It would do Tapper well to bear that in mind.

(Cross-posted at The Jury Talks Back.)

–Dana

97 Responses to “Jake Tapper Claims Necessary To Fact Check Trump More Than Obama”

  1. Here we go.

    Dana (023079)

  2. My experience with this former mezvinsky staffer, comes from how he treated my state, when it became a speedbump for manbearpigs ambitions

    narciso (d1f714)

  3. I feel sorry for his son.

    mg (31009b)

  4. CNN is the Gateway Pundit of cable news.

    Colonel Haiku (2601c0)

  5. Rather than just throw out quips, let’s talk about the question that is near the heart of the matter to me: Does it matter that Tapper feels compelled to fact-check Trump more, and that he may have lacked the same fortitude with Obama? Especially if the results prove correct?

    Do you want our president to be held accountable for lies and untruths, no matter who they are?

    Dana (023079)

  6. Yes, I do. Now would be a good start. If it isn’t too late for these political operatives who used to be identified with job titles that stated as much, but now ply their trade under cover of being “news” men or women.

    Colonel Haiku (2601c0)

  7. They really don’t fool much of anyone and haven’t for several years now.

    Colonel Haiku (2601c0)

  8. Well, as an employee of CNN, Tapper can’t go wrong “fact-checking” a Republican president. He’ll get an attaboy from his bosses even when he is wrong provided that he is not so obviously wrong that he brings the whole of CNN into disrepute.

    It was the reverse with Obama. Any “fact-checking”of him was a no-no; the bootlicking was obvious and the leg-tingling was in full public view; and it has brought CNN into disrepute but it was a small sacrifice to make for the historic first black President.

    nk (dbc370)

  9. He’s part of a continuum that begins with the ap runs across CNN MSNBC and the three prestige dailies I’m leaving out USA today.

    narciso (d1f714)

  10. No major paper has touched the fired house staffer story, for a month

    narciso (d1f714)

  11. Who on earth would read anything that Tapper wrote with a heading that suggested he was “fact checking”? Moreover, why do we care? We behave as though we are trapped in a gigantic progressive tent, and the only way out is to debate them using only their terms and assumptions.

    Their significance goes only as far as we think it does.

    Ignore them.

    BobStewartatHome (c24491)

  12. No reporters seem believable anymore, the joke is always on the tax-payer. I doubt in my lifetime the approval rating of the press will improve.

    mg (31009b)

  13. narciso is on target. The “Russians did it!” lie has traveled around the world seven times, and now it is a theme for the Sunday Times of London. Meanwhile, the guys who actually “did it” have been identified and the whole story is ignored.

    Happenstance?

    BobStewartatHome (c24491)

  14. In addition if Hillary was anymore in hock to the Russians (sherbank, skulkovo village, rusatom, et al) she’d have to ride around in a truck full of borscht.

    narciso (d1f714)

  15. Here’s a test for you: Take some time and watch the CNN news ticker at the bottom of your TV screen with the sound turned down or off. See how long you can stand it.

    Colonel Haiku (2601c0)

  16. I don’t fly often, but it appears cnn has disappeared from airport holding areas. This is good.

    mg (31009b)

  17. Did we forget how they treated obamacare initially:
    http:;/www.foxnews.com/politics/2017/03/12/team-trump-gop-downplay-looming-cbo-report-question-group-s-competence-earlier-findings.html

    narciso (d1f714)

  18. Fact checking? Let’s see:

    –If you like your doctor you can keep your doctor;

    –The Benghazi attack was in response to a You Tube video.

    Yes, the media was on top of them.

    AZ Bob (f7a491)

  19. Remember the real story was they had discarded military ballots

    http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/breakfast/monday-26-march-2001/3481552

    narciso (d1f714)

  20. Fact checking Obama is tricky business.

    For instance, Obama swore up and down that his mom and dad met at the Selma March which was years after the birth narrative that the media wanted to accept. But that birth narrative was being challenged by the birthers. So you fact check Obama’s assertion about how he came into existence and you gave him 4 pinochios for his Selma story? No, you didn’t do that because who are you to question his narrative about when he was conceived.

    I mean, it’s just that crazy with this Obama character.

    jcurtis (567f3d)

  21. Hillary in the back of a deuce-and-a-half loaded down with borscht-eating Russian soldiers. Now, there’s a picture.

    John Hitchcock (db41bf)

  22. As Robert wuhl said of ‘born to run’ you want imagery?

    narciso (d1f714)

  23. SXSW is essentially a film and music festival. It is not really a venue for true journalists to colloquy. It’s an entertainment event. Real, big boy and big girl reporters– not the ones like Jake who play them on TeeVee— would likely have felt professionally uncomfortable at this media mixer and shunned if not passed on being spotlighted at such a commercial gathering.

    So why was the telegenic Jake or any other of the TeeVee newsies there at all emoting very sage? “Because they’re on television, dummy,” as Network’s Arthur Jensen would quip.

    Time for these television news readers- who are NOT journalists- to put down the mirror and realize that they’ve morphed into being a ‘yuuuuge’ part of the problem.

    “Cassius was right, the fault dear Brutus is not in our stars, but in ourselves. Good night, and good luck.” – Edward R. Murrow

    DCSCA (797bc0)

  24. BTW, Ana Marie Cox is the founder of Wonkette. The site which asked the serious journalistic question whether Michelle Malkin “does the thing with the ping pong balls”. So that should tell you something about this interview and Jake Tapper too.

    nk (dbc370)

  25. This is why they are letting the solon out of his glass case, as with manbearpig, and the petard debunked in 23

    narciso (679a10)

  26. Col.:
    The networks particularly CNN should retire the term Breaking News unless it is the very first mention of the story a la those Special Reports that would show up on the 3 free networks pre 1990s. Seeing Breaking News banners for several hours old stories gets on me as much as the bottom of screen tickers.

    urbanleftbehind (a2f607)

  27. Associating the word “breaking” with CNN makes me want to break something mething over their collective head.

    Colonel Haiku (94464c)

  28. Wow… Something over their collective head

    Colonel Haiku (94464c)

  29. 23. Whatever degree the shop owner gets implicated (falsely), maybe Bharara can get back in good graces with the present administration by doing a solid for that guy. Be the “D.A.: Desi Avenger”. Sunny being sought for the Pilot.

    urbanleftbehind (a2f607)

  30. Texans Beware!!! There’s an attack on your freedom launched from within!!!

    https://www.texastribune.org/2017/03/12/rep-farrar-bill/

    Colonel Haiku (94464c)

  31. ‘Well there”s been a shooting over in that neck of the woods, but they are insulated from said consequences

    narciso (67b23d)

  32. A bleg, please. What do you guys use to keep your microwave from reading your mind?

    nk (dbc370)

  33. Any sufficiently advanced, “voice controlled”, device that can connect to the internet, can be hacked so as to be available for data mining.

    felipe (023cc9)

  34. That’s what I said, felipe. So how do people prevent their microwaves from putting their brain waves on the internet and read by hackers?

    nk (dbc370)

  35. Aluminum foil works. That’s why microwave ovens hate the stuff so much.

    John Hitchcock (db41bf)

  36. tapper uses the anecdote about his 7 year old to infer that President Trump is being “childish” but, I think the more significant issue is he can’t even fool a 7 year old.

    Jim (a9b7c7)

  37. nk (dbc370) — 3/13/2017 @ 8:42 am

    how do people prevent their microwaves from putting their brain waves on the internet and read by hackers?

    1) They can’t read brainwaves. For that it is necessary to touch the scalp.

    2) Nobody knows how to interpret brainwaves, and it’s probably different for different people. You can only tell the most general things. Like if someone is asleep for instance.

    Sammy Finkelman (6f9f42)

  38. AZ Bob (f7a491) — 3/12/2017 @ 8:10 pm

    – The Benghazi attack was in response to a You Tube video.

    Yes, the media was on top of them.

    They were on top of it. How long was it till they had retract the “spontaneous attack” story?

    It was being questioned the very first day. Was there any media that took that at face value?

    Sammy Finkelman (6f9f42)

  39. It only works with dogs hence the cute sketch with jihansen.

    narciso (d1f714)

  40. Here’s a fact check they missed. The media is hammering Trump for firing the local US Attorneys. Did anyone bother to look back eight years to see what Obama did. Then the press called it routine replacements.

    AZ Bob (f7a491)

  41. Zuckerberg uses tape, not foil.

    http://www.laptopmag.com/articles/cover-up-laptop-webcam

    Harkin (eb0b95)

  42. Yes but the beta rays (captain America) get through that way.

    narciso (d1f714)

  43. “It was being questioned the very first day. Was there any media that took that at face value?”

    Are you serious?

    Colonel Haiku (94464c)

  44. “It was being questioned the very first day. Was there any media that took that at face value?”

    Susan Rice went on all five Sunday shows and blamed the video. I don’t remember much pushback, just acquiescence to help put out the party line.

    Harkin (eb0b95)

  45. Shirley he isn’t coronello,

    narciso (d1f714)

  46. No one is listening

    I think the media –especially the media of the Left ruined their credibility–quite awhile ago, and that happened before trump. I think the point of no return was Benghazi.

    Another thing that has happened is that we are now John Edward’s Two Americas with two separate medias.
    No one on the Right listens much to the media of Liberal America, and again that started happening before Trump. The media and the Democrats are united on one thing–they don’t think Benghazi mattered–guess again Jake.

    Rae Sremmurd (2fd998)

  47. One of the funders of the pet minding machine wants to shoot the dog. She has a gun. That kind of reminds me of another characetr on a TV shows who surprisngly has a gun, This is the woman H.G. Wells met in Time and Again on ABC Sundays

    (Somehow the idea is that H.G. Wells not only wrote a book about a time machine, but he actually built one before he wrote any of his books. Just one of the plot absurdities. Anyway she also had a gun, (explained as being given to her by her father because she was from Texas – no one notices that that would be illegal unless she’s got really good connections) But she seems to have forgotten that by the next week’s episode. Maybe she only keeps it at home.

    The writers seem to be ing more and more loose ends every show! Now there’s three other people, could be sets of people, who know about H.G. Wells, the time machine and Jack the Ripper before being told. (We have four so far, including the woman who sticks a hypodermic needle into the neck of Jack the Ripper before he can kill her with a knife.)

    And they seem to have forgotten that Central Park existed in 1893. Wells would know abouty iut – he might not know anything where it was. There are otehr things taht Wells shouldn’t know. like the word “subatomic.”

    Oh, and this is crazy time machine. It seems that if soembody moves the time machine, then the place where the time machine is moved to is where anyone using it goes when they go to a specific date. And that’s why, in his future, and another character’s past, Welles told a woman to find it and move it from London to New York, so taht he can show up in New York, and maybe we’ll see that in next week’s episode, if the writers are interested in clearing up loose ends, rather than creating new ones.

    And it has a perfectly ordinary HUGE metal key, which nobody has the brains to duplicate or counterfeit. OK, Jack the Ripper can demand the original because he doesn’t know what is essential, but for everyone else it is ireplaceable? But a rare gem isn’t.

    Sammy Finkelman (6f9f42)

  48. http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/week-transcript-us-ambassador-united-nations-susan-rice/story?id=17240933

    I see Jake Tapper asks a number of questions, particularly about security, but he doesn’t challenge her on the video story, but it also comes to him as a surpise.

    TAPPER: So, first of all, what is the latest you can tell us on who these attackers were at the embassy or at the consulate in Benghazi? We’re hearing that the Libyans have arrested people. They’re saying that some people involved were from outside the country, that there might have even been Al Qaida ties. What’s the latest information?

    RICE: Well, Jake, first of all, it’s important to know that there’s an FBI investigation that has begun and will take some time to be completed. That will tell us with certainty what transpired.

    But our current best assessment, based on the information that we have at present, is that, in fact, what this began as, it was a spontaneous — not a premeditated — response to what had transpired in Cairo. In Cairo, as you know, a few hours earlier, there was a violent protest that was undertaken in reaction to this very offensive video that was disseminated.

    We believe that folks in Benghazi, a small number of people came to the embassy to — or to the consulate, rather, to replicate the sort of challenge that was posed in Cairo. And then as that unfolded, it seems to have been hijacked, let us say, by some individual clusters of extremists who came with heavier weapons, weapons that as you know in — in the wake of the revolution in Libya are — are quite common and accessible. And it then evolved from there.

    We’ll wait to see exactly what the investigation finally confirms, but that’s the best information we have at present.

    TAPPER: Why was there such a security breakdown? Why was there not better security at the compound in Benghazi? Why were there not U.S. Marines at the embassy in Tripoli? …

    TAPPER: And, Brian, you heard them talk about the YouTube video. You heard Dr. Rice talk about the YouTube video. They’re hanging a lot on this YouTube video. You’ve been looking into the guy behind — some of the — the filmmaker, the main filmmaker behind it. What was his motivation? Why did he, first of all, initially falsely claim to be a Jew, an Israeli Jew? And what was he trying to do with this video?

    ROSS: Clearly he was trying to stir things up with his false claims that he was an Israeli Jew, as he put it, that the money for this came from Jewish donors. In fact, the money came from his wife’s family in Egypt, and he was attempting just to stir things up, I think, with this very provocative film. [The idea the money came is the stupidiest kind of a cover-up theer is, the money probabnly came from the Moslem Brotherhood or its allies. -SF]

    TAPPER: He’s a Coptic Christian. [I don’t know if anybody knows even now what his background really is – SF]

    ROSS: Coptic Christian — the issues in Egypt between Coptic Christians and extremist Muslims. But he sought to create a hate film. The film was never really produced, just the trailer that was put on YouTube. [He sought to create something that could be exploited by the Moslem Brotherhood or other Islamacists and there is no other reasonable explanation possible for the existence and the uploading of this video. As a bonus, they could hate Jews too. Now exactly who would be interested in that? -SF]

    Sammy Finkelman (6f9f42)

  49. However, Jonah Goldberg is correct about something.

    Obama lied and was inconsistent and charmed his way to the Presidency. The Left ended up with their Cult of Personality.

    The Right now has theirs. That’s what happens when you go down the road Jonah describes. The Flight 93 piece might have been about Dems of a more rational nature coming over and hijacking The Republican party, and– as the Trump team insisted– when meeting with the Congressional Republicans–it is now–“The Trump Party”. (Whatever that means, to be later determined.)

    So what Dana describes is very dangerous. A party is no longer based on a well argued template of philosophical ideals but–the musings of one man and how well he can sell it.

    Obama damaged his party, does Republicanism survive Trump?

    If we continue down the road that Jonah Goldberg describes–are you forced to simply find the best liar? Almost always he will be most, and best motivated to lie for his own ideals–whatever they might be. We’re not even sure if Trump will stay aboard his own train.
    (His appointments have been good, but it is still less than two months, we’ll have to stay on the sidelines and watch. Trump threatening to primary those that vote against the TrumpCare bill he doesn’t want to own–that looks–“unique”.)

    Rae Sremmurd (2fd998)

  50. http://www.cbsnews.com/news/face-the-nation-transcripts-september-16-2012-libyan-pres-magariaf-amb-rice-and-sen-mccain

    Bob Schieffer does challenge her. He had a guest that said soemthing else.

    BOB SCHIEFFER: And joining us now, Susan Rice, the U.N. ambassador, our U.N. ambassador. Madam Ambassador, he [the president of Libya’s National Congress, Mohamed Magariaf] says this is something that has been in the planning stages for months. I understand you have been saying that you think it was spontaneous? Are we not on the same page here?

    SUSAN RICE (Ambassador to the United Nations): 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 and–

    BOB SCHIEFFER (overlapping): But they are not there.

    SUSAN RICE: They are not on the ground yet, but they have already begun looking at all sorts of evidence of– 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 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–

    BOB SCHIEFFER: Mm-Hm.

    SUSAN RICE: –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– 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.

    [Bob Schieffer then argues with her]

    BOB SCHIEFFER: But you do not agree with him that this was something that had been plotted out several months ago?

    SUSAN RICE: We do not– we do not have information at present that leads us to conclude that this was premeditated or preplanned.

    BOB SCHIEFFER: Do you agree or disagree with him that al Qaeda had some part in this?

    SUSAN 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.

    Sammy Finkelman (6f9f42)

  51. Jake Tapper was one of the first reporters that the people in the know leaked to about Ambassador Stevens emails requesting materials for defense of the Consulate, etc.

    Tapper–did not broadcast it, he essentially buried it.

    Also remember election night when he said something like –“what to WE need”, instead of–“what does HILLARY need”.

    Tapper isn’t the man most thought he was.

    Rae Sremmurd (2fd998)

  52. Trump is now saying there will be a (political) bloodbath if they don’t repeal Obamacare. He seems more amenable to amendments than Speaker Paul Ryan. Ryan is arguing that his bill (which someone on a Sunday show said was not the same thing he was talking about before) is the only thing that can pass.

    Rand Paul is saying there can’t be any negotiations until the bill fails, and Sen Cotton asks House republicans not to walk the plank and vote for a bill that can’t pass the Senate. (can’t the Senate stop it too?)

    Ryan also thinks he can’t get to tax reform until Obamacare is tajen care of. Obamacare is abit more important.

    The truth is, they would be OK if they came up with an excellent bill but the Democrats opposed it and then they ran in 2018 on the basis of that bill. Maybe to head that off, there would be soemthing that got some Democratic votes.

    Also they’ll have to fold in some tax reforms or changes into the bill, and maybe as well immigration.

    Sammy Finkelman (6f9f42)

  53. Note there were protests going about the video at otehr places that weekend. That was part of the cpverup. By the terrorists.

    In Benghazi, though there had been no protest, just a surprise attack, although the terrorists claimed tyaht night there had been a protest about the video and they had been shot at. And the protest in Cairo was apparently not really about the video but about releasing sheik Omar Abdul rahman (who recently doed in jail)

    The Sept 16 2012 protests, organized all over the Islamic world, are something else again. They were part of a giant coverup to make it look like there had bene aprotest in Benghazi.

    Sammy Finkelman (6f9f42)

  54. http://www.nbcnews.com/id/49051097/ns/meet_the_press-transcripts/t/september-benjamin-netanyahu-susan-rice-keith-ellison-peter-king-bob-woodward-jeffrey-goldberg-andrea-mitchell/#.WMbQ62eQzct

    Here is pushback on Meet the Press, September 16, 2012: (although Susan Rice seems to get David gregory to concede the point)

    GREGORY: Well, let’s talk– talk about– well, you talked about this as spontaneous. Can you say definitively that the attacks on– on our consulate in Libya that killed ambassador Stevens and others there security personnel, that was spontaneous, was it a planned attack? Was there a terrorist element to it?

    MS. RICE: Well, let us– let me tell you the– the best information we have at present. First of all, there’s an FBI investigation which is ongoing. And we look to that investigation to give us the definitive word as to what transpired. But putting together the best information that we have available to us today our current assessment is that what happened in Benghazi was in fact initially a spontaneous reaction to what had just transpired hours before in Cairo, almost a copycat of– of the demonstrations against our facility in Cairo, which were prompted, of course, by the video. What we think then transpired in Benghazi is that opportunistic extremist elements came to the consulate as this was unfolding. They came with heavy weapons which unfortunately are readily available in post revolutionary Libya. And it escalated into a much more violent episode. Obviously, that’s– that’s our best judgment now. We’ll await the results of the investigation. And the president has been very clear–we’ll work with the Libyan authorities to bring those responsible to justice.

    GREGORY: Was there a failure here that this administration is responsible for, whether it’s an intelligence failure, a failure to see this coming, or a failure to adequately protect U.S. embassies and installations from a spontaneous kind of reaction like this?

    MS. RICE: David, I don’t think so. First of all we had no actionable intelligence to suggest that– that any attack on our facility in Benghazi was imminent. In Cairo, we did have indications that there was the risk that the video might spark some– some protests and our embassy, in fact, acted accordingly, and had called upon the Egyptian authorities to– to reinforce our facility. What we have seen as– with respect to the security response, obviously we had security personnel in Benghazi, a– a significant number, and tragically, among those four that were killed were two of our security personnel. But what happened, obviously, overwhelmed the security we had in place which is why the president ordered additional reinforcements to Tripoli and– and why elsewhere in the world we have been working with governments to ensure they take up their obligations to protect us and we reinforce where necessary.

    GREGORY: The president and the secretary of state have talked about a mob mentality. That’s my words, not their words, but they talked about the– the tyranny of mobs operating in this part of the world. Here’s the reality, if you look at foreign aid–U.S. direct foreign aid to the two countries involved here, in Libya and Egypt, this is what you’d see: two hundred million since 2011 to Libya, over a billion a year to Egypt and yet Americans are seeing these kinds of protests and attacks on our own diplomats. Would– what do you say to members of congress who are now weighing whether to suspend our aid to these countries if this is the response that America gets?

    MS. RICE: Well, first of all, David, let’s put this in perspective. As I said, this is a response to a– a very offensive video. It’s not the first time that American facilities have come under attack in the Middle East, going back to 1982 in– in Beirut, going back to the Khobar Towers in– in Saudi Arabia, or even the attack on our embassy in 2008 in Yemen.

    GREGORY: Or Iran in 1979.

    MS. RICE: This has– this has happened in the past, but there– and so I don’t think that– that we should misunderstand what this is. The reason we provide aid in Egypt and in Libya is because it serves American interests because the relationships…

    GREGORY: But– but our Americans are not being served if this is the response.

    MS. RICE: It serves our interests to have Egypt willing and able to– to maintain its peace treaty with Israel, it servers our interest for Egypt to continue to be a strong partner. Now, let’s be clear, the government, once President Obama called President Morsi, immediately in Egypt the security forces came out and have provided very significant protection. Same in Tunisia, same in Libya, same in Yemen. And all of these leaders have very forcefully conveyed their condemnation of what has transpired.

    GREGORY: But there were conflicting messages from the Morsi government. In Arabic they encourage protests, in English they said stop the protests. This from an ally that we give over a billion dollars?

    MS. RICE: What has happened in fact is that the Egyptian government has come out and protected our facilities. Our embassy is open today, things are calm….

    Sammy Finkelman (6f9f42)

  55. I think Mr. Tapper knows who signs his paycheck and that if he stops looking for ways to bring down Trump he has no future at CNN, is what I think. What do you all think?

    nk (dbc370)

  56. New York Times story published the next day:

    http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/17/world/middleeast/video-appears-to-show-libyans-retrieving-envoys-body.html

    The video [of what appeared to be crowd removing the motionless body of Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens from a window of the American mission in Benghazi, Libya] emerged as a new disagreement broke out between the recently named president of the Libyan Parliament and American officials over whether the attack was planned and whether Al Qaeda had a role.

    Now it probably wasn’t really al Qaeda, but the links were elesewhere.

    Sammy Finkelman (6f9f42)

  57. Sept 16, 2012, on CNN, Susan Rice links the events in Benghazi to other protests (which really were about the video. As part of the cover-up I say, because the terrorists sponserss didn’t want the U.S. to investigate who was behind it)

    http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/1209/16/sotu.01.html

    Sammy Finkelman (6f9f42)

  58. I think Mr. Tapper knows who signs his paycheck and that if he stops looking for ways to bring down Trump he has no future at CNN, is what I think. What do you all think?
    nk (dbc370) — 3/13/2017 @ 10:47 am

    **************

    It was evident people worked hard (and risked a lot) to get him evidence on Benghazi while he was at ABC.

    So–quite possible both ABC and CNN are corrupt, or Jake Tapper is.

    But add to that his Freudian slip on election night where he said “WE” instead of DEMS–or her Highness Hillary.

    The problem is most likely with Jake, but surrounded by the Left’s media elite– he think’s he is not half bad.

    Rae Sremmurd (2fd998)

  59. Sammeh… the Obama administration didn’t want the real info about who was behind the attack known because they thought it would adversely affect the Nov-’12 election.

    Colonel Haiku (94464c)

  60. I haven’t read all your comments on this thread, but have you mentioned that obvious conclusion?

    Colonel Haiku (94464c)

  61. The Obama Administration thought the idea that the attack was spontaneous and that there was nobody behind the attack was the truth and wanted to get the word out.

    (Hillary knew better but she wasn’t arguing.)

    Sammy Finkelman (6f9f42)

  62. Yes Al queda was on the run, toward us. And their local affiliate,
    Had taken out an ambassador

    narciso (d1f714)

  63. Benjamin Rhodes, deputy national security adviser for strategic communication, a former speechwriter who coined the term “kinetic military action, and wrote a lot of Obama’s recent end of the war on terror speech, saying:

    http://i42.tinypic.com/2wflqn8.jpg

    There is a ton of wrong information geting out into the public domain from Congress from people who are not particularly informed….we need to have the capacity to correct the record, as there are significant policy and messaging ramifications that would flow from a hardened misimpression.

    The idea that there was a spontaneous attack didn’t come from the White hosue – it came from the CIA.

    Sammy Finkelman (6f9f42)

  64. The organizer if the Rhodesia road show re Iran a similar move toward the. Castro brothers

    narciso (d1f714)

  65. I guess Obama read about it in the newspaper… eh, Sammy?

    Colonel Haiku (94464c)

  66. For you to think that Susan Rice Sunday Circus wasn’t a coordinated effort with all dissembles in on it is sort of laughable.

    Colonel Haiku (94464c)

  67. CNN is the Gateway Pundit of cable news.

    Colonel Haiku (2601c0) — 3/12/2017 @ 7:02 pm

    Colonel Sanders is the village idiot of Paterico’s Pontifications.

    Tillman (a95660)

  68. #72
    tillwoman is jealous of colonel
    because colonel can skillfully write haiku

    whereas tillwoman can only write bad checks
    and public bathroom graffiti

    Cruz Supporter (102c9a)

  69. Better go check that microwave of yours Trump Supporter, it’s listening to you again.

    Tillman (a95660)

  70. tillman’s panties bunched
    teeth grinding sausage fingers
    his mom’s in bad mood

    Colonel Haiku (94464c)

  71. Colonel Corn, you do realize makeup isn’t going to fix your stupidity?

    Tillman (a95660)

  72. Keep it going, coronello.

    I’m not making this up. The Arizona band was going to win the battle of the bands in 1941. but the final was going to be in late December. Guess what screwed that up? As I mentioned they died to a man at their battle station feeding ammunition to turret one when a bomb hit in exactly the wrong place.

    The USS California’s band survived. And Joe Rochefort, the code breaker, recruited them as they weren’t doing much. There’s maybe a correlation between music and code breaking.

    ?
    ?

    Steve57 (0b1dac)

  73. My computer keeps leaving artifacts.

    Steve57 (0b1dac)

  74. When the Brits sank the Bismark, it was because the Germans never believed anyone would attack a battleship at less than 100 knots.

    https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/image_data/file/12393/45155479.jpg

    The sad thing is there are more combat aircraft flying in Britain in commemorial museums than in the Royal Navy.

    Beechcraft Avenger (Training aircraft)
    Hawker Siddeley Hawk (Training aircraft)
    Grob Tutor (Training aircraft)
    F-35B (Not yet in service)

    Steve57 (0b1dac)

  75. CNN has been ‘breaking’ news for years thanks to Zucker.

    ” ‘The History of Comedy’ … THIS is CNN.”

    DCSCA (797bc0)

  76. Fixed wing. The RN flies helos.

    Steve57 (0b1dac)

  77. 70. Colonel Haiku (94464c) — 3/13/2017 @ 11:59 am

    I guess Obama read about it in the newspaper… eh, Sammy?

    The CIA told him it was spontaneous.

    Adam Schiff, the ranking Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee. and also a member of Select Committee on Benghazi (Gowdy Committee which stumbled on her secret email server) said on Face the Nation on Sunday, October 25,2015. that Hillary Clinton would have been justly criticized had she contradicted the CIA (in September 2012) about the attack in Benghazi being spontaneous:

    criticized:

    http://www.cbsnews.com/news/face-the-nation-transcripts-october-25-trump-christie-nunes-schiff/

    And we did an investigation, that Devin was a part of that, in the intelligence committee, that looked at, frankly, each of these conflicting streams of intelligence as they came in. The early claims by Ansar al-Sharia responsibility that were very quickly followed with human intelligence, signals intelligence, open source reporting, that there was a protest. It wasn’t until about eight to ten days after the events where we actually got the tapes from the compound that we could see quite demonstrably on those tapes that there had been no protests. But it was the — the considered judgment, the assessment of the intelligence experts for that week until we got those tapes, that there had been a protest. And that turned out to be wrong.

    But to criticize Secretary Clinton for relying on the best of intelligence that we had at the time seemed to be wholly inappropriate. Had she had spoken, frankly, in contradiction of what our intelligence agencies were telling her, that might be something to criticize. [!!?] But the fact that, as she related, and as Ambassador Rice and others related, the information at the time, it was the best information we had. And the fact that that was wrong initially doesn’t change the fact that they were reflecting the best that we knew at the time.

    As IK said on Nov 29, 2015:

    Who do you beleive? The intelligence agencies or what you know from your own people?

    What Adam Schiff was talking about was, of course, not the BEST INFORMATION but the MOST HIGHLY RATED information – which is not at all the same thing.

    Comment 19 here: https://patterico.com/2015/11/29/michael-walsh-hillarys-million-little-lies/

    People are just not picking this thing up. The whole story that Susan Rice told originated wth the CIA, and ultimately, with the terrorists. It was one of their cover stories. It did not originate in the White House.

    Sammy Finkelman (6f9f42)

  78. 71. Colonel Haiku (94464c) — 3/13/2017 @ 12:00 pm

    For you to think that Susan Rice Sunday Circus wasn’t a coordinated effort with all dissembles in on it is sort of laughable.

    They didn’t think, and they couldn’t have thought, it was a lie. And it blew up in their faces and they would have known it would if they knew it was a lie..

    Sammy Finkelman (6f9f42)

  79. Following a crash in August 2009, all Sea Harriers were temporarily grounded for inspection.[81] Since the beginning of operational service in the Indian Navy, seven pilots have died in 17 crashes involving the Sea Harrier, usually during routine sorties

    I once mentored some Italian aviators.

    https://theaviationist.com/2013/08/11/italian-harrier-a-a-training/

    I had nothing to do with the crashes.

    Steve57 (0b1dac)

  80. The pronlem was,Obama and company relied on the CIA, and didn’t read the newspapers. (or ddidn’t rely on it.

    That’s why they were fooled.

    Sammy Finkelman (6f9f42)

  81. I was on duty that weekend.

    Steve57 (0b1dac)

  82. I mentored them by telling them not to go to Tijuana.

    Steve57 (0b1dac)

  83. @84 Steve 57

    If the sky is brown and the ground is blue you are upside down or over Mumbai.

    Pinandpuller (a9c3fd)

  84. I’ll let you in on a secret. No I won’t.

    Steve57 (0b1dac)

  85. Italian aviators need to be told not to go to Tijuana. I’ve never doubted the bravery of the elite Italian forces. And neither should anyone.

    The Parachusti Folgore fought until they ran out of bullets. They wouldn’t quit until they were granted the privilege at El Alamein of Honore del Arme. The Honor of Arms. They marched out with their arms.
    t
    They marched out with their weapons.

    https://pictureshistory.blogspot.com/2014/09/italian-soldiers-in-second-world-war.html

    Italians flew their three engined bombers like fighters. The Italians pioneered naval special warfare,.La Flotiglia Decima Mas.

    What’s the point? Never underestimate your enemy.

    Steve57 (0b1dac)

  86. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XGWbRonIBGg
    ye

    The Italian parachust’s prayer

    Steve57 (0b1dac)

  87. Is Sammy making this up?

    I read Rhodes changed the talking points from the original CIA draft based on news from Egypt and stuffed it down the CIAs throat.

    But Petreus never ever believed the video BS.

    Given how political the CIA is …. I am sure many minions were happy to suspend all logic and reason in favor of crazy fully stock at the 2012 WH.

    Blah blah (8bfae7)

  88. Take ‘noodlehead need price for instance, as part of the rocket surgeon crew also Marie larf, real life reese witherspoon was in the CIA, (scared yet)

    narciso (d1f714)

  89. The motivation matters, if you’re searching for truth, fine. But I’m not cheerleading the search for facts to “bring a guy down”

    That’s what the media seems to have gotten out of All the President’s Men, that they’re the heroes and Republicans are the villains.

    JH (1fc204)

  90. 83… Sammy… wow, just when I thought you weren’t really meaning what you’ve asserted, as it is to laugh about, you go and double down. This was the Obama admin, not the Gump administration.

    Colonel Haiku (94464c)

  91. What do you not understand, Sammy, about the media always being all in for pushing the Democrats’ talking points/narrative especially when re-election of a Democrat is at stake?

    Colonel Haiku (94464c)


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