Visitor Logs: Obama Had “Debate Prep” Meeting on September 11, 2012, the Day of the Benghazi Attack [UPDATED With Major Update]
Where was President Obama during the Benghazi crisis? Some GOP senators want to know:
Republican senators on Friday put pressure on President Obama to confirm his whereabouts during the night of the Benghazi attack, after an ex-White House spokesman revived the debate by telling Fox News he was not in the Situation Room.
The detail about the president’s location the night of the attack is just one of many revelations that have, in a matter of days, kicked up the controversy to a level not seen since last year. After new emails were released raising questions about the White House response to the attack, a key panel on Friday subpoenaed Secretary of State John Kerry and House Speaker John Boehner announced a special investigative committee.
On Friday afternoon, three GOP senators wrote a letter to Obama asking about his whereabouts and spokesman Tommy Vietor’s comments to Fox News.
“Last night, the former Communications Director for the National Security Council, Tommy Vietor, stated that on the afternoon and night of September 11, 2012 — while the U.S. mission in Benghazi, Libya was under attack — that you never visited the White House Situation Room to monitor events,” they wrote.
Claiming that Americans still do not have an “accounting of your activities during the attack,” the senators asked him to confirm Vietor’s account. The letter was signed by Sens. John McCain, R-Ariz.; Lindsey Graham, R-S.C.; and Kelly Ayotte, R-N.H.
Here is an interesting tidbit from the White House Visitor Logs for 9/11/12: Obama met with three people, at an unknown time, for “debate prep.” (BUT SEE the “MAJOR UPDATE” below: while it’s clear that Obama’s debate prep people visited, it’s not clear from official records whether they met with Obama.)
(Click image for larger view.)
You may click the link here and see for yourself. Do it quick, before they scrub it. It says “3 meet with Potus [President of the United States] NO TIME LISTED 9-11-12.”
Interesting, no?
I looked up these three folks, and put the information I found on this page. In short, all three have backgrounds in debate coaching and connections to Joe Biden.
However, the logs clearly appear to indicate a visit with President Obama.
Oddly, the logs do not indicate a time of day for this meeting — but one would assume that debate preparation could be extensive and time-consuming.
I expect Big Media to be remarkably incurious about this tidbit.
I wonder if the Senators will be at all curious.
UPDATE: This is looking more and more significant as the evidence comes in. Here is the President’s official schedule for September 11, 2012. (H/t carlitos and reader M.R.) Obama appears to have been gone from the White House for much of the early part of the day. He observed a moment of silence on the South Lawn; visited the Pentagon Memorial; visited veterans at Walter Reed in Bethesda; returned to the White House; and met with Leon Panetta at 5 p.m. There are not too many holes in his schedule during the day — increasing the chances that the “debate prep” took place in the evening, after the meeting with Panetta . . . in other words, when the Benghazi attack was unfolding.
UPDATE x2: Thanks to Hot Air and Andy at Ace’s place for the links.
UPDATE x3: This WSJ piece from 9-18-12 confirms Ron Klain was Obama’s debate advisor: “Mr. Obama’s debate preparation is being coordinated by Ron Klain, former chief of staff to Vice President Joe Biden, according to a campaign official.” (Thanks again to M.R.) Reporters? Time to start posing some pointed questions.
UPDATE x4: I should note: I don’t know exactly who wrote this: “3 meet with Potus [President of the United States] NO TIME LISTED 9-11-12.” The language appears on data.gov, a federal database — and it appears clear that the debate preppers visited the White House. But I don’t know with any certainty who added the detail that they met with Obama. I do know that some reporter should ask.
UPDATE x5: The meeting took place at the “VPR” which means “Vice Presidential Residence.” This gives some credence to the theory that this was Biden debate prep and not Obama debate prep — but there is still that pesky detail about the link on data.gov that states “3 meet with Potus [President of the United States] NO TIME LISTED 9-11-12.” Was Obama participating in vice presidential debate prep — or conducting his own debate prep?? Meanwhile, I am investigating whether the “meet with Potus” language could somehow be user-generated — i.e. a notation by a user of the database rather than a custodian of the database. “Developing,” as they say . . .
MAJOR UPDATE: A reader has just confirmed that a user can save a data set and give it any name they wish — meaning that the “3 meet with Potus” language may have been generated by a user and cannot be considered authoritative. The data is accurate: Obama’s debate prep guy Ron Klain and two other debate prep people visited to conduct “debate prep.” But it can’t be ruled out that the “debate prep” was for Biden.
A reader links to this interesting post which shows the President and Biden together, out of the decision-making loop, taking calls from Netanyahu and such, from 6:30 to almost 7:30 p.m.
We still don’t know where Obama was after that. All we know is: he was not in the Situation Room.
I doubt this will be the last you’ll hear of this, folks.
Patterico (9c670f) — 5/2/2014 @ 11:52 pmhe’s just such a nasty lil fascist whore ain’t he
yeesh
I don’t know how to help you people
you kinda did this to yourselves
and it’s kinda up to you murkans to fick it
why don’t y’all start making that kinda something of a prioritah
chop chop
happyfeet (8ce051) — 5/3/2014 @ 12:37 amand we’ll be up all night keepin up the moon
happyfeet (8ce051) — 5/3/2014 @ 12:38 amya, he was prepping with candy crowley.
mg (31009b) — 5/3/2014 @ 1:10 amI figure Obama was with the others, listening in on the NSA’s Romney taps, to see how the Benghazi thing was playing politically with the other side.
After all, re-election was far more important than the lives of some mere soldiers.
Kevin M (b357ee) — 5/3/2014 @ 1:39 amDonilon is one spooky ghoul.
gary gulrud (e2cef3) — 5/3/2014 @ 1:59 amBigger than Watergate from any angle you choose.
gary gulrud (e2cef3) — 5/3/2014 @ 2:18 amReally, gary? And here I was thinking he was one ghoulish spook.
Anyway, I’m starting to understand. Obama was busy drafting a press release on September 10th 2012 to brag about what a great job he was doing. And September 11th 2012 was consumed by preparing to debate about what a great job he was doing.
But between that and golf he just didn’t have time to actually get around to doing his job.
Steve57 (525198) — 5/3/2014 @ 5:01 amDonilon’s not a spook, he was a Fanny Mae connected bankster, and a protege of the ‘mummy’ Warren Christopher, turtles all the way down,
narciso (3fec35) — 5/3/2014 @ 5:37 amI wasn’t being serious. There’s only one qualification anyone needs to work for Obama and it has nothing to do with experience.
Steve57 (525198) — 5/3/2014 @ 5:44 amPart of the wretched hive;
http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/national-security-advisor-tom-donilon/story?id=11836229
narciso (3fec35) — 5/3/2014 @ 5:52 amParanoid much?
Here’s the published schedule for that day. I re-filtered the data by “appointment start date” as shown in the screengrab and those were indeed the only visitors scheduled for September 11, 2012.
8:45 am || Observes a moment of silence to mark the 11th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks; South Lawn
carlitos (e7c734) — 5/3/2014 @ 6:10 am9:30 am || Attends September 11th Observance Ceremony; The Pentagon
2:15 pm || Visits with wounded warriors who are being treated at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center; Bethesda, Maryland
5:00 pm || Meets with Secretary of Defense Panetta; Oval Office
When if he meet with Donilon, Klein and Ginsburg, I don’t see a time,
narciso (3fec35) — 5/3/2014 @ 6:28 amI don’t think discussing the capture of an Ambassador and the demands of his/her captors is practicably scheduled.
Might well have require preparation but a cram session the day of? Unlikely.
gary gulrud (e2cef3) — 5/3/2014 @ 6:32 amAt this point everyone accepts that Oblahblah armed the Al Qaeda franchise and was attempting to recycle some of the surplus in Syria.
What hasn’t been grasped to date is that the Ambassador was in town as faux serendipity.
gary gulrud (e2cef3) — 5/3/2014 @ 6:40 amCarlitos, I don’t think I’m being unduly harsh on the guy. The Islamists were issuing press releases in the days leading up to the Cairo riot of September 11 2012 like this:
http://pjmedia.com/tatler/2012/09/10/jihadis-threaten-to-burn-u-s-embassy-in-cairo/
These things don’t just happen. Is it possible that a Florida pastor burns a Koran, a crowd gathers spontaneously in Indonesia? No, actually.
And the Obama administration issued this press release on September 10.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2012/09/10/readout-president-s-meeting-senior-administration-officials-our-prepared
I love that “our prepared.” Could the administration advertise more thoroughly they can’t find their @$$ with either hand? Our administration “our prepared.” Not.
Carlitos, they had something to go on. I’ll grant you your schedule. It makes my point. Despite all the talking, what did they do?
Steve57 (525198) — 5/3/2014 @ 6:43 amAs with Friday the 13th, the 25th of Shawwal, is not a propicious day to do anything, my oft stated view, that Benghazi was part of a coordinated attack, much like Tet,
narciso (3fec35) — 5/3/2014 @ 6:43 amSteve57 – You understand that “our prepared” only appeared in a URL because of the character maximum, right? The phrase in the release was “our preparedness.”
Otherwise, how does a threatened attack on the Cairo embassy to avenge the “Egyptian Umma” relate to Benghazi?
carlitos (e7c734) — 5/3/2014 @ 6:54 ambecause it was orchestrated by Ansar Al Sharia, with the real tape, that practically was not referenced,
narciso (3fec35) — 5/3/2014 @ 6:57 am17. Please expatiate. Have not 9-ll, 3-ll, on the infidel’s calendar become propitious dates for ecstatic rites of sodomy?
gary gulrud (e2cef3) — 5/3/2014 @ 6:58 amDo tell.
carlitos (e7c734) — 5/3/2014 @ 7:06 amHere is the guest list for the party Obama had the night of Benghazi
http://www.unslaveamerica.com/
KenyanBornObama (fd2bfb) — 5/3/2014 @ 7:13 amOn the twelfth Spokesmodel O’Gump had a crucial assembly to Kali of his Green Shoots money launderers for corporate moral building and bookkeeping.
The drilling by his ‘debate’ gurus could simply be routine hedging against loss of TOTUS to highwaymen.
gary gulrud (e2cef3) — 5/3/2014 @ 7:17 amCharacter maximum.
“Our” fits but “are” doesn’t?
I don’t think I’m being unfair to the guy. Just by my own standards, I’d be embarrassed to issue this press release on September 10th:
Especially after I had my spokesman say on my behalf (admittedly not in immediate proximity):
How do you claim to have planned for everything, and demonstrate you haven’t even planned for the most predictable, and not be embarrassed? Like nobody could have seen that one coming.
http://hotair.com/greenroom/archives/2012/10/14/on-91112-u-s-marines-were-protecting-a-u-s-embassy-in-barbados/
Hello!
Steve57 (525198) — 5/3/2014 @ 7:18 am23. morale building, what an embarrassing failure MSSpellCheck.
gary gulrud (e2cef3) — 5/3/2014 @ 7:20 amIt’s a religion with these people. If only we have two state solution between the Israelis and the Palestinians. Then the Muslims will stop attacking the Buddhists in southern Thailand cuz of the Joooos. Or something.
Steve57 (525198) — 5/3/2014 @ 7:24 amReligion of Peace®
Colonel Haiku (2601c0) — 5/3/2014 @ 7:27 am“Outnumbered and fighting off wave after jihadist wave, Americans were left to die in Benghazi while administration officials huddled, not to devise a rescue strategy, but to spin the election-year politics. The most powerful and capable armed forces in the history of the world idled, looking not to their commander-in-chief but to a State Department that busied itself writing press releases about phantom Islamophobia. The president of the United States, the only constitutional official responsible for responding, was nowhere to be found.”
http://www.nationalreview.com/article/377137/awol-commander-chief-andrew-c-mccarthy
Colonel Haiku (2601c0) — 5/3/2014 @ 7:30 amThere is not nothing the Buddhists can’t screw up, Coronello.
Steve57 (525198) — 5/3/2014 @ 7:30 am26. Can’t wait for atheism to catch its stride here so we can be done with those Southern Baptists blowing the apostate 1st Presbyterians to Kingdom Come over their blasphemous two-stepping.
gary gulrud (e2cef3) — 5/3/2014 @ 7:32 amMarines ain’t stupid, Steve57. Barbados is much nicer than Benghazi. People even go to Barbados on vacation all the time. Libya, not so much.
elissa (49d595) — 5/3/2014 @ 7:33 amelissa, the last thing I’m going to do is call the Marines stupid. Mostly because they can beat me up.
If you’ll notice, I haven’t commented about the Navy SEAL’s level of intelligence either.
Because I hope to make it out of McP’s alive.
http://www.mcpspub.com/
Steve57 (525198) — 5/3/2014 @ 7:38 am28. The Ogabe WH would have operated seamlessly but for Val Jarrett’s day-long Keranique treatment.
gary gulrud (e2cef3) — 5/3/2014 @ 7:39 amActually some of the smartest guys I ever met were SEALs. It’s like rather than going ahead and getting their PhDs, they instead earned a doctorate about ways to f*** you up.
Steve57 (525198) — 5/3/2014 @ 7:46 am34. The idea that a couple of out-of-shape contractors could hustle a mile with gear on foot and torch approx. 60 committed ragheads, one by one, before carrying back the fallen to the Annex leads one to suppose that a couple of Special Forces ops from Tripoli might have turned the tide.
gary gulrud (e2cef3) — 5/3/2014 @ 7:51 amhttp://visit-syria.com/
Some parts of the country are completely safe.
Steve57 (525198) — 5/3/2014 @ 7:52 amgary, the military should stop hiring contractors who are so out of shape. Because what really is the point, if you’re going to let yourself go like that?
Steve57 (525198) — 5/3/2014 @ 7:59 amIf this were a Republican president, it would be on the front page of the NY Times for 30 straight days like the Benghazi story.
AZ Bob (533fbc) — 5/3/2014 @ 8:00 amExcept for the IT guy, Sean Smith, these were top flight operators,
narciso (3fec35) — 5/3/2014 @ 8:04 amStanley Ann taught her son never to speak with his mouth full. She was not a Momma to suffer a trifle.
gary gulrud (e2cef3) — 5/3/2014 @ 8:05 amStill not quite over this.
http://www.navytimes.com/article/20120307/NEWS/203070326/Crash-kills-pilot-who-blogged-Neptunus-Lex
Damn.
Steve57 (525198) — 5/3/2014 @ 8:06 amnarciso, I’d say Sean Smith was a top flight operator. Depending on what you wanted.
Steve57 (525198) — 5/3/2014 @ 8:07 amSo he wasn’t a trigger puller.
Steve57 (525198) — 5/3/2014 @ 8:09 amWell as compared to the rest, like Ewan MacGregor’s
narciso (3fec35) — 5/3/2014 @ 8:09 amcharacter in Black Hawk Down,
Woops. I mean Abu Ghraib was on the front page for 30 straight days.
AZ Bob (533fbc) — 5/3/2014 @ 8:10 amLonger then the flood in noah’s time,
narciso (3fec35) — 5/3/2014 @ 8:13 amImagine if everybody who is giving you a haircut or making your pizza is some ticked off guy who went to Ranger school, made the grade, and then…
Personally I’m glad there are people who join the military who want to be pastry chefs.
Steve57 (525198) — 5/3/2014 @ 8:19 amWe have a report that Obama was on the telephone in the Oval Office prior to the initial assault on the Ambassador’s diplomatic facility in Benghazi, thereafter his whereabouts are clouded in mystery for the 7+ hours during the extended attack.
Does anyone know where and when Obama’s next verifiable appearance occurs?
ropelight (4d873a) — 5/3/2014 @ 8:49 am48. I remember a ring to Bibi possibly after notification of pieceful(sic) demonstrations around and in the Consulate.
gary gulrud (e2cef3) — 5/3/2014 @ 9:03 amHelp me out, Carlitos. Give me an objective opinion.
How do you light up the night sky bragging in Neon that you are so smart? Then d*** it up like this?
I could have sent help across the Pacific in less time. The Med is basically a puddle. What is so hard? I mean, the entirety of NATO is on the opposite shore. Sixth Fleet. Jiminy Christmas.
I wasn’t even particularly good at my job. Still.
Steve57 (525198) — 5/3/2014 @ 9:22 am50. Are those gnats I hear, much too early for mosquitos?
gary gulrud (e2cef3) — 5/3/2014 @ 9:24 amI wasn’t bad at my job. Just average.
Steve57 (525198) — 5/3/2014 @ 9:31 amgary, speak plainly. The fact is the Benghazi fiasco p***es me off. It wouldn’t have happened on my watch. Not if I had a free hand. Not without a fight.
It comes from a mindset that thinks first after Nidal Hasan guns down his fellow soldiers, “Oh noes, I hope this doesn’t derail my diversity initiative.”
Steve57 (525198) — 5/3/2014 @ 9:39 amUPDATE: This is looking more and more significant as the evidence comes in. Here is the President’s official schedule for September 11, 2012. (H/t carlitos and reader M.R.) Obama appears to have been gone from the White House for much of the early part of the day. He observed a moment of silence on the South Lawn; visited the Pentagon Memorial; visited veterans at Walter Reed in Bethesda; returned to the White House; and met with Leon Panetta at 5 p.m. There are not too many holes in his schedule during the day — increasing the chances that the “debate prep” took place in the evening, after the meeting with Panetta . . . in other words, when the Benghazi attack was unfolding.
Patterico (9c670f) — 5/3/2014 @ 10:54 amConsidering how that first debate went, he should have done something else,
narciso (3fec35) — 5/3/2014 @ 11:08 amWhy do assume the President meet with these people?
These folks could have been prepping and gathering info for a meeting with POTUS at another time. Or meeting with other officials in the White House.
I’m still betting that the Prez was on the roof of the White House smoking hooch with his new gal pal.
Charles Vers (f26b0b) — 5/3/2014 @ 11:11 amCharles Vers:
It says “3 meet with Potus [President of the United States] NO TIME LISTED 9-11-12.”
Patterico (9c670f) — 5/3/2014 @ 11:15 amI just updated the post to add that line. It’s in the screenshot but the screenshot may be too hard to read, and not everyone is clicking it who can’t read it.
Patterico (9c670f) — 5/3/2014 @ 11:16 amWhy has there not been the most minimal inquiries;
http://crayfisher.files.wordpress.com/2014/05/benghazi_relationships.png
narciso (3fec35) — 5/3/2014 @ 11:33 am“gal pal”??? Someone’s baracking up the wrong tree.
Gazzer (17a0f5) — 5/3/2014 @ 11:34 am– Leon Panetta, October 2012.
I’ve been wrong about a lot of things.
I have never been this wrong.
The 103rd line of America’s national security, the Daughters of the American revolution, looked at this and laughed.
You want to know one of the good reasons to reasons to deploy forces into harm’s way? To find out what’s going on.
Pat, I don’t believe you know how right you are about how significant the evidence is. It is damning, just what President Justin Bieber figured to be important. Debate prep.
Steve57 (525198) — 5/3/2014 @ 11:39 amThey’ll just say it was Presidential Campaign debate prep.
Dejectedhead (06f486) — 5/3/2014 @ 11:49 amIt was. That’s the point. That’s what he was doing instead of monitoring the situation.
Patterico (9c670f) — 5/3/2014 @ 11:50 amLike maybe defended the “diplomatic facility?” Or whatever it was.
No matter. I will go to my grave amazed by the fact that people think it’s an excuse that there was nothing that the US could have gotten from southern Europe to northern Africa in a timely manner. Holy S***, Julius Caesar could have done it faster with triremes.
Steve57 (525198) — 5/3/2014 @ 11:52 amthey were strategizing the excuse, include it was the tape, not the mortars or the AK-47s
narciso (3fec35) — 5/3/2014 @ 11:54 amIf that was directed at me, I get the point. I don’t mean to beat a dead horse. Which, if it would float, I could have rowed from Sicily to Benghazi.
No. I get it. I just want to put an exclamation mark on it. Every single excuse this crew comes up with for not doing anything does not pardon them but is in fact an indictment.
I’ll quit now.
Steve57 (525198) — 5/3/2014 @ 12:06 pmIt’s like those Russian nesting dolls, the lies just get even more elaborate,
narciso (3fec35) — 5/3/2014 @ 12:20 pmWas this “debate prep” before the debate in which Romney essentially took the Bamster apart?
Skeptical Voter (12e67d) — 5/3/2014 @ 12:28 pmFrom the Colonel’s link at #28:
ropelight (4d873a) — 5/3/2014 @ 12:29 pmAndrew C. McCarthy is obviously a racist, basking in his white privilege.
how DARE he ask such a question of Ear Leader?
redc1c4 (abd49e) — 5/3/2014 @ 1:01 pmReggie Love said he was playing cards with Obama for several hours while the attack on Benghazi compound was happening. Why has everyone forgotten that? Was it debunked?
OneVoice (dc1d8b) — 5/3/2014 @ 1:03 pmUPDATE x3: This WSJ piece from 9-18-12 confirms Ron Klain was Obama’s debate advisor: “Mr. Obama’s debate preparation is being coordinated by Ron Klain, former chief of staff to Vice President Joe Biden, according to a campaign official.” (Thanks again to M.R.) Reporters? Time to start posing some pointed questions.
Patterico (9c670f) — 5/3/2014 @ 1:09 pmI think we already know the answers. Those of us who didn’t vote for this guy.
Steve57 (525198) — 5/3/2014 @ 1:13 pmLooks like our C in C had dinner then debate prep with the guys and left Opie and the Failed Novelist in charge of the war.
After all, what’s important here?
Patricia (be0117) — 5/3/2014 @ 1:17 pmBenghazi swung the election. Without the lies he would not have won. There has never been a bigger payoff for a cover-up in presidential history.
Birdbath (716828) — 5/3/2014 @ 1:23 pmExactly.
See why I think this is a story?
Hot Air and Ace linked it. Can’t get Instapundit to bite, yet. I hope he does. I want this question put directly to Obama.
Patterico (9c670f) — 5/3/2014 @ 1:31 pmIt’s time to talk about the fruit of the poison tree.
ropelight (4d873a) — 5/3/2014 @ 1:31 pmIOW the media/political shop was COMPLETELY in charge of the whole incident.
Patricia (be0117) — 5/3/2014 @ 1:41 pmIOW Obama reacted only to the politics of an attack rather than concern himself with the lives of Americans under terrorist assault.
ropelight (4d873a) — 5/3/2014 @ 1:44 pmOne of the things the POTUS is responsible for – protecting American citizens – and it’s EPICFAIL #DerelictionOfDuty.
Again, the Left CANNOT be trusted with foreign policy or national security. Americans die… Lies… Scapegoating/ imprisonment of the hapless YouTubeGuy… cover-up… cover-up of the cover-up… High Crimes and Misdemeanors.
Colonel Haiku (2601c0) — 5/3/2014 @ 1:49 pmHas any one here bothered to actually go and look at the records for yourself? There is NO indication that these three met with POTUS. That line has been added to the screenshot by Patterico, something he fails to mention. Why not full disclosure, P?
[This is false. I added nothing to the screenshot. — P]
Gaston (168224) — 5/3/2014 @ 1:50 pmWhy not full disclosure
Really, now, Gaston, by all the stars in the sky, shoudln’t your question be directed to the White House which has been silent on the question of Obama’s whereabouts on the evening of 9/11/12 for over 19 months, and counting.
ropelight (4d873a) — 5/3/2014 @ 1:59 pmLast entry on 9-11-12 was at 5PM Eastern…
5:00 PM
The President and the Vice President meet with Secretary of Defense
Oval Office
Closed Press
I wonder how many other days reflected such a short schedule?
Colonel Haiku (2601c0) — 5/3/2014 @ 2:04 pmInteresting… both before and after the 11th usually scheduled much much later than 5pm Eastern… check it out, like troll Gaston suggests…
Colonel Haiku (2601c0) — 5/3/2014 @ 2:08 pmI wonder if the “debate prep” was just a smoke screen. One could easily bail on prep if a problem arose, however if you were really “playing cards” (scare quotes intended) and maybe smoking weed, or worse, with Reggie, then you might not be in any condition to show your face in public.
Gazzer (17a0f5) — 5/3/2014 @ 2:16 pmCuz there were just tons of people in the WH who could have been prepping for a debate in September 2012.
Steve57 (525198) — 5/3/2014 @ 2:20 pmUntrue. I did not add that line to the screenshot. The screenshot comes from a data.gov dataset. The link is in the post. Here it is again.
Patterico (9c670f) — 5/3/2014 @ 2:23 pmI’ll grant you that the Excel spreadsheet I received from a tipster does not include that detail. However, the detail is in a link at data.gov, so don’t blame me. I don’t run data.gov. I believe that the federal government does, actually.
Patterico (9c670f) — 5/3/2014 @ 2:27 pmWhy is Gaston falsely accusing me of adding something to a screenshot when I didn’t?
Desperate attempt to spin a bad fact?
Patterico (9c670f) — 5/3/2014 @ 2:33 pmBy the way, what is the deal with communist armed forces and girls in short skirts and go-go-boots?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1vA4T1wfJLE
Not that I mind. But it put me in mind of song.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SbyAZQ45uww
Steve57 (525198) — 5/3/2014 @ 2:42 pmGaston (Carney), don’t you have a Press Briefing to prepare for?
red (ac28a9) — 5/3/2014 @ 2:50 pmOh, with that Fwench name I think it must be Plouffy.
elissa (34c8e6) — 5/3/2014 @ 2:54 pmIt is to my eternal regret that my Naval career did not involve a port visit to Haifa. Because I don’t think there’s anything hotter than a woman wearing nothing but an M-16 and a thong.
Anyhoo, still waiting for Gaston to suggest just who the debate prep team would have been meeting with in September 2012.
Rota, Spain would have been nice, too.
Steve57 (525198) — 5/3/2014 @ 2:56 pmAll of a sudden, I feel safe.
http://img.thesun.co.uk/multimedia/archive/01546/bikini-gun-girl_1546417x.jpg
Gaston, just who do you think the debate prep team was meeting with at the WH in September 2012? Because, silly me, I’m thinking it’s somebody who was getting ready for a debate.
Steve57 (525198) — 5/3/2014 @ 3:05 pmNow that I look at it, I think David Gregory stole that girl’s magazine.
Steve57 (525198) — 5/3/2014 @ 3:07 pmI predict an Epic Sundown Sammylanche tonight.
daleyrocks (bf33e9) — 5/3/2014 @ 3:10 pmComment by Steve57 (525198) — 5/3/2014 @ 2:42 pm
Two things come to mind:
Who’s the PRC uniform supplier – YSL?
And a line from “Patton” when George is reviewing Moroccan troops:
“They look real pretty Excellency, but can they fight?”
askeptic (8ecc78) — 5/3/2014 @ 3:13 pmThat seems like a very safe bet.
Patterico (9c670f) — 5/3/2014 @ 3:14 pmPatterico – I hope you and your bride enjoy your upcoming IRS audit as a result of publishing this post. I think you may have just made the official enemies list.
Congratulations!
daleyrocks (bf33e9) — 5/3/2014 @ 3:28 pmI’m pretty sure that was the Dirty Dozen.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bJJHSsLhE24
Steve57 (525198) — 5/3/2014 @ 3:30 pmUPDATE x4: I should note: I don’t know exactly who wrote this: “3 meet with Potus [President of the United States] NO TIME LISTED 9-11-12.” The language appears on data.gov, a federal database — and it appears clear that the debate preppers visited the White House. But I don’t know with any certainty who added the detail that they met with Obama. I do know that some reporter should ask.
Patterico (9c670f) — 5/3/2014 @ 3:31 pmThat update is for the benefit of Gaston. I want to be clear: I don’t know whether users who access this federal database have the ability to conduct searches and name them, meaning that the detail that they met with Obama may or may not be a user-added detail. I can’t say and I’m not familiar enough with how the database works to know.
I can assure you that I did not add that detail. I know also that the database says that these three were visitors that day; that the time is not listed, and that the WSJ says Klain was an Obama debate prepper. Draw your own conclusions!
Patterico (9c670f) — 5/3/2014 @ 3:34 pmAww. He was prolly just skeet shooting at Camp David to relax from the grind of being preezy.
elissa (34c8e6) — 5/3/2014 @ 3:36 pmI am almost positive that in the movie George C. Scott admired the King of Morocco’s troops and said he wished he had a bunch more like them.
Steve57 (525198) — 5/3/2014 @ 3:39 pmForget the movie. Actual footage of George Patton occupying himself by, amongst other things, not insulting the Moroccans.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VEjHh8LqtgA
Steve57 (525198) — 5/3/2014 @ 3:47 pmThe only other option I can think of is that they were prepping Biden. The logs show a meeting in the Vice Presidential Residence (I assume that’s what VPR means) which could corroborate that. And as I have said in my accompanying page, these folks were close with Biden. But I’m struck by the fact that the data.gov entry says the meeting was with “Potus.” And Klain was an Obama prepper per the WSJ.
If anyone can shed any light on this, let me know.
Patterico (9c670f) — 5/3/2014 @ 3:58 pmI think “debate prep” is cover for “POTUS was watching highlights on ESPN.”
Elephant Stone (ac4886) — 5/3/2014 @ 4:01 pmOr something.
Patterico got linked at Instapundit, by Ed Driscoll, who’s sitting in for Glenn Reynolds… http://pjmedia.com/instapundit/187864/
Colonel Haiku (2601c0) — 5/3/2014 @ 4:02 pmThere is no prepping, that’s what Martha Raddatz was for, note the diagram I included earlier,
narciso (3fec35) — 5/3/2014 @ 4:07 pmIt’s a given that the details behind what really occurred between Obama and Benghazi are fairly crooked and beyond the pale. The very fact he and his people originally had the audacity to blame an obscure video posted to Youtube for the deaths and destruction at the US consulate was an early warning sign that something was greatly amiss.
But the origins of such suspicion actually predate that particular event. The heartless irresponsibility at the core of the guy and his minions was on display 4 years ago. And think of how truly contemptible and ironic this all is, since they’re the ones who revel in the cheap emotions and ethos of compassion for compassion’s sake.
Mark (59e5be) — 5/3/2014 @ 4:08 pmOh, and for the benefit of One Voice, back at #71, the infamous game of Spades with Reggie Love took place during the Bin Laden take down, not during Benghazi.
Chicago Refugee (c72914) — 5/3/2014 @ 4:14 pmMark #110,
Hasan’s murder spree at Fort Hood took place in Nov 2009.
Elephant Stone (ac4886) — 5/3/2014 @ 4:20 pmI think the reference was to the wins in Virginia and New Jersey, that year, that presaged the Tea Party surge,
narciso (3fec35) — 5/3/2014 @ 4:35 pmUPDATE x5: The meeting took place at the “VPR” which means “Vice Presidential Residence.” This gives some credence to the theory that this was Biden debate prep and not Obama debate prep — but there is still that pesky detail about the link on data.gov that states “3 meet with Potus [President of the United States] NO TIME LISTED 9-11-12.” Was Obama participating in vice presidential debate prep — or conducting his own debate prep?? Meanwhile, I am investigating whether the “meet with Potus” language could somehow be user-generated — i.e. a notation by a user of the database rather than a custodian of the database. “Developing,” as they say . . .
Patterico (9c670f) — 5/3/2014 @ 4:41 pmWhy would a meeting at the VP residence, which is over at the Naval Observatory, be included in White House visitor logs?
RokShox (6dec9f) — 5/3/2014 @ 4:53 pm4:50pm T. Donilon informs POTUS of Benghazi just prior to Potus meeting with Panetta and Dempsey in Oval. Meeting sched 5:00 to 6:00pm.
6:30pm POTUS and VPOTUS take phone call with Bibi Netanyahu for almost an hour. Call ends 7:26pm.
7:28pm POTUS, VPOTUS are updated on Benghazi in Oval office by McDonough and Donilon (Jack Lew Present)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/whitehouse/8341829398/sizes/o/in/set-72157632418300447/
Then an informational void until 10:00pm call with Hillary Clinton.
http://theconservativetreehouse.com/2014/05/01/benghazi-follow-up-who-told-ben-rhodes-to-lie-about-u-tube-video-our-research-provides-the-answer/
However, Chuck Schumer was also present in West Wing from 5:30pm until 11:59pm (yes, that late).
https://explore.data.gov/dataset/5-30-Rouse-9-11/qtjm-gp3z
Was Schumer playing part of Romney in debate prep ? [after meeting with Obama Chief Legal Counsel…] could be. Everyone left long before Chuck Schumer did. Schumer probably wanted to give a quick “Howdy” (elbow rub run through) of the Deloitte and Touche people from New York that were being recognized that night in the West Wing.
ps. Michael Donilon is Tom Donilon’s brother.
Sundance (9457d9) — 5/3/2014 @ 4:55 pmNo idea. The link in the last update calls the system “White House Worker and Visitor and Entry System (WAVES),” but says that “VPR” is one of the places listed.
Patterico (9c670f) — 5/3/2014 @ 4:55 pmExcellent point. But on the whole I’d have to conclude that the entire Obama administration was focused on the election and not what they said they were focused on in their September 10th press release.
Steve57 (525198) — 5/3/2014 @ 4:56 pmAlso an excellent point. It occurred to me as I was typing my last. But not being an expert, there may be an innocent explanation.
Steve57 (525198) — 5/3/2014 @ 4:58 pmPatternico ET AL
Not to be snarky to you. But where have you been ? Seriously. This information was widely researched and discussed well over a year ago.
Sundance (9457d9) — 5/3/2014 @ 5:00 pmMaybe you can’t meet up with the Veep unless SS at the WH checks you out first.
Steve57 (525198) — 5/3/2014 @ 5:01 pmSomeone should check the” Tee Sheet” at one of his personal golf courses.
mg (31009b) — 5/3/2014 @ 5:01 pmPatterico, Glenn is on vacation I believe. You want me to send this link to Ed or Sarah?
SPQR (c4e119) — 5/3/2014 @ 5:03 pmYeah, I asked that before I read the WAVES link.
But I don’t see any indication for MEETING_ROOM at the data.gov link.
RokShox (6dec9f) — 5/3/2014 @ 5:04 pmNever mind, Ed Driscoll did link this on Insty.
SPQR (c4e119) — 5/3/2014 @ 5:08 pmMAJOR UPDATE: A reader has just confirmed that a user can save a data set and give it any name they wish — meaning that the “3 meet with Potus” language may have been generated by a user and cannot be considered authoritative. The data is accurate: Obama’s debate prep guy Ron Klain and two other debate prep people visited to conduct “debate prep.” But it can’t be ruled out that the “debate prep” was for Biden.
A reader links to this interesting post which shows the President and Biden together, out of the decision-making loop, taking calls from Netanyahu and such, from 6:30 to almost 7:30 p.m.
We still don’t know where Obama was after that. All we know is: he was not in the Situation Room.
Patterico (9c670f) — 5/3/2014 @ 5:14 pmSundance,
OK. Enlighten us. Whose debate prep was conducted that day and at what time?
Patterico (9c670f) — 5/3/2014 @ 5:15 pmthe significance of this, was neither Biden nor Obama were making the decision, like the stand down,
narciso (3fec35) — 5/3/2014 @ 5:18 pmthat was deferred to Rhodes and McDonough,
All we know is: he was not in the Situation Room.
It won’t be long before Benghazi Jay & his smarmy band of enablers throw Tommy Vietor under the bus.
ropelight (4d873a) — 5/3/2014 @ 5:25 pmI received a downloaded spreadsheet from a tipster that has the meeting room information, but nothing else (no time, etc.). It was this tipster who helped me figure out that a user can generate his own title. It is a little frustrating that any random person can put a title on any data at data.gov, which then can be searched on Google. But that’s what we’ve learned. We’re always trying for the truth, whether it hurts us or helps us.
Patterico (9c670f) — 5/3/2014 @ 5:29 pmWHERE WAS THE PRESIDENT WHEN “BENGHAZI”???
The first Benghazi attack began about 3:42 pm Eastern Time and lasted for about 30 minutes. Here’s where Pres. Obama was during that time:
2:15 pm
Steve J. (4e9261) — 5/3/2014 @ 5:30 pmThe President visits the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center
Bethesda, Maryland
Closed Press
4:40 pm
The President departs Bethesda, Maryland en route the White House
Press Information
Seriously, I was, uhh, assessing (yeah, that’s the word) the potential fighting qualities of this Israeli soldier. In a totally unisex and ungendered way. Studying this soldier, in fact, purely in the interest of advancing the art of war.
Also, the one next to this soldier.
Do the Israelis issue mags that are flush with the bottom of the magazine well?
I doubt it. But I will definitely ponder on this at length.
Steve57 (525198) — 5/3/2014 @ 5:35 pm@127. Patterico:
The “debate prep” was a logistics and marketing plan for debate construct.
What you are overlooking is the role of the players:
#1 David Ginsberg – [Director, Insights and Market Research Intel]
https://archive.ama.org/Archive/Calendar/Pages/faculty_bios/david_ginsberg.aspx
He’s the optics/narrative consultant guy. “what do the American people want to know about”?… and how do they feel?
#2 Ron Klain was Joe Biden’s Chief of Staff Ronald A. Klain – President, Case Holdings and General Counsel
Ron Klain is President of Case Holdings, and General Counsel of Revolution LLC. Prior to joining Steve Case’s team in launching Revolution in 2005, Mr. Klain was a partner and National Practice Group Chair at O’Melveny & Myers LLP. In addition to his career in law and business, Mr. Klain has extensive public service, most recently as a senior White House aide to President Obama, and Chief of Staff to Vice President Biden
http://revolution.com/our-team/ronald-a-klain#.U2WKN5DD-M8
#3 Michael Donilon is Tom Donilon’s Brother. [Tom Donilon was with Obama in Oval office as previously outlined] Mike was Joe Biden’s chief legal counsel.
Mike is a lawyer and political campaign consultant, is a partner at AKPD Message and Media. Between 2009 and 2013, he served as Counselor to the Vice President under Vice President Joe Biden. Prior to his White House appointment, Donilon worked with the vice-presidential candidate to help him prepare for the debates and also as a traveling advisor. He has been an advisor and consultant to Vice President Biden since 1981
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Donilon
That should answer your question about “who” they were prepping. Um… JOE !
*note* if you are scheduled to meet up at the White House – you log in. Occam’s razor: The aforementioned were all advisors to Joe Biden, ergo they logged in to meet up and then left with Joe after the 7:30pm phone call with Netanyahu ended.
Sundance (16a520) — 5/3/2014 @ 5:39 pmSundance, just about all that information about these people’s identities was linked in the post, on a separate page. It was because of who they were that I was cautious about whether this was Obama prep — UNTIL I saw that link on data.gov that I have now learned was possibly user-generated and not Fed-generated.
Read the post again and look for this language:
“I looked up these three folks, and put the information I found on this page. In short, all three have backgrounds in debate coaching and connections to Joe Biden.”
That links to a page that has the following information:
This was all in the original post.
Patterico (9c670f) — 5/3/2014 @ 5:45 pmI’m still confused, Biden just made things up, from word one, Raddatz provided the cover fire,
narciso (3fec35) — 5/3/2014 @ 5:49 pmThe first notification came into the White House prior to Obama returning from Bethesda MD at 4:05pm (via State Dept)
http://theconservativetreehouse.files.wordpress.com/2014/05/first-benghazi-email-notification.jpg
Obama leaves Bethesda at 4:40pm and immediately upon arrival at White House he’s informed by Tom Donilon of the attack in Benghazi.
The second State Dept. HOTLINE email arrives at 4:54pm and indicates the fight has ended.
http://theconservativetreehouse.files.wordpress.com/2014/05/second-benghazi-email-notification.jpg
Hence the fog of information. At 5pm Obama updated by Donilon as above.
Then as the situation is developing – at approximately 5:00pm Defense Secretary Leon Panetta and Chairman of Joint Chiefs Martin Dempsey meet with Obama in Oval office. And give Pentagon version of what’s going on etc.
Then at 6:07pm the next HOTLINE update says Terrorist Attack from Ansar Al Sharia
http://theconservativetreehouse.files.wordpress.com/2014/05/third-benghazi-email-notifcation.jpg
Did Obama know at 6:07pm (or up to 6:30pm when Netanyahu phone call begins) during the visit with Panetta and Dempsey about the new status of a terrorist attack from Ansar Al Sharia.
Maybe, but doubtful.
Obama / Biden probably took the Netanyahu phone call thinking the “fight was over” 4:54pm. Hence, no action and both out of loop.
By the time Obama / Biden free’d up again at 7:28 Denis McDonough was bringing them up to speed on the scope – to include Ambassador Stevens missing.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/whitehouse/8341829398/sizes/o/in/set-72157632418300447/
Does their response make sense now ?
It’s not really a fuzzy picture. Their lack of response makes sense when you take consideration of the 4:54pm “fighting over” email into account.
They didn’t know any better until 7:28pm.
Sundance (16a520) — 5/3/2014 @ 6:01 pm“Creepy.” That’s a good word to describe this administration.
Others have used “weird.” Like for this.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/29/world/obamas-leadership-in-war-on-al-qaeda.html?pagewanted=6&_r=1&
It’s all politics all the time with this guy. The military and intel types had never seen anything like it.
Steve57 (525198) — 5/3/2014 @ 6:03 pmIt matters not the affiliation of the attackers. There were attackers. There was a US facility under attack.
And that’s all anybody needed to know.
Next to Panetta’s pronouncement that the basic rule is you don’t send people into harms way unless you know exactly what’s going on, the preceding has to be the stupidest thing I’ve heard. On so many levels.
Sorry if I can’t be polite.
I’ll just cover one level. There were wounded.
And you’re going to tell me the lack of response makes sense?
Steve57 (525198) — 5/3/2014 @ 6:15 pmMaybe the powers that be are omniscient. Maybe they knew the fighting was over, as opposed to it was going to keep going for 2 more hours or 2 more weeks.
But, again, how does that excuse the lack of response because you just had a bunch of your people shot up?
Tell me that, Mr. Wizard.
Steve57 (525198) — 5/3/2014 @ 6:19 pmI’m no intelligence strategist, but I do a decent impression of one on the web, I figured it was not only AQ, but as with the underwear bombing plot someone likely involved with Gitmo was directing the operation, a longtime opponent of the Kaddafi regime, the fellow they put forth, Abu Khattalah, was a lower level figure,
narciso (3fec35) — 5/3/2014 @ 6:20 pmActually, when you think about it, one excuse cancels out the other.
But they knew the fighting was over? How does that work, Mr. Wizard?
Steve57 (525198) — 5/3/2014 @ 6:25 pmAs long as you know the difference between the time when you ought to be doing analysis, and when you need to be rendering aid, you’re cool with me.
Steve57 (525198) — 5/3/2014 @ 6:33 pm115 if Obama was there maybe?
SarahW (267b14) — 5/3/2014 @ 6:38 pmAm I missing something? How does it simultaneously make sense to say A) the situation was too uncertain to send people into harms way and B) our information was the fighting was over?
We A) weren’t sure and B) we were sure.
Steve57 (525198) — 5/3/2014 @ 6:43 pmThe fighting was over, the Ambassador was missing, the diplomatic facility was burning, wounded were unattended. Yeah, let’s all go out for pizza.
ropelight (4d873a) — 5/3/2014 @ 6:47 pm53. Ok, plainly then, ibn Dunham was tight with Mursi and the MB, attacking the multinational force in the Sinai, plotting long term restoration of Al Quds the first qiblah.
The goal was handing the newbie Ambassador to Mursi who would turn around and trade for the Blind Sheikh, well established by the Sheikh’s own brother and Walid Shoebat.
The Turkish envoy whom the Ambassador met with in the Consulate and sent off at 8PM, left amid the assembled attack force. His consultations surrounded a freighter in port that evening loaded with surplus arms bound for the Syrian Al Qaeda Rebels.
High Treason.
gary gulrud (e2cef3) — 5/3/2014 @ 7:35 pm136. Sammy’s bigger, smarter brother. The President was alerted en route to meeting with Panetta.
gary gulrud (e2cef3) — 5/3/2014 @ 7:45 pmthe particulars of the groups involved, I called an Appalachin convention of terrorism, is somewhat immaterial, if they are firing RPG’s, it’s not lute players or the local chamber of commerce,
narciso (3fec35) — 5/3/2014 @ 7:48 pmThe jawing at Bibi served not other purpose than to establish an alibi, that POTUS was being a President that evening.
gary gulrud (e2cef3) — 5/3/2014 @ 7:53 pmThe President authorized, on the advice of Panetta and Dempsey, to give the order to stand down. The expectation was this would be a cake walk, everyone in the compound would promptly surrender.
What they did not expect was the ragheads dumping fuel oil around the Consulate proper and, secondly, that the Ambassador would panic and lock himself in the ‘Safe Block’. The block was engulfed with the soot, fumes and carbon monoxide of incompletely combusted fuel oil.
By the time the ex-Seals got there he was prolly already unconscious. His skin color was described as reddish indicative of carbon monoxide poisoning.
gary gulrud (e2cef3) — 5/3/2014 @ 8:06 pmthe method was immaterial, it was a hit on who they considered a HVT,
narciso (3fec35) — 5/3/2014 @ 8:18 pmThe phone videos of the assailants removing the Ambassador from the safe block, they gave a shout once in of “He’s alive”, which was met by shouts of “Allah be praised”.
They then carried him, unceremoniously, to Muslim hospital many blocks away.
gary gulrud (e2cef3) — 5/3/2014 @ 8:30 pmI appreciate it. I’m a simple man.
Steve57 (525198) — 5/3/2014 @ 8:31 pm153. Seriously, the man needs to be tried, convicted and executed. In no particular order.
gary gulrud (e2cef3) — 5/3/2014 @ 8:36 pmRecently, following the ferry disaster, who’s twin similarly capsized following a load shift, the South Korean Prime Minister resigned.
It is unlikely his personal conduct, failings and guilt warranted that move. But was an admission that the Executed had failed unforgivably.
Uncovering every stone with Benghazi, resolving every question, every doubt is unworthy of Amerikkka and her fallen.
gary gulrud (e2cef3) — 5/3/2014 @ 8:53 pmExecutive, Doh.
gary gulrud (e2cef3) — 5/3/2014 @ 8:53 pmYeah, that too.
http://www.breitbart.com/Breitbart-TV/2014/05/02/Lt-Col-Ralph-Peters-For-The-First-Time-In-History-We-Have-A-President-Who-Is-An-Outright-Coward
Falling asleep on watch, after the cigarette after.
gary gulrud (e2cef3) — 5/3/2014 @ 9:15 pmSmoking the cig is the hanging offense, given how many miles you can sea it.
Steve57 (525198) — 5/3/2014 @ 9:21 pmSee. Not Sea. Freudian slip.
Steve57 (525198) — 5/3/2014 @ 9:22 pm@155, shades of Costa Concordia.
Steve57 (525198) — 5/3/2014 @ 9:46 pmI think the boy President is about to be taught a very painful lesson in what happens when you shirk your responsibility and four people die.
Funeral Guy (be5cfb) — 5/3/2014 @ 10:35 pmCould you use a slightly smaller font please?
I can still see the words.
Matthew (28f825) — 5/3/2014 @ 10:47 pm#156 – gary gulrud
Oh, I’m not that particular … I could live with “Executed”.
A_Nonny_Mouse (2687e2) — 5/3/2014 @ 10:57 pmPersonally, I don’t believe Obama was in “debate prep”.
I think he had his pants around his ankles that evening.
SPQR (c4e119) — 5/3/2014 @ 11:19 pmhttp://www.breitbart.com/Breitbart-TV/2014/05/02/Lt-Col-Ralph-Peters-For-The-First-Time-In-History-We-Have-A-President-Who-Is-An-Outright-Coward
SPQR (c4e119) — 5/3/2014 @ 11:19 pmOh, well, you know the old saying about “when in Rome, do as the Romans do.”
Well, when in Tokyo…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kmNM09GaOMM
…I samba.
Steve57 (525198) — 5/3/2014 @ 11:26 pmhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6k0nNTNXSUU
I never knew how gay I was.
Steve57 (525198) — 5/3/2014 @ 11:49 pmThis may or may not be the case. His main debate prep was in Colorado, but this was for the first debate in Denver that Romney clearly won. One of the excuses his team gave was lack of debate prep. One story claimed he had gone skiing and sampling restaurants at the location they had secured for prep there.
The VP debate was a week later, not sure about the team but in almost everything else, Obama and Biden have their own people.
If Obama dealt with debate prep, it was probably an advance meeting, going over the rules, talking about strategy, with the practice and intense prep to come later, it was over three weeks before the debate. He didn’t spend more than 90 minutes doing that, I bet.
So then, what did he do after that? And in addition to “where he was & what he was doing” while the attacks were ongoing, we also don’t know how he was updated along the way. We know when he was first told of the attack, but I think that’s the only detail released.
I just don’t see it worth covering up if he had a debate prep meeting and got updates before and after – if he got one during, wouldn’t they have mentioned it? Not that embarrassing to keep your schedule, especially when you are working on political stuff after dinner “on your own time” as much as possible. There wouldn’t be much to complain about if that were it, would there?
So it must be worse than that. At least more embarrassing. Like if he never asked for updates, or told them to update him in the morning and went off to play video games with Reggie Love or something. Or rebuked a suggestion to postpone the trip to the Vegas fundraiser. Et cetera.
Estragon (ada867) — 5/4/2014 @ 12:41 amAlso, it is certainly relevant and important to know also where the Secretary of State was and what she was doing. This was her people being attacked.
In matters of high import and/or political sensitivity, the First Rule of Bureaucracy demands that they pass all breaking news and difficult decisions upstairs, and make bloody sure there is a record of it. Who decided to stop updating Hillary? Or was she updated? When? Did she make any calls after the first one to Obama?
These would be significant questions even of a retired SecState. But they are even more important for one who might seek the top job.
Estragon (ada867) — 5/4/2014 @ 12:53 amThe most embarrassing place Obama could have been that fateful evening was in the Situation Room, calling the shots. If that’s in fact where he was, that’s exactly why the White House has been so conspicuously slippery identifying his whereabouts.
Putting Obama in the Situation Room, at the epicenter of events, puts him in the crosshairs.
ropelight (53c8ca) — 5/4/2014 @ 3:07 amTypical. While AQ is attacking and killing Americans @ a State Dept. facility, our president is hard at work planning how to defeat America’s real enemy – Mitt Romney.
Tom Campbell (e4e0ef) — 5/4/2014 @ 3:16 amJust an illustration of the template;
http://www.americanthinker.com/2014/05/a_vocal_segment_of_the_right.html
Hillary’s timeline, which I noted in my own blog, suggests she may have seen a portion of the DSO feed before her first statement,
narciso (3fec35) — 5/4/2014 @ 4:51 amOn FOX NEWS (5/2/14) Lt. Colonel Ralph Peters spoke Truth to Power on Bill Himmer’s America’s Newsroom. Peters called Barack Obama an outright coward.
ropelight (53c8ca) — 5/4/2014 @ 5:22 am@170 Interesting point. If he were there and did nothing it would be even worse than if he were absent and did nothing.
creeper (939971) — 5/4/2014 @ 6:44 amTime for a little Kipling:
ropelight (53c8ca) — 5/4/2014 @ 7:03 amThis is what happens when you lie so much. He can’t say where he was until his staff makes sure there’s no prior communication or record that would contradict what they want to say. Which has to be focus grouped first. This isn’t politics anymore, it’s a brawl and the Republicans aren’t getting it.
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carlitos (e7c734) — 5/4/2014 @ 8:17 amApart from his overarching goal, Ph*ck Amerikkka up Good, Crack Whore is definitional failure.
Oligarchic Authoritarianism will not result, but total governmental collapse.
gary gulrud (e2cef3) — 5/4/2014 @ 8:40 amWinning!
http://news.yahoo.com/1st-openly-gay-episcopal-bishop-divorce-husband-134027661.html
SMOD, never mind, we got this.
gary gulrud (e2cef3) — 5/4/2014 @ 8:49 amKipling is never inappropriate, ropelight. But I’m more reminded of a saying from Japan’s Sengoku or “country at war” period.
It isn’t just the fact that Obama has screwed the pooch, d***ed the dog, nuked the koala on so many different occasions. Then Obama sent out his minions to defend it’s record by saying some of the most absolutely moronic, self-refuting things I’ve ever heard in my life.
I won’t go through the litany. But their simultaneous and contradictory defenses remind me of the old lawyer joke.
1) My dog couldn’t have bitten the plaintiff, your honor, as it was locked in the garage.
2)My dog doesn’t bite.
3)I don’t even own a dog.
It was obvious that Barack Obama had humiliated himself and this country on the world stage by 2010. Yet we reelected him. We were practically begging for what it is we’re getting now. If this country is stoooopid enough to elect Hillary! in 2016, a woman without one single accomplishment to her name ever except for demanding to know “what difference, at this point, does it make” (and then she preceded to answer her own dumb@$$ question) I wouldn’t be surprised if Putin decides to take Alaska back.
Steve57 (525198) — 5/4/2014 @ 9:10 amHasan’s murder spree at Fort Hood took place in Nov 2009.
Elephant Stone, you’re correct. I’m not sure why that online article is dated October 2010. The website’s organizer, when updating files for future reference, apparently created a typo.
I have a theory that the amount of common sense a person has or doesn’t have affects how much empathy he or she brings to a situation. It now occurs to me that since people on the left are deficient in that quality, and are therefore prone to mis-identify or transpose the good and bad in people and situations (including a Benghazi), that some truly ruthless responses — at least inadvertently — can come out of them.
So just as Obama was ludicrously inappropriate, absurdly non-somber (in front of the public, no less), the day after the murders at Fort Hood, I wouldn’t be surprised if he was not too much less inappropriate as the debacle in Benghazi was occurring. IOW, I can easily envision him being more disturbed by “big meanie imperialist America” than by the Islamic terrorists, and so his heart bled and tears poured forth accordingly.
Mark (59e5be) — 5/4/2014 @ 9:21 amAll it will take to put Ms Damaged Goods in the White House is for the GOP to vote for amnesty. The fools have persuaded themselves amnesty plus Jeb Bush’s latina wife will be the winning ticket.
They’re dead wrong but the stupid party will lose the WH and the Senate before they ever move over and let Conservatives in through the front door.
ropelight (53c8ca) — 5/4/2014 @ 9:25 amIf this country is stoooopid enough to elect Hillary! in 2016,
It’s galling to think enough people in this nation are idiotic enough to make that a good possibility. But that’s the reason why I often point out what is going on in the never-ending slopfests that are Venezuela, Argentina, Mexico, Spain, etc. Simply put, the human nature on display there regrettably can easily be on display here, and from a demographic standpoint, the US truly is becoming more and more like a banana republic of Central or South America.
But population characteristics aside, during the last period of great economic decline in America, of the 1930s and 1940s (and right up to Eisenhower’s election in the 1950s), the people of this country favored “mommy” politicians and a “mommy” ideology. And so the “theology” of the New Deal was favored for several decades.
If history repeats itself, we truly will be taking a trip on that proverbial road to hell, the one that’s paved with good intentions.
Mark (59e5be) — 5/4/2014 @ 9:33 amRest assured, an informative discussion will be had,
http://twitchy.com/2014/05/04/meet-the-press-jumps-the-shark-david-gregory-invites-will-i-am-to-talk-benghazi-foreign-policy/
just kidding,
narciso (3fec35) — 5/4/2014 @ 9:44 am183. Someone has said politics has become an open brawl nationally.
A few Blue state wins in November could change the calculus for segments of working constituencies.
In any case, events will become an overwhelming catalyst in the next few years for mob fluences that predictions seem vain & futile.
gary gulrud (e2cef3) — 5/4/2014 @ 9:46 amBlue state TEA wins
gary gulrud (e2cef3) — 5/4/2014 @ 9:47 am185. Although muted, Candy ‘Dishrag Hair’ Crowley has Donna Brazile, Gwen Ifil, and some other lady of color on discussing the NBA/Sterling dustup in the context of Race Relations.
‘Eff off ladies.
gary gulrud (e2cef3) — 5/4/2014 @ 9:52 am“The fools have persuaded themselves amnesty plus Jeb Bush’s latina wife will be the winning ticket.”
ropelight – Everything has already been decided for 2016? Seriously? Did I miss the memo?
daleyrocks (bf33e9) — 5/4/2014 @ 9:53 amGee, are the primaries all over daleyrocks? Did we miss those, too?
elissa (34c8e6) — 5/4/2014 @ 9:57 amVolodya just crazy, while we’re winning;
http://www.interpretermag.com/category/blog/
narciso (3fec35) — 5/4/2014 @ 9:58 amHeads up! Boehner is in cahoots with Harry Reid to ram through an immigration reform package before the midterm elections. That dirty bit of back stabbing treachery requires abandoning all pretense of principle and blatantly running roughshod over Conservatives.
ropelight (53c8ca) — 5/4/2014 @ 9:59 am189. I do think, in yes on occasion, that, in ropelight’s defense, the Whigs, the Party of Schtoopid, Thugs, etc., are all passé.
The Walking Dead, the Zombies, Apparitions of Foregotten Yore, are my next faves.
gary gulrud (e2cef3) — 5/4/2014 @ 10:01 amMy kindergartner is doing addition and subtraction, unprompted.
She’ll be graduating from urban HS next spring.
gary gulrud (e2cef3) — 5/4/2014 @ 10:05 amthe Strigoi, Del Toro’s hardcore vampires, coming to a TV this summer,
narciso (3fec35) — 5/4/2014 @ 10:11 am“Gee, are the primaries all over daleyrocks? Did we miss those, too?”
elissa – The sky has already fallen and amnesty is a done deal before the mid terms, a done deal I tell you.
daleyrocks (bf33e9) — 5/4/2014 @ 10:12 amWell, maybe the American people aren’t so stupid. After all, Piers Morgan and Soledad O’Brien are out of work. Soledad O’Brien actually said this when interviewing Rep. Jason Chaffetz about his Benghazi investigation.
Oh, horrors! The WH is “colluding” with the State Department. Perhaps to commit acts of foreign policy.
What’s next? Allegations that the CEO of GM colluded with the head of the Buick division to produce cars? Perhaps that after taking your order, your server colluded with the chefs to provide you with dinner? The conspiracies never end.
Oddly enough, Barack Obama is in fact deeply offended by the suggestion that he has colluded with any part of the executive branch to do anything. He is so concerned about even the appearance of collusion that he only ever finds out what the executive branch is up to when it’s on TV.
I cancelled my cable because I don’t need to get my news from the Twilight Zone. I think the great mystery is not why David Gregory’s ratings are in the tank, but why anyone in hell’s creation would think the key to boosting is ratings is to send a psychologist out to interview his wife and friends to discover the key to his likeability. Why do Andrea Mitchell and Diane Sawyer and Brian Williams still have jobs? They report this nonsense as if if it makes sense just as earnestly as Soledad O’Brien.
To understand just how idiotic the administration’s excuses are for Benghazi, just imagine if the Boston police used the same ones for the marathon bombing. The police chief called the CIA to find out what was going on in downtown Boston. Would it be acceptable that the Boston police chief could use the excuse that his initial talking points were based upon an analyst’s assessment, an analyst who was not aware of the the eye witness accounts?
http://www.foxnews.com/on-air/special-report-bret-baier/2014/04/03/all-star-panel-reaction-mike-morells-testimony-benghazi
Oh, and since the bombing was over, there was no need for a response.
If this administration was in charge of Boston, the Tsarnaev brothers would still be walking around free.
Sorry for being Captain Obvious, but I feel like I woke up in some alternate universe where this sort of thing needs to be said. How does this absurdity fly?
Steve57 (525198) — 5/4/2014 @ 10:25 amI check the sky to see if there is more than one moon out there;
http://20committee.com/2014/05/03/ground-truth-about-benghazi/
otherwise how does one come to these conclusions
narciso (3fec35) — 5/4/2014 @ 10:32 amThe Jefferson County Sheriff, speaking about Columbine.
Steve57 (525198) — 5/4/2014 @ 10:38 amYep, narciso, it seems Putin has co opted (at least superficially) the Russian orthodox church and is steeping it with ultra fascism. he may be on the way to what china has done (with their “catholic” church), that is, creating an alternate, state-run, Russian orthodox church.
Now Putin’s mention of the rebuilding of churches in Russia, in his article in the NYT makes sense in a sinister way.
felipe (098e97) — 5/4/2014 @ 10:50 amComment by Steve57 (525198) — 5/4/2014 @ 10:25 am
Excellent comment, steve57. That is exactly what I find bizzaro about this admin.
felipe (098e97) — 5/4/2014 @ 10:57 amObama was too mellowed out to concern himself with his responsibilities on the evening of 9/11/2012.
Bill M (906260) — 5/4/2014 @ 11:01 amWell it’s Czarism without crown, the fusion of state and church,
narciso (3fec35) — 5/4/2014 @ 11:07 amAntidisestablishmenterianism.
nk (dbc370) — 5/4/2014 @ 11:08 amnarciso is obviously a speed reader, a freak of human nature. Photography and processing in one feel swoop.
gary gulrud (e2cef3) — 5/4/2014 @ 11:16 amRegardless of what Obama WAS doing, the one thing we know is he WAS NOT doing his job. He was apparently totally absent, having abdicated responsibility for the response to Hillary and the State Department. And the MSM was completely on board with their prevarications in trying to hide the truth. To the point of even interfering with it in the debates (Candy Crowley ring a bell?).
Bill M (906260) — 5/4/2014 @ 11:19 am#204
Oh, yeah, well supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.
The old saying goes: There two kinds of people. The kind that lets God use them, and the kind that use God.
I’d say Putin is the latter.
felipe (098e97) — 5/4/2014 @ 11:26 am(Candy Crowley ring a bell?).
I thought that was Quasimodo;-D
felipe (098e97) — 5/4/2014 @ 11:28 amI am pretty anti-clerical myself. Got it from my father — he told us not to have too much to do with priests.
nk (dbc370) — 5/4/2014 @ 11:33 amnarcisso @198, good link overall. A couple of quibbles, though.
I have zero sympathy for the WH and it is not due to partisanship. As the author notes, Obama has uncompetent advisors. Such as:
So whose fault is that? Obama appoints reliable sycophants to positions that they are totally unqualified for. Think Jen Psaki and “hashtag diplomacy.” She was his campaign flack and now she is tweeting idiocy to the world from the Department of State. And Obama clearly doesn’t care. So when he gets mugged by reality, as he inevitably does because you can tell by his personnel choices he is planning to fail, how can I have any sympathy for him?
But to illustrate the nonpartisan nature of my contempt for the great national embarrassment that is the USG, I place equal blame on the GOP. When given the opportunity to vote down Obama’s insultingly ignorant, unqualified nominees (remember that guy who was nominated for ambassador to Norway and managed to serially insult the Norwegians at his confirmation hearing? That’s an achievement that I believe is unparalleled in the history of diplomacy.) they don’t take it. For instance, only 3 Senators voted against confirming John Kerry. I find that remarkable. And of those 3, I believe 2 did so for all the wrong reasons. They did not vote against him because he has been wrong about every major foreign policy issue since Vietnam.
What right does John McCain have to complain about John Kerry being out of touch with reality? He’s been out of touch with reality for the entire three decades he was in the Senate. In fact, John McCain has himself been out of touch with reality.
John McCain, demonstrating he’s a clueless idiot in Egypt.
https://shoebat.com/2013/08/07/rino-clowns-mccain-and-graham-a-disaster-in-egypt/
John McCain, demonstrating he’s a clueless idiot about naval procurement.
http://www.informationdissemination.net/2014/02/fact-check-john-mccain-vs-bob-work.html
I’ve got more, but I’ll pause here. Point being that when McCain had his chance to stop the lunatic, who while chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee thought Bashar Assad was a reformer and praised Syria for supporting a US peace initiative between Israel and the Palestinians when quite to the contrary not only was Syria opposed to it but was actually threatening other Arab countries who signed onto it, from becoming SecState and he didn’t take it. Even worse, he praised Kerry as highly qualified for the job ?!??!! True, the architect of our delusional foreign policy is Barack Obama. But the GOP fools go along with it. They are equally deluded.
Apparently McCain is thinking about running for another term. Arizona, what the hey? Are you really going to return this guy who thinks it’s “stain” on this nation’s honor that we haven’t demonstrated the same contempt for our laws and our borders that the people who came here illegally and then followed that up by committing crimes in order to stay have demonstrated?
I have a few other differences of opinion with the author. Such as:
Actually, there’s plenty of evidence that point three is valid. Such as the September 10 press release stating that “Earlier today the President heard from key national security principals on our preparedness and security posture on the eve of the eleventh anniversary of September 11th. Over the past month, Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism John Brennan has convened numerous meetings to review security measures … The President reiterated that Departments and agencies must do everything possible to protect the American people, both at home and abroad.”
They had a month to get ready. Yet other than jabber about preparedness they didn’t do anything. As illustrated by the fact that there wasn’t anything in the area to respond to the attack. Again, this is not an excuse but an indictment of the Obumble administration. So again as far as I’m concerned this author is being way to charitable to the administration. Although he’s basically correct about the ground truth.
More in agreement with my line of reasoning is the DiploMad:
http://thediplomad.blogspot.com/2014/05/benghazi-not-exactly-rocket-science.html
Although even here I have to disagree as I don’t find the MFM’s complicity in the lies all that stunning.
Steve57 (525198) — 5/4/2014 @ 12:01 pmOn FNS, Democrats Jane Harmon and Adam Schiff provided more examples today of how Democrats don’t embarrass easy. As if any more were needed…
Colonel Haiku (2601c0) — 5/4/2014 @ 12:11 pm“The most powerful and capable armed forces in the history of the world idled, looking not to their commander-in-chief but to a State Department that busied itself writing press releases about phantom Islamophobia”
Is it possible that this force can handle a firefight without micromanagement?
cliven (2cc14c) — 5/4/2014 @ 1:36 pmWhat I really want to know is how many people at the White House speak Spicoli instead of English.
daleyrocks (bf33e9) — 5/4/2014 @ 1:38 pmi can’t believe you racists are still harping on this nontroversy from years ago…
why can’t you leave that black man alone?
redc1c4 (abd49e) — 5/4/2014 @ 2:04 pmhttp://directorblue.blogspot.com/2014/05/another-new-low-for-john-kerry-we-need.html
narciso (3fec35) — 5/4/2014 @ 2:27 pmSome of you guys just don’t like this Tommy Vietor person because he’s black.
Elephant Stone (6a6f37) — 5/4/2014 @ 2:41 pmOr whatever.
obama also made other efforts to silence the Benghazi critics. check this footage http://youtu.be/Pdxlo_Jyq7g
Jon Slater (3775fc) — 5/8/2014 @ 4:31 pmTommy Vietor by the way, is no longer in government, but we should mention him.
Sammy Finkelman (d22d64) — 5/8/2014 @ 4:43 pmSammy,
Tommy Vietor went on tv last week to defend himself. He’s fair game.
Elephant Stone (6a6f37) — 5/8/2014 @ 4:46 pmHe said he was in the Situation Room the night of the Benghazi attack, finky. That should be mentioned, right?
Hadoop (f7d5ba) — 5/8/2014 @ 4:46 pmSammy,
Hillary Clinton is “no longer in government.”
Elephant Stone (6a6f37) — 5/8/2014 @ 4:50 pmdaley @213, at the very least the WH communications staff. Especially the ones playing shirtless beer pong.
http://famousdc.com/2010/06/07/white-house-gone-wild-shirtless-favreau-and-vietors-sundayfunday-beer-pong-match/
This really is the freshman dorm administration.
Have eye bleach handy.
Steve57 (e86077) — 5/8/2014 @ 5:04 pm144. Comment by Steve57 (525198) — 5/3/2014 @ 6:43 pm
How does it simultaneously make sense to say A) the situation was too uncertain to send people into harms way and B) our information was the fighting was over?
We A) weren’t sure and B) we were sure.
It wasn’t simultaneous, but their information kept alternating between these two positions:
A) They were under attack.
B) The fighting was over.
And then they would hear it was not.
Three, four times that night, they thought it was all over.
When they would hear that there was an attack going on, they had no idea what it was, or how long it would last, and each time, pretty soon, the attackers retreated.
All the U.S. wanted to do was evacuate everybody.
Sammy Finkelman (bcd7c8) — 5/9/2014 @ 12:54 pmAdmiring the commitment you put into your blog and in depth information you present. It’s nice to come across a blog every once in a while that isn’t the same out of date rehashed information. Fantastic read! I’ve saved your site and I’m adding your RSS feeds to my Google account.
investment advice (86f11f) — 5/10/2014 @ 5:20 amWe still don’t know where Obama was after that. All we know is: he was not in the Situation Room.
Wherever he was, can we keep him there until the morning of 20 Jan 2017?
askeptic (8ecc78) — 5/10/2014 @ 5:57 am