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VDH: It's 1973 All Over Again
Townhall ^ | May 16, 2013 | Victor Davis Hanson

Posted on 05/16/2013 9:27:18 AM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet

In Barack Obama's 2008 presidential campaign, he ran to the left of Hillary Clinton as a moral reformer. Obama promised to transcend the old politics and bring a new era of hope-and-change transparency to Washington. Five years later, those vows are in shambles.

True, the murder of four Americans in Benghazi has become a mess of partisan bickering. But the disturbing facts now transcend politics. The Obama administration -- the president himself, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice, White House Press Secretary Jay Carney -- all at various times blamed an obscure video maker for the "spontaneous violence" that killed Americans last September.

The problem is not just that such scapegoating was untrue, but that our officials knew it was untrue when they said it -- given both prior CIA talking-point briefings and phone calls from those on the ground during the attacks.

One theme ties all the bizarre aspects of Benghazi scandal together -- the doctored talking points, the inexplicable failure to beef up diplomatic security before the attacks and to send in help during the fighting, the jailing of a petty con artist on the false charge that his amateur video had led to attacks on our consulate, and the shabby treatment of nonpartisan State Department whistleblowers.

There was an overarching pre-election desire last year to downplay any notion that al-Qaeda remained a serious danger after the much ballyhooed killing of Osama bin Laden. Likewise, Libya was not supposed to be a radical Islamic mess after the successful "lead from behind" removal of Muammar Gadhafi. Facts then had to change to fit a campaign narrative.

As the congressional hearings on Benghazi were taking place last week, we also learned that the IRS, administered by the Department of the Treasury...

(Excerpt) Read more at townhall.com ...


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Crime/Corruption; Editorial; Government; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: asspressgate; benghazi; hillary; internalrevenue; irs; obama; teaparty; teapartyrebellion; vdh; victordavishanson
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What's the next scandal that'll rear its head? You know there are more coming.
1 posted on 05/16/2013 9:27:18 AM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

And the alleged maker of the alleged video that allegedly caused the Benghazi attacks is STILL in jail.


2 posted on 05/16/2013 9:34:21 AM PDT by left that other site ((Ban the ubiquitous and deadly solvent, Di-hydrogen monoxide!!!))
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

If it’s 1973 again then I’ll get a band together and play all those songs “I” wrote at the MHS Junior Varieties Show. I call this one, Crazy Train.


3 posted on 05/16/2013 9:35:25 AM PDT by massgopguy (I owe everything to George Bailey)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

Is there any merit to a connection between the “video lie” and riots occurring in Muslim countries as a result of the announcement about the video, resulting in the deaths of 39 people. Did the lie, and therefore the administration, cause the 39 deaths? If no video lie, no riots, and 39 folks are still alive today. Forget the 4 in the compound; that’s bad enough. This would be enormous.


4 posted on 05/16/2013 9:44:07 AM PDT by usafretired (More than just 4 deaths)
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To: massgopguy
Four Dead in Benghazi video/song 3:16
5 posted on 05/16/2013 9:44:57 AM PDT by TigersEye ("No man left behind" is more than an Army Ranger credo it's the character of America.)
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To: usafretired
The protests and attack in Cairo weren't about that stupid 'video.'

Brian Lilley: The MSM is lying about the muslim riots
Interviews on the streets of Cairo. 'Video' had nothing to do with protests and attack.

"Blame it on the Video" was a Fraud for the Cairo Rioting, Too

--------------------------------------------------------

Pakistanis didn't know about any "video" or any "insults" until 0blablah and Hillbilly broadcast this...

Obama and Hillary Apologize for Free Speech on Pakistani TV (taxpayer-funded ads) Sept. 20, 2012

Which immediately resulted in this...

Pakistan: 17 killed in anti-Islam film protests Sept. 21, 2012

0bama then went to the UN and re-inflamed the Muslim world once again over the manufactured offense "Innocence of Muslims."

U.S. President Speaks to U.N. About YouTube Video

Those apologies validated their anger.

6 posted on 05/16/2013 9:48:06 AM PDT by TigersEye ("No man left behind" is more than an Army Ranger credo it's the character of America.)
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To: TigersEye

Hillary Clinton and Obama used hard-earned American tax dollars to produce and air a commercial wherein they apologized for that baloney video. They KNEW from the start that the baloney video had nothing to do with the attack in Benghazi, yet, they felt the need to put out this commercial. Why? It’s because the commercial was part of the big political coverup. They used American tax dollars for their political coverup.


7 posted on 05/16/2013 10:04:35 AM PDT by blueunicorn6 ("A crack shot and a good dancer")
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To: TigersEye

So, The O Administration incited to riot, causing deaths. I wonder why this isn’t being reported or discussed. Oh, wait, sorry.. how stupid of me.


8 posted on 05/16/2013 10:05:43 AM PDT by usafretired (More than just 4 deaths)
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To: blueunicorn6

Yes. Did you see my link about that?


9 posted on 05/16/2013 10:11:24 AM PDT by TigersEye ("No man left behind" is more than an Army Ranger credo it's the character of America.)
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To: usafretired

They had to make sure that some Muslims somewhere killed someone over the “anti-Mohammed video” if they had to go there and force them to watch it at gunpoint.


10 posted on 05/16/2013 10:13:16 AM PDT by TigersEye ("No man left behind" is more than an Army Ranger credo it's the character of America.)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet
The Obama administration (defined below as our officials*) -- the president himself, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice, White House Press Secretary Jay Carney -- all at various times blamed an obscure video maker ...

The problem is not just that such scapegoating was untrue, but that our officials* knew it was untrue when they said it -- given both prior CIA talking-point briefings and phone calls from those on the ground during the attacks.

Ergo, all of this discussion regarding the 'talking points' and who changed what ... DOESN'T MATTER! 0bama, Clinton, Rice and Carney all lied for weeks and months later.

11 posted on 05/16/2013 10:17:47 AM PDT by Servant of the Cross (the Truth will set you free)
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To: left that other site

Has anybody in the press ever interviewed the alleged maker of the alleged video that allegedly caused the Benghazi attacks, maybe in order to find out if any government officials might have been in contact with him before the alleged video spawned the alleged demonstrations in Egypt, et al?


12 posted on 05/16/2013 10:20:57 AM PDT by Chaguito
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To: Chaguito

Interesting Question!

I remember hearing an alleged rumor that the alleged video maker in question was allegedly an alleged government informant.

Remember that?


13 posted on 05/16/2013 10:22:54 AM PDT by left that other site ((Ban the ubiquitous and deadly solvent, Di-hydrogen monoxide!!!))
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

The difference between 1973 and 2013 is that the Democrats knew what they wanted and how to get it, and the Republicans know neither.


14 posted on 05/16/2013 10:23:01 AM PDT by Jim Noble (When strong, avoid them. Attack their weaknesses. Emerge to their surprise.)
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To: TigersEye

Yep. Good one.


15 posted on 05/16/2013 10:29:54 AM PDT by blueunicorn6 ("A crack shot and a good dancer")
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To: left that other site

Yep, I remember. It all smells very fishy. I keep insisting to my wife, who tolerates my musings, that it is just too convenient by half that there were all these “spontaneous” demonstrations all at once and conveniently contemporaneous with the attack in Benghazi. Something was being set up by our people, but it went awry, terribly awry.

Probably we’ll never know. But the filmmaker surely has been awfully tightly wrapped since the debacle.


16 posted on 05/16/2013 10:38:56 AM PDT by Chaguito
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To: blueunicorn6

OK, just checking. :)


17 posted on 05/16/2013 10:44:41 AM PDT by TigersEye ("No man left behind" is more than an Army Ranger credo it's the character of America.)
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To: Chaguito

Not one reporter has ever talked to Nakoula or said that they have tried to get an interview to my knowledge. Very strange. Inmates give interviews all of the time.


18 posted on 05/16/2013 10:46:21 AM PDT by TigersEye ("No man left behind" is more than an Army Ranger credo it's the character of America.)
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To: Chaguito
If you haven't seen this post you might find it interesting.
19 posted on 05/16/2013 10:47:30 AM PDT by TigersEye ("No man left behind" is more than an Army Ranger credo it's the character of America.)
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To: Chaguito
Has anybody in the press ever interviewed the alleged maker of the alleged video that allegedly caused the Benghazi attacks, maybe in order to find out if any government officials might have been in contact with him before the alleged video spawned the alleged demonstrations in Egypt, et al?

Nakoula is purportedly being held incommunicado and in solitary confinement -- for his own safety, of course.

20 posted on 05/16/2013 10:49:24 AM PDT by okie01 (The Mainstream Media: IGNORANCE ON PARADE --)
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