Team Hillary assails ‘brazen deceit’ of latest GOP Benghazi claims

The Hill ^ | August 16, 2013 | Jonathan Easley

[don-o]

A spokesman for Hillary Clinton fired back Friday at what it called the “brazen deceit” of Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.), who earlier in the day said the former secretary of State shouted at lawmakers and deliberately lied to them in a private meeting about last year's deadly strike on the U.S. diplomatic post in Benghazi, Libya.

Nick Merrill, a Clinton aide, provided the following statement to The Hill on the condition that it be run in its entirety.

“Here are the facts: on September 20th, 2012, nine days after the attack - not two as he falsely stated - Secretary Clinton was part of two large briefings held for the benefit of all 535 Members of Congress. Hundreds of House members were present for their session, and more than 90 Senators attended theirs. On January 23rd, 2013, she testified publicly before both the Senate and House. Those are the only two times Adam Kinzinger would have been within a mile of her.

"So we are to believe that he woke up today, 10 months and 27 days later, and suddenly remembered he heard something that 434 other people somehow missed? Not so much. What happened this morning was nothing short of brazen deceit.”

The rare response from Team Clinton could indicate the potential 2016 Democratic presidential nominee is fed up with Republican attempts to keep the Benghazi controversy in the news.

Earlier on Friday, Kinzinger said in an interview on "Fox and Friends" that he and other members of Congress had a private meeting with Clinton about the Benghazi attack, and that the she became agitated when someone suggested it might have been a terrorist attack.

“Basically, in a very loud angry voice she says, ‘it’s irresponsible to even suggest this is a terrorist attack, this is a YouTube video, we know that there are protests all over and we need to be very careful about how we say this,’ and basically chided this member of Congress,” Kinzinger said.

“I actually sat there in that meeting and said, 'well the secretary believes this is a YouTube video because of how passionately she’s arguing that,'” he continued. “But now we found out … that they knew this whole time that it was a terrorist attack, including when it was happening.”

Kinzinger wouldn’t reveal the name of the lawmaker that he says provoked Clinton’s ire, saying the member could come out on their own if they wanted to.

“I don’t care about the yelling so much – and she yelled,” Kinzinger said. “I care more about the fact that a member of Congress who has a right to know this and ask these questions was chided for asking about what we eventually found out was the truth.”

Former U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice appeared on Sunday news shows following the Sept. 11, 2012, attacks, and said intelligence indicated they were a spontaneous reaction to an anti-Islam video circulating on the Internet. The administration later admitted Rice’s claim was wrong and labeled the event an act of terror.

The State Department has since said the agency was concerned that the preliminary talking points went too far in assigning blame for the attack and would have been inconsistent with what the White House had said at that early stage.

On Friday, Fox News anchor Brian Kilmeade asked Kinzinger if he believed Clinton deliberately lied in the meeting.

“Absolutely,” he said. “If you look at the emails that were exchanged during the attack, they knew what was going on.”

Earlier this month, Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) sent a letter to the State Department demanding more information about the talking points the Obama administration used.

Issa says emails he obtained through a subpoena indicate that State Department leadership signed off on talking points that said the attack was due to a spontaneous protest, even though they were aware of a potential terrorist threat in the region at the time of the attack.

[don-o]

Hillary Clinton exploded at a congressman two days after Benghazi

[tomkat]

Flack = Over Target

[ronnie raygun]

Starting early, the longer you tell a lie the more it becomes the truth. By the time she begins her campaign the numb nuts who are flying under the “ we are making history again with the first women president” banner will have already been conditioned to blame the GOP for maligning this wonderful woman

[DoughtyOne]

Well, if anyone would recognize brazon deceipt, it would have to be Hillary.

Unfortunately, she's back in "brazon deceipt" mode again, so I'll just take this for what it's worth... essentially nothing.


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[yldstrk]

yep

[Da Coyote]

STFU, Hillabeast.

You have no talent and have never told the truth in your sorry life.

You would be a sleazy lawyer in a two bit firm had you not boinked the sleazemeister.

[gaijin]

SEVEN days, not two.

LOUD CHIDING, not yelling.

Wow, now THAT is a very compelling denial, right there.

Powerful stuff, my, my, my...!

[rusty schucklefurd]

re: “Well, if anyone would recognize brazon deceipt, it would have to be Hillary. Unfortunately, she’s back in “brazon deceipt” mode again, so I’ll just take this for what it’s worth... essentially nothing.”

You got that right. The Clintons’ lying?? Unheard of. Who could believe that? (sarc.)

[jersey117]

Really? Someone ought to update her that al Qaeda just released a statement taking responsibility for the attack and is now calling for new attacks. You Tube film at 11.....

[Fresh Wind]

A Clinton “deliberately lied”?

Actually, it would be more surprising to observe that a Clinton deliberately told the truth.

[Norm Lenhart]

“Nick Merrill, a Clinton aide, provided the following statement to The Hill on the condition that it be run in its entirety. “

Good Now we can do it too and point to Clinton as opening those gates.

[InterceptPoint]

As far as I know, Kinzinger is a straight arrow from the Class of 2010. So I believe him as I’m sure most if not all of us do.

But given that, wouldn’t you expect that at least one Senator or Congressman would stand in his defense?

If not, there are only two viable explanations:

1. Kinzinger is lying.
2. The GOP is, in fact, as spineless as think it is.

I’m betting on Option 2.

[Theodore R.]

I think the American people will believe Hillary on everything regardless of truth. The American people have a great desire to hold onto the Clintons. It must remind them of their own foibles.

[Don Corleone]

“WHAT DOES IT MATTER?”/sarc

[Theodore R.]

The Clintons’ lying?? Unheard of. Who could believe that?

Tens of millions of hopeful Americans who see the best in others.

[Libloather]

10 months and 27 days later, and suddenly remembered he heard something

That was so long ago. Could it be that Hillary's memory is a bit off after the immaculate concussion?

[Servant of the Cross]

“Brazen Deceit” is Shrillery’s middle name.

[csmusaret]

Hillary’s State Department and the CIA developed talking points that Susan Rice says she relied on when she went on five Sunday news shows and blamed a video for causing riots in Benghazi. For weeks Obama and Hillary also blamed the video; even at the United Nations and on national TV. Although the talking points were edited several times to please the State Department, no version ever used the word video. The infamous video was not mentioned a single time in any version of the Administration’s official talking points.

[DoughtyOne]

Exactly...