By John W. Lillpop
President Barack Obama used his first press conference in eight months to stage an angry, but illogical, defense of UN Secretary Susan Rice, who has been sharply criticized for her comments to the media about the Benghazi slaughter.
At issue are Rice's comments on five different Sunday news shows on September 16 in which the UN Ambassador appeared to attribute the September 11 attack in Libya to response to an anti-Muslim video, and not a terrorist attack.
U.S. intelligence agencies resolved within a day of the attack that the incident was a terrorist attack.
Hours before Obama conducted his press conference on Wednesday, GOP Senators John McCain (R-Ariz) and Lindsey Graham (R-SC), and Kelly Ayotte (R-N.H.) expressed reservations about supporting Rice should she be nominated by Obama to replace Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. See reference 1.
As cited at reference 2, Obama took on the GOP senators:
"If Sen. McCain and Sen. Graham and others want to go after somebody, they should go after me," Obama said. "And I'm happy to have that discussion with them. But for them to go after the U.N. ambassador? Who had nothing to do with Benghazi? And was simply making a presentation based on intelligence that she had received? To besmirch her reputation is outrageous."
He called out McCain and Graham: "When they go after the U.N. ambassador apparently because they think she's an easy target, then they've got a problem with me."
The obvious disconnect in Obama’s rant, is: If Ms. Rice “had nothing to do with Benghazi,” why in the hell was she sent to the Sunday news show circuit by the president?
Why not Hillary Clinton or other knowledgeable spokesperson from the State Department or perhaps some one from the CIA?
Indeed, it was Obama who made Ms. Rice a target by sending her on a mission for which she was ill-prepared, other than being fed misleading (at best) talking points by an administration trying to stave off disaster just weeks before a national election.
Even more disconcerting is Obama’s “outrage,” given the fact that four innocent American lives were lost during the attack!
Again, four American lives were lost! THAT IS THE OUTRAGE, Mr. President!
The American people have a right to know exactly what happened, how our government behaved, and who and what is to blame for the failures in Benghazi!
Is it too cynical to suggest this scenario: After the attacks became known, Team Obama realized that the impact on the upcoming elections could be a game-changer in Mitt Romney’s favor.
Clearly, Obama needed a cover story that would avoid the conclusion that the administration was remiss in not taking the war on terror and Al-Quaeda seriously on the anniversary of the worst terrorist attack on American soil in history.
At the same time, Obama needed to have that story presented by someone whom could be defended by accusing detractors of discrimination.
Presto! Susan Rice emerges as the perfect target! She is black and female, as such damn near bullet proof.
Or so Team Obama thought!
All of which leads to the inescapable conclusion that,”The President Doth Proteseth Too Much!”
Ref 1 http://www.govexec.com/oversight/2012/11/key-gop-senators-vow-oppose-susan-rice-secretary-state/59516/
Reference 2: http://www.nyctn.com/a375452-obama-defends-susan-rice-against-gop-attacks
