A Classic Political "Bait and Switch"
BenghaziGate
“It
would be beneficial to hear from Admiral Gaouette and General Ham, both
of whom were reportedly relieved of their commands within minutes of
their giving orders to their Special Ops personnel to respond.
General Ham disappeared for several weeks… only to return to his post, visibly shaken, after Mr Panetta had installed his replacement…
General Ham disappeared for several weeks… only to return to his post, visibly shaken, after Mr Panetta had installed his replacement…
Admiral
Gaouette was pilloried by Mr Panetta's office which advertised that the
admiral was relieved because he used profanity while disciplining a
subordinate for his reckless conduct in his high-speed maneuvering
through a naval formation.”
Mr Obama's road to perdition?
The Congressional Hearings on Benghazi
gained traction through expert testimony from diplomats, senior
security personnel, military officers, and intelligence operations staff
at the Pentagon and at the State Department, and it appeared the
Benghazi wildfire was about to consume the Oval Office and the formerly
unimpeachable President.
But,
just in the nick of time, it appears the skill sets of Valerie Jarrett
and David Axelrod, Obama's crack strategists [both skilled Stalinist
operators] seem to have saved the day by setting controlled fires to
stem the Benghazi wildfire.
After a week of Benghazi testimony on the Hill, it seemed likely there might be trials and convictions ahead for Hillary Clinton and Leon Panetta, and perhaps Articles of Impeachment for the President.
But, abruptly, we learn through "inadvertent disclosures" by Administration personnel that:
After a week of Benghazi testimony on the Hill, it seemed likely there might be trials and convictions ahead for Hillary Clinton and Leon Panetta, and perhaps Articles of Impeachment for the President.
But, abruptly, we learn through "inadvertent disclosures" by Administration personnel that:
a)
Eric Holder's Department of Justice has been spying on the Associated
Press, monitoring its phone lines, and heaven forbid, even monitoring
the phones at the National Press Club in Washington, DC.
(1) Did DOJ have warrants for such a search?
(2) If so, how were they authorized, and by whom?
(3) Are the provisions of the Patriot Act and the NDAA coming into play?
(4) Does this action serve to intimidate the Press Corps?
and,
(1) Did DOJ have warrants for such a search?
(2) If so, how were they authorized, and by whom?
(3) Are the provisions of the Patriot Act and the NDAA coming into play?
(4) Does this action serve to intimidate the Press Corps?
and,
b) The IRS has admitted harassing Conservative political groups, particularly the Tea Party prior to the 2012 election.
(1) Oddly, this conduct was old news until Lois Lerner, Director of the IRS Exempt Organization Division, "...let slip last week that low-level IRS staffers had focused extra scrutiny on Conservative groups with words such as 'tea party' or 'patriot' in their names."
(2) Where and when did Ms. Lerner "let slip" this information -- and to whom? Did she plant the information?
(3) Conservatives had complained loudly about this harassment throughout the 2012 campaign, and the Media paid no attention.
(4) Suddenly, this practice is front page news -- following a week of damaging Benghazi testimony? Odd. Why now? Why not a year ago? So now, Mr Obama is OUTRAGED at this discovery and is DEMANDING a full investigation.
This is a classic political "Bait and Switch"!
Divert the Media with carefully timed and placed leaks of real information on scandalous, albeit on-going situations which the Press will pounce on and the talking heads will babble about for weeks, dominating the airwaves with these scandals and diverting attention from the Benghazi hearings.
Thus, the political strategy to overcome a dangerous political "wildfire" situation is much the same as combating a forest fire: that is, light "backfires" to consume oxygen and combustible materials in the path of the oncoming, and seemingly uncontrollable forest fire.
(1) Oddly, this conduct was old news until Lois Lerner, Director of the IRS Exempt Organization Division, "...let slip last week that low-level IRS staffers had focused extra scrutiny on Conservative groups with words such as 'tea party' or 'patriot' in their names."
(2) Where and when did Ms. Lerner "let slip" this information -- and to whom? Did she plant the information?
(3) Conservatives had complained loudly about this harassment throughout the 2012 campaign, and the Media paid no attention.
(4) Suddenly, this practice is front page news -- following a week of damaging Benghazi testimony? Odd. Why now? Why not a year ago? So now, Mr Obama is OUTRAGED at this discovery and is DEMANDING a full investigation.
This is a classic political "Bait and Switch"!
Divert the Media with carefully timed and placed leaks of real information on scandalous, albeit on-going situations which the Press will pounce on and the talking heads will babble about for weeks, dominating the airwaves with these scandals and diverting attention from the Benghazi hearings.
Thus, the political strategy to overcome a dangerous political "wildfire" situation is much the same as combating a forest fire: that is, light "backfires" to consume oxygen and combustible materials in the path of the oncoming, and seemingly uncontrollable forest fire.
The Benghazi Forest Fire:
In this case, the wildfire is the Benghazi Congressional Inquiry, with a lengthy string of expert eye-witnesses in the queue, preparing to give full disclosure on everything relating to orders by Clinton and Panetta to ground and Naval forces, to the details of what rescue capabilities existed within minutes of Benghazi -- as opposed to the 16 hours response time Panetta claimed.
The stakes?
Criminal charges against Clinton and Panetta, and ultimately,
Articles of Impeachment for Mr Obama.
In this case, the wildfire is the Benghazi Congressional Inquiry, with a lengthy string of expert eye-witnesses in the queue, preparing to give full disclosure on everything relating to orders by Clinton and Panetta to ground and Naval forces, to the details of what rescue capabilities existed within minutes of Benghazi -- as opposed to the 16 hours response time Panetta claimed.
The stakes?
Criminal charges against Clinton and Panetta, and ultimately,
Articles of Impeachment for Mr Obama.
  |
Payback
is Hell, Barry! [NYDailyNews]
|
The
potential spectacle of bringing General Petraeus in as a witness to
fully disclose what the CIA was doing in Benghazi, and why the CIA
Station Chief in Tripoli and the Benghazi Base Chief were ordered to
"stand down" was deemed to be an indefensible situation. We'll likely
learn the CIA was moving weapons from Libyan warehouses to Syrian rebels
-- and to the Muslim Brotherhood.
And, Mr Obama no longer has any means to prevent General Petraeus from testifying.
And, Mr Obama no longer has any means to prevent General Petraeus from testifying.
We
might also learn the reasons why not one of the dozens of US 6th Fleet
ships positioned off the Libyan coast were not allowed to respond to
calls for help from the Benghazi consulate.
The ships were equipped with transport and attack helicopters, and
there were more than a thousand combat ready Marines at the ready.
There was also a Special Operations ship posted nearby, specifically designed to deal with rescue situations precisely like the attack on Benghazi.
Add to that testimony would be that of the Commander of the US Navy Sixth Fleet, positioned off the coast of Libya, to explain why none of the dozens of his fixed or rotary winged aircraft could be deployed to rescue the diplomats in Benghazi.
We also note that the drone flying overhead had been disarmed prior to launch -- deviating from protocol. The drone provided real-time video coverage of the attack to the White House Situation Room, the National Military Intelligence Center [NMIC] and the National Military Command Center [NMCC]; had it been armed, it could have assisted those taking fire at the Consulate. We also wonder at the Stand Down order for the AC-130 gunship, also flying overhead, which had both regular and infrared video, plus Gatling Guns, plus a 105 howitzer, plus rockets and a massively powerful spotlight; it was not allowed to engage even the spotlight.
General Petraeus appears ready to disclose all, depending on whether or not the correct questions are posed by Congressman Issa and his panel.
There was also a Special Operations ship posted nearby, specifically designed to deal with rescue situations precisely like the attack on Benghazi.
Add to that testimony would be that of the Commander of the US Navy Sixth Fleet, positioned off the coast of Libya, to explain why none of the dozens of his fixed or rotary winged aircraft could be deployed to rescue the diplomats in Benghazi.
We also note that the drone flying overhead had been disarmed prior to launch -- deviating from protocol. The drone provided real-time video coverage of the attack to the White House Situation Room, the National Military Intelligence Center [NMIC] and the National Military Command Center [NMCC]; had it been armed, it could have assisted those taking fire at the Consulate. We also wonder at the Stand Down order for the AC-130 gunship, also flying overhead, which had both regular and infrared video, plus Gatling Guns, plus a 105 howitzer, plus rockets and a massively powerful spotlight; it was not allowed to engage even the spotlight.
General Petraeus appears ready to disclose all, depending on whether or not the correct questions are posed by Congressman Issa and his panel.
GEN Ham & ADM Gaouette
It
would be beneficial to hear from Admiral Gaouette and General Ham, both
commanders of nearby military rescue forces -- but both of whom were
reportedly relieved of their commands within minutes of their giving
orders to their Special Ops personnel to respond.
General Ham disappeared for several weeks, perhaps to be threatened with the end of his career -- and perhaps harm to his family -- only to return to his post, visibly shaken, after Mr Panetta had installed his replacement with a much more senior general.
Admiral Gaouette was pilloried by Mr Panetta's office which advertised that the admiral was relieved because he used profanity while disciplining a subordinate for his reckless conduct in his high-speed maneuvering through a naval formation. Adding to this charge was another in which he used a term "which could possibly have been interpreted as 'racist' " while he was being 'roasted' at a party."
That's quite a stretch!
General Ham disappeared for several weeks, perhaps to be threatened with the end of his career -- and perhaps harm to his family -- only to return to his post, visibly shaken, after Mr Panetta had installed his replacement with a much more senior general.
Admiral Gaouette was pilloried by Mr Panetta's office which advertised that the admiral was relieved because he used profanity while disciplining a subordinate for his reckless conduct in his high-speed maneuvering through a naval formation. Adding to this charge was another in which he used a term "which could possibly have been interpreted as 'racist' " while he was being 'roasted' at a party."
That's quite a stretch!
The
Navy even went so far as to attempt to prove that on the day of the
attack on Benghazi, Admiral Gaouette's ship was in Guam, Singapore,
Seattle, and/or Norfolk; which of course contradicted Mr Panetta's
public affairs news release welcoming the USS Stennis as a participant
in NATO"s Middle East war exercises -- in August, just a few weeks
before the attack on Benghazi.
These are issues which have not yet been addressed in the hearings, but which we expect will be in future sessions. But, will the Press cover and report on the hearings? Or will the Administration employ the "back-fire" diversions of the scandals involving the IRS and the DOJ spying on journalists to shift the public's attention away from Benghazi.
These are issues which have not yet been addressed in the hearings, but which we expect will be in future sessions. But, will the Press cover and report on the hearings? Or will the Administration employ the "back-fire" diversions of the scandals involving the IRS and the DOJ spying on journalists to shift the public's attention away from Benghazi.
What
better defense than to reveal on-going, but less egregious
Administration malfeasance, complete with sacrificial lambs from the IRS
and DOJ to toss under the bus.
I have Holder's back this much!
Why, Mr Holder will likely be "forced to resign" [even though he announced several months ago his intent to resign].
All this drama will take months to play out, with the Oval Office hope that the Benghazi wildfire will burn out for lack of oxygen -- and/or Media attention.
As that GOP Master of Strategy, Lee Atwater, noted long ago,
All this drama will take months to play out, with the Oval Office hope that the Benghazi wildfire will burn out for lack of oxygen -- and/or Media attention.
As that GOP Master of Strategy, Lee Atwater, noted long ago,
"The American Public has an attention span of about three months, after which they will lose interest in a scandal."
Watergate, of course, was the exception to that rule -- and we hope BenghaziGate will be as well.
Posted by Greg Davis
An election for President and Commander in Chief of the Military must strive to be above reproach. Our public institutions must give the public confidence that a presidential candidate has complied with the election process that is prescribed by our Constitution and laws. It is only after a presidential candidate satisfies the rules of such a process that he/she can expect members of the public, regardless of their party affiliations, to give him/her the respect that the Office of President so much deserves.
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