Unlike another former presidential candidate who's showing up on those shows literally every other week because he apparently can't get enough of hearing himself talk in front of the cameras, we found out Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is not quite so fond of them during the hearings on Benghazi this Wednesday.
Apparently Clinton not appearing on the Sunday shows right after the attack in Benghazi was of great concern to wingnut Rep. "You Lie" Joe Wilson and here's how Clinton responded to him when asked about it: Clinton: Going On Sunday Shows ‘Is Not My Favorite Thing To Do’:
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Wednesday conceded that going on the Sunday morning talk shows "is not my favorite thing to do." After the Benghazi attack in September 2012, UN Ambassador Susan Rice went on the Sunday programs to deliver the U.S. message.
"There are other things I prefer to do on Sunday mornings," Clinton told the House Foreign Affairs Committee, adding that she hasn't appeared on a Sunday show in more than a year.
Wilson continued his line of questioning, reading from an op-ed written by a retired foreign service officer, William Boudreau last year. Clinton addressed the majority of the concerns addressed in the column and here's more on one of the many right wing memes being pushed in the article, which is that the White House and their national security team were supposedly watching the attacks in real time. They weren't and this article explains where that lie originated before the right wing blogs and Fox picked it up and ran with it: How a Real News Story Became the 'Obama Watched Them Die' Meme.
Clinton also discussed something I hadn't heard before on the issue of why they did not have Marines guarding the compound.
CLINTON: Because historically, Marine guards are at posts where there is classified information. Marine guards have not historically had the responsibility for protecting personnel. Their job is to protect, and if necessary, destroy classified material. At our compound, there was no classified material.
I have no doubt that no matter what Clinton said during these hearings, it won't satisfy the right who was just itching to take her down and who wanted to turn the tragedy in Benghazi into some grand conspiracy theory in the run up to the presidential election. I don't think the right did themselves any favors putting the likes of Wilson and his counterparts in the House, or flame throwers in the Senate like Ron Johnson and Rand Paul on display for all to see.
I will be surprised if we don't see another bump in her popularity ratings once some new polls come out following this fiasco. I'm not a big fan of Hillary Clinton, but I gained some new respect for her after watching the way she handled herself during these hearings. She's got a lot more patience than I would have had for these Republicans throwing every ounce of mud against the wall to see what would stick over this drummed up fake scandal they've been screaming about for months.
Transcript of the exchange below the fold.
WILSON: Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
And, Madam Secretary, thank you for being here today.
I particularly appreciate your recognition of AFRICOM, Plan Colombia. Indeed, these have been extraordinary success stories promoting peace throughout the world. The American people always appreciate its American heroes. Chris Stevens, Sean Smith, Tyrone Woods and Glen Doherty.
As we begin, I do want to point out, though, for the record, I believe that Congressman Rohrabacher is correct. There was an e-mail from the chief financial officer for diplomatic security following the Benghazi attack. Specific quote, "although diplomatic security has been fiscally prudent, I do not feel that we have ever been in a point where we sacrifice security due to a lack of funding," end of quote.
That actually is an attribute to you. And I have faith in the chief financial officer that it's a correct statement.
As we begin, it's been reported that since you managed the response to the Benghazi attack, why weren't you the person to appear on the Sunday shows immediately following the attack? Ambassador Susan Rice said that you declined. Was that correct?
CLINTON: Well, I -- I have to confess here in public, going on the Sunday shows is not my favorite thing to do. There -- there are other things I'd prefer to do on Sunday mornings. And, you know, I haven't been on a Sunday show in way over a year. So it just isn't something that I normally jump to do.
And I did feel strongly that we had a lot that we had to manage, that I had to respond to, and I thought that should be my priority.
WILSON: And -- and I believe that part of the priority is telling correct information, and you could have done that. And I think it was just very unfortunate, the multiple appearances by Ambassador Rice with information that's been discovered not to be correct.
In the November 21st, 2012, edition of the Charleston Post and Courier, a letter was published by William J. Boudreau, a retired foreign service officer of Seabrook Island. He wrote, "Within the U.S. State Department there's an office known as the OpCenter. It is located in the Office of the Secretary of State. It is staffed around the clock, 24/7 by seasoned foreign service officers. Its function is to be sensitive to any threat to American interests wherever they might arise.
The OpCenter has direct, secure communication lines to the White House Situation Room, the national military command center at the Pentagon, and the CIA's OpCenter.
"Having worked as a watch officer at the OpCenter, I know that any information that indicates a threat to the safety of American citizens overseas is passed to other agencies mentioned above.
If it's a significant message concerning American interest received, it is the watch officer's job to ensure that these other agencies are informed. He goes on. There are many questions that need to be answered, and I'd like to present these questions on his behalf.
First and foremost, what was going on at the Op Center of the State Department, and Washington, while our consulate was under attack for seven hours?
CLINTON: Well, we can certainly give you greater details. But the Op Center is, as you have described, you know, the place where communications goes in and out. They were placing calls. They were receiving calls.
They were, you know, deeply engaged in trying to help us. They don't reach out on their own, but to help us acquire information so that we could respond in real time.
WILSON: And seven hours. I mean, goodness gracious, there should have been a response. Why the delay in labeling the attack as terrorism, when it was immediately known that it was?
CLINTON: Well, you know, again, I would say, Congressman, that we described the attack. I described the attack the next morning. The president called it an act of terror.
There was a -- as you'll find in reading both the unclassified and classified version of the ARB, there was a lot of questions about who was behind it, what motivated it. And the ARB says those questions are still not fully answered today.
WILSON: And he continues. Why weren't Marine guards posted in Benghazi in the first place?
CLINTON: Because historically, Marine guards are at posts where there is classified information. Marine guards have not historically had the responsibility for protecting personnel. Their job is to protect, and if necessary, destroy classified material. At our compound, there was no classified material.
WILSON: And he continues in line with everybody else, pointing out that there were requests to enhance security that were denied. We weren't able to reach all the questions. I appreciate you responding to Mr. Budrow's (ph) questions. I'll submit them for the record for your office for a written response.
CLINTON: Thank you, Congressman.
WILSON: Thank you.
