While all eyes are on the financial standoff in Washington DC and the supposed Syrian crisis, the House Oversight Committee held a hearing on Benghazi. The topic of discussion at that hearing was the credibility or lack thereof of the report submitted by the Benghazi Accountability Review Board.
Thomas Pickering, former US Ambassador to Jordan, Nigeria, El Salvador, Israel, United Nations, India and Russia, served as the Chairman of the Benghazi Accountability Review Board (ARB). When questioned about the review, Pickering told the House Oversight Committee:
“I am aware that no report will ever be perfect. But I am proud of this one which has always been seen by many as clear, cogent and very hard hitting – as it should be. I feel that this report is still on the mark, free of cover up and political tilt, and will personally welcome anything new which sheds light on what happened that helps us to protect American lives and property in the future.”
Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA), Chairman of the committee said that he did not believe the report was as independent and honest as Pickering portrayed. He commented:
“Obviously this was not a gotcha panel because nobody was ‘gotchaed.’”
Rep. John Mica (R-FL) pointed out that 4 of the 5 members of the committee were selected by then Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. How independent can a committee of 5 be when 80% of the members were selected by the person who heads the agency they were investigating?
Rep. Jim Jordan, (R-OH) took committee member Adm. Michael Mullen (Retired) to task on the supposed independence of the review. He questioned him on the propriety of warning State Department leaders about a department member scheduled to testify in front of Congress, telling them that she may not be a good witness for the State Department.
There is no doubt that the review committee completely whitewashed what happened in Benghazi in order to cover the State Department’s proverbial butt and that of 2016 presidential hopeful Hilary Clinton. But the greatest injustice and demonstration of just how callous Democrats are took place when the family members of those killed at Benghazi testified at the hearing.
When Patricia Smith and Charles Woods were ready to testify, the majority of the Democrats present at the hearing got up and left the room. Patricia Smith is the mother of Sean Smith, an information officer killed during the attack on the consulate compound. Charles Woods is the father of Tyrone Woods, a Navy SEAL who gave up his life trying to defend US Ambassador Christopher Stevens.
Both Smith and Woods have been critical of President Obama, Hillary Clinton and Leon Panetta. They have said repeatedly that our leaders have lied to them and that they are convinced that their sons were murdered by them and their lack of action. I do not know what they told the House Oversight Committee, but in the past Patricia Smith said:
“I believe that Obama murdered my son. I firmly believe this.”
And Charles Woods echoed those sentiments saying:
“I’m a retired attorney, and I know that these actions legally do not constitute murder. But in my mind the people in the White House, all of them who have authority to send in reinforcements to prevent what they knew was going to be the death of my son, are guilty of murdering my son.”
To have the Democrats walk out on their testimony was not only rude, uncaring and disrespectful, but I would consider it conduct unbecoming of any politician and as such should be subject to censure in the House. Every Republican running against these Democrats in the next election need to bring this to the attention of the people in their districts and ask them how they would feel if it were their son killed and then to be treated this way.
The actions of the Democrats is an example of how little they truly care for the American people and especially for those who sacrifice their lives for their country. The only thing Democrats are concerned about is padding their own wallets and pushing their socialist agenda. Think about it, socialists don’t care about the people or who lives or dies. Conservatives do care for the people and they especially care for those who lay their lives on the line each and every day. Which ones do you want running our country?
