Benghazi and "The Innocence of Muslims"....

[Junkdrawer]

Does it strike anyone else as strange how the "The Innocence of Muslims" aspect of the Benghazi story just seems to have disappeared from discussions of the incident?

What was the page 1, main detail of the incident seems to now be on page 14 beneath the fold.

Curious.

[The Magistrate]

1. I Remain Curious, Sir

Just how it was financed, and how it came to the attention of Egyptian media at the time it did....

[Junkdrawer]

3. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

I really don't like being alone with ideas like this.

And remember how Romney IMMEDIATELY appeared with that shit-eating grin?

Republicans should be careful demanding a FULL investigation. They may get one.

[The Magistrate]

5. Put Bluntly, Sir, I Do Suspect the Romney Campaign

The Republican pattern of manipulation of foreign crisis in the latter stages of Presidential campaigns is well established, and this is just the sort of thing that could be easily contrived to present a spectacle of 'weakness and failure' to dominate the closing weeks of a campaign. It could be done cheaply, and with very few witting participants.

I do not offer this as a statement of fact, mind, that this was done by Romney's people, and I would certainly accept evidence, if proffered, that the thing was done independently, for someone else's private motive, but I do consider the charge a plausible one, and one that a competent national security apparatus would, and should, examine closely.

[Junkdrawer]

7. How about this crazy theory....

there IS a quiet Democratic Iran Contra style investigation underway, it's close to uncovering the key connections, Republicans know Democrats are close.

SO...

Republicans are making BIG Benghazi noises in the hope they can negotiate a quiet "Let's BOTH drop the matter" deal.

[The Magistrate]

8. If I Thought We Were That Good, Sir, I Would Feel A Lot Better....

But there is an unfortunate amount of truth in the old Will Rogers line that 'A liberal is a man who won't even take his own side in a fight.'

[Junkdrawer]

9. It's the obvious "mountain out of a mole hill" aspect of the Republican charges....

that makes me wonder if it's a Republican "a good offense is the best defense" thing.

[The Magistrate]

12. Since There Are Only Mole-Hills, And No Mountains, To Be Found, Sir

That is unavoidable in their efforts. It is made even worse by their habit, long ingrained from rousing the unreasoning hate and fear endemic to their reactionary base, of arguing by hyperbole: people who do this often and long tend to lose sight of the fact they are employing a rhetorical device, and come to believe that statements, which began as deliberate exaggerations, are flat accurate statements of fact. Thus something that could be regarded as at least vaguely reasonable, like 'government single-payer health insurance is kind of like socialism for the medical sector' passes quickly through 'you're calling for socialized medicine' to fetch up in the fever swamps of 'that's just Communism, the next step is concentration camps, that's what they're really after with this ObamaCare abomination'....

[Junkdrawer]

13. I'll leave it for now...

As a groundling at this play, all I can do is watch.

At best, I'll be less surprised than the rest if I'm right.

[DevonRex]

15. This was not a GOP operation. But it will bite them in the ass.

This was Romney and Adelson and his connections in the ME. Which is why it just went away. Not the Israeli government, by the way. Not at all.

Both the U.S. and Israel would want that story to go away very quickly. And it did.

[Junkdrawer]

17. But the GOP does seem to be going all-in on the Benghazi "counter attack"....

If, indeed, it is a counter attack.

Perhaps they know that another Iran-Contra scandal would be hard to keep tied to Romney and Romney only?

Who knows?

[DevonRex]

19. Honestly, I believe they think it's a gotcha moment

or as close as they'll ever get. They are that clueless. Even they don't realize Romney would do anything to win. Poor bastards.

[Junkdrawer]

25. It's not like they (Republicans) are emptying out their scandal file cabinet or anything...

...or are they????

Best Defense - Good Offense

[Junkdrawer]

11. Or, as my late Mother would always say....

"Remember, when you point that finger, it ALWAYS points in two directions."

[Junkdrawer]

20. It's no secret I'm not a big Hillary fan. BUT....

When she testified on Benghazi, she didn't have that "I'm in trouble" look about her. In fact, she had a "take your best shot, because, before this is done, I'll be all over you like White on Rice" attitude.

Just a perception.

[The Magistrate]

21. I Agree, Sir: She Knows How To Fight

[mick063]

10. Cool theory bro

Here is why I can't bite.

The Romney campaign staff (and GOP campaign staffs in general) are basic imbeciles.

It started with the clown car in the primaries and ended with one gaffe after another in the general election. Fortunately for them, many voters have their ideology set in stone regardless of how inept their candidate is. Inviting an aged "Outlaw Josey Wales" to speak unrehearsed to an empty chair before your biggest audience or putting your self in a position to be videoed declaring that 47% of Americans are worthless is not indicative of people capable of executing a very risky, complicated scheme.

In other words, I don't think they are smart enough to pull it off and keep it a secret. What is more plausible is that a third, independent party, with vested interest in the implementation of the GOP platform, and a heck of a lot more smarts than the dumb shits running the Romney campaign might have a hand in it. Even then, it is a stretch.

[The Magistrate]

14. Not That Complex a Scheme, Sir

Not nearly so complex as, say, torpedoing the negotiations with North Vietnam in '68, or the arrangement made with the Ayatollah in '80, were. Only a very few mercenary people would need to be recruited, and not all would need to have any idea who the movers of the thing were.

Note, again, I am not stating this is a fact, not declaring that it was done, only that I consider suspicion on these lines to be within reasonable bounds, and personally think such suspicion could prove well founded.

[HiPointDem]

18. if they're such imbeciles, why are they (according to many at DU) able to control the political

terrain?

[mick063]

22. Two different entities

The Robber Barons control ALEC. They own the media. They have the Supreme Court on their side (Citizens United). They own the Republican Party.


They hire Presidential nominees (Romney's 47% video was a typical "job interview&quot just like they hire gardeners, drivers, and chefs . They don't typically pull weeds, drive limos, cook meals or run the political campaigns. They are accustomed to buying what they want. Sometimes they don't get exactly what they paid for.

Romney's campaign was a complete cluster. A hundred million dollars wasted. Not only that, but to get every last vote they could muster, they joined forces with lunatic extremists. Now they have to send Carl Rove in to get the primary process "under control." They want puppets that are electable with an unelectable economic message. The only way they can get it done is with religion, racism, and guns. Issues they are likely indifferent about. Regardless, there is a relatively small field to choose from when you narrow it down with such exclusive requirements. The crazy folks just can't produce enough viable candidates despite all of the advantages they enjoy with respect to money and exposure.

[KoKo]

32. interesting.... can't disagree. Why else have they run such incompetent candidates?

It's almost like they wanted us Dems to win putting the clown cars out there with McCain/Palin starting the show and continuing with Romney. But, their key issues whip up their base and even feed the crazier. Yet, they rule. Media-MIC. Whip up the frenzy...and they get what they want in the end. Just look at a state like South Carolina for an example of how voting against one's economic interests by being whipped into frenzy over "Guns, God, Gays and Taxes" allows the elite to run everything stealing public money and having fun with sexual shenanigans while promoting continuing poverty and bare basic funding for education for the population.

[peace13]

26. Do you consider Shooter part of the R money camp?

He seems very taken with the disaster. Even came out form under his rock today to comment! And.... it was on his favorite date, 9/11. So unimaginative!

[Initech]

16. I want to know those things too.

If the GOP is going based on a hunch we should too. Hit 'em back with that - who financed this piece of shit, and who brought it to the attention of the Egyptian media? I'm betting Rupert Murdoch had something to do with both.

[KoKo]

2. Recommend...we don't hear as much about that...

I never saw much investigation after the financing was supposed to come from "Coptic Christians"...and even that reporting was murky. Then it sort of dropped off from discussion.

[Junkdrawer]

4. On the nosey....

Pam Geller would be a GREAT place to start.

[DevonRex]

6. I'm curious. And I don't think this secret

will stay secret for long. I think the 2 camps are divided up pretty clearly and Romney is now on the outside looking in. Furthermore, I think Boehner and his bunch have no clue what will be exposed if they keep it up. If they did they'd stop now.

[DCBob]

23. Im with you on this as well.

That goofy video sure was timely. I agree with a previous poster that it was probably a third party with vested interest in Romney winning.

[Cha]

24. Funny you should ask, Jd.. "Benghazi -- The Selective Memory of Republicans, and the Media"

OK, this is what I want to know. Did everyone in the free world all of a sudden forget that it was not the Obama administration but the protestors on the ground in Libya who actually first stated that the reason they were protesting was because of the anti-Islam video, Innocence of Muslims?

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dee-evans/benghazi-protests_b_2133162.html

I was researching something else on Benghazi and found this from November 16, 2012

[emulatorloo]

27. Yes, strange as hell. I suspect this is the real cover-up these days.

Some reporter needs to dig deep and follow the money.

[Recursion]

28. There seem to have not been mass protests in Benghazi, but rather in Tripoli

The looters who came after the consulate attack did state that they were angry about the movie, as did the Ansar Al Sharia attackers at the time, but there was not a big violent crowd like in Cairo. That said, every single consulate in the middle east and the Maghreb assumed they would be the target of violent protests, and confusion about where the protests were did seem to creep in to the initial responses.

[ucrdem]

29. Benghazi, IRS, and AP all seem like classic swiftboat operations

whether or not GOP operatives were directly responsible, though it's hard to imagine they weren't at least informed in advance. All three put the Obama admin in the awkward position of defending right-wing policies: military operations in foreign countries, IRS neutering, and spying on the press. They know no matter how hard they push, Obama won't reveal their secrets, so they keep pushing until they get some concession, like today's resignation of the IRS guy. On the other two though they might be in for a little surprise, but we'll see. JMHO.

[Junkdrawer]

31. I posted this OP BEFORE IRS and AP led the news cycles....

My take now is:

Benghazi? Mountain out of a molehill.

IRS? some "Mountain out of a molehill" aspects, some troubling aspects.

AP? that's the one I think has the most "real scandal" potential.


But, as usual, the GOP's take is the EXACT mirror opposite of mine. What a surprise.

[Berlum]

30. k and r

good questions