Former Senator and Defense Secretary nominee Chuck Hagel’s confirmation is hanging in the balance. Senate Republicans are holding up a floor vote on his confirmation until President Barack Obama is more forthcoming about his involvement—or lack—in the Benghazi debacle in which an American ambassador was murdered by terrorists.
Naturally, the Democrats are unhappy. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D, NV) said
Chuck Hagel had nothing to do with the attack on Benghazi. There are serious consequences to this delay.
Yet, with those consequences, Obama continues to delay and to stonewall. All he’s allowed to be released so far is a letter from his counsel, Kathryn Ruemmler, to three Republican senators averring that former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called Libyan President Mohamed Magariaf on his behalf the night of the attack. ABC News had this portion of Ruemmler’s letter:
This intensive response, which was directed by the President, included 13 meetings of interagency Principals and Deputies within a week of the attack and involved continuous outreach by senior administration officials to the Government of Libya, including by the President and members of his Cabinet. As to the specific question in your February 12 letter, Secretary Clinton called Libyan President Magariaf on behalf of the President on the evening of the September 11, 2012 to coordinate additional support to protect Americans in Libya and access to the Libyan territory. At that time, President Magariaf expressed his condemnation and condolences and pledged his government’s full cooperation. The President spoke to President Magariaf on the evening of September 12th.
What did Obama do in this “outreach?” What did he instruct Clinton to say to Magariaf on his behalf? Why didn’t he make the call himself? What did he say on the 12th? Did he do anything else?
I have to ask: what is there in Obama’s behavior the day of the attack and that night—other than his decision to absent himself from the White House in favor of a campaign fundraising trip to Las Vegas, I mean—of which he’s so ashamed that he’s willing to blow up the confirmation of his own nominee in favor of keeping it hidden?
Update: Sorry–this should have been published over two hours ago; a software glitch prevented that.