Rice wasn't the only one with the CIA talking points

[ProSense]

Rice wasn't the only one with the CIA talking points

By Steve Benen

It's fair to say facts and evidence stopped being part of the smear campaign against Susan Rice a while ago, but it doesn't make this ABC report any less embarrassing.

Pop quiz: Who said this about the attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya, shortly after it happened?

"The violence in Benghazi coincided with an attack on the United States Embassy in Cairo, Egypt, which was also swarmed by an angry mob of protestors on September 11, 2012."

Was it U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice? No, it was the United States Senate.

In fact, the Senate passed a resolution on the attack in Benghazi the day after it happened, and it was updated 10 days later, co-sponsored by every member in the chamber. The resolution references "an angry mob of protestors," but makes no mention of "terrorists" or "al Qaeda."

Why is this important? Because for Rice's conservative critics, she deserves condemnation for saying what senators were saying, and using language similar, if not identical, to the Senate's own resolution. Perhaps Republican Sens. John McCain, Lindsey Graham, Susan Collins, and Kelly Ayotte can explain why Rice reflecting the collective judgment of the intelligence community the week of the attack is outrageous, but the Senate's resolution is not?

- more -

http://maddowblog.msnbc.com/_news/2012/12/04/15678090-rice-wasnt-the-only-one-with-the-cia-talking-points

S.RES.551
Latest Title: A resolution commending the 4 American public servants who died in Benghazi, Libya, including Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens, for their tireless efforts on behalf of the American people and condemning the violent attack on the United States consulate in Benghazi.
Sponsor: Sen Lugar, Richard G. [IN] (introduced 9/12/2012) Cosponsors (99)
Related Bills:S.RES.575
Latest Major Action: 9/12/2012 Passed/agreed to in Senate. Status: Submitted in the Senate, considered, and agreed to without amendment and with a preamble by Unanimous Consent.

http://thomas.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d112:S.RES.551:

http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/BILLS-112sres551ats/pdf/BILLS-112sres551ats.pdf

Clearly, this happened so long ago that Senators Ayotte, Collins, Graham and McCain forgot about it.

Hacks!

[ProSense]

1. Kick for

facts. We love them, right?

[yardwork]

2. OMG. I didn't see this before. Not being reported. Unsurprising.

[Spazito]

3. Disgusting but not at all surprising...

I hope they are publicly reminded of this, loudly.

[karynnj]

4. The Senate statement is true

The VIOLENCE in LIBYA

coincided with

an attack on the United States Embassy in Cairo, Egypt, which was also swarmed by an angry mob of protestors on September 11, 2012."

The statement speaks of two things happening in 2 countries at the same time. In fact, it is the fact that they happened together that has conflated the two. For instance, Obama was NOT wrong to speak of the bad message sent by the film. It was causing trouble in many countries -- even if Libya was different.

The fact is Rice repeated the information given by the intelligence people, but the info was wrong - the Senate is actually correct.

[ProSense]

6. Does anyone believe that the media

didn't know that this vote took place?

They gave McCain a platform to spew his BS, and never once did anyone in the media call him on it based on this vote.

[Mnemosyne]

5. K&R, the senile old bastards. nt