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What Did We Learn From Hillary Clinton’s Testimony on Benghazi?

Jan. 23, 2013 8:39pm Christopher Santarelli

In what will likely be her last appearance on the Hill as Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton clashed with Republican members of the House and Senate Wednesday while testifying on the September 11, 2012, attacks on a U.S. consulate in Benghazi where four Americans died including Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens. When pressed by Wisconsin Republican Sen. Ron Johnson during the morning session, Clinton erupted, raising her voice after Johnson said “we were misled that there were supposedly protests” rather than a terrorist attack.

“Was it because of a protest? Or was it because of guys out for a walk one night decided they would go kill some Americans? What difference, at this point, does it make?” Clinton shouted. “It is our job to figure out what happened and do everything we can to prevent it from ever happening again, Senator.”

Conservatives were not happy with Clinton’s responses and attitude Wednesday, with some alleging she turned to emotion rather than answers when presented tough, important questions. Victor Davis Hanson writes on National Review Online that knowing the actual causation and circumstances of the deaths of four Americans in Benghazi does make a difference:

Did it matter, for example, whether Hezbollah pre-planned the Marine barracks bombing or the Khobar Towers attacks, or the American deaths were just the results of angry youths who spontaneously coalesced to commit violence? Do such circumstances matter to the families of the deceased, to national-security officials responsible to prevent further occurrences, to a public that demands honesty and transparency from its officials?

Secretary Clinton did not mean to show indifference, but her rhetorical question was one of the low points in her long career, one that might pass without too much fanfare at the moment but will reverberate a lot in the future.

Clinton has said she takes responsibility for the Department shortfalls, but to many this does not alleviate the need to know what happened to prevent similar outcomes in the future. At both hearings Clinton said she accepts all 29 recommendations of the independent Accountability Review Board that investigated the State Departments actions before and after Benghazi.

On TheBlaze TV Wednesday, Andrew Wilkow discussed with Brandon Webb of SOFREP and Lisa Schiffren of the Independent Women’s Forum what–if anything–was learned from Wednesday’s hearings, and will we not make the same mistakes with Benghazi again.

In CONTROL, Glenn Beck presents a passionate, fact-based case for guns that reveals why gun control isn’t really about controlling guns at all; it’s about controlling us. Find out more HERE.

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Comments (46)

vtdelacy
Posted on January 24, 2013 at 3:12pm
What I have learned from the Benghazi testimony is that both Hill and Bill are equally inclined to prevarications such that one cannot credibly trust either one of them. Since she at least volunteered to take responsibility for the recent tragedy, she should be relieved of her responsibilities as Secretary of State immediatly if not sooner, and never given another high post in government again. It does not inspire confidence to know that swiftboat Kerry is soon to replace her in that capacity, but let’s get her out before tackling further hurdles involved in responsibly filling that position.

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- hangman01
  Posted on January 24, 2013 at 3:50pm
  Taking responsibility without the consequenses, is irrelevant. If she is responsible. or if she is covering for the muslim traitor, if all she gets is a vebal spanking, nothing is gained. Indict her for treason, and maybe then she wil be willing to be honest and tell the truth, and take Obama down with her. That would put an end to obama’s gun running, and maybe Holder’s, also.
  
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- Dale Hogue
  Posted on January 24, 2013 at 4:53pm
  You’ve nailed it! Both of these nincompoops are, like Barack Hussen Obama, liars and cheaters and “bull ********” – if I’m permitted to use that expression on this page – and as such cannot be expected to tell the truth if their lives depended on it. The sad thing is this: most every member of the Democratic Party is cut from the same whine pine and cannot think or express themselves the way normal people think and talk about any subject worthwhile discussing.
  
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ripley
Posted on January 24, 2013 at 3:05pm
We learned that just as with Obama, though she is intelligent, she has the wisdom of a potato. Same goes for her boss. We also learned that the senators & representatives questioning her, for the most part, did not push her hard enough.

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- smv803
  Posted on January 24, 2013 at 3:39pm
  Oh so true…intelligence has nothing to do with wisdom. It would submit that and common sense is lacking in many areas on the hill.
  
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LovinUSA
Posted on January 24, 2013 at 2:34pm
All we learned is the same oldthing, lies, les and more lies, her convienent head injury gave her plenty of time to conjur up a good story , and what she left out, if you noticed, was the woman behind her that kept handing her paperwork of some sort, how obvious can she be? WSe all know, this happening will also be brushed aside an d blown into the wind, just like the other million events that this party has been allowed to get away with thanks to our pansey republican party. Don’t you wonder why they even get up in the morning? Why bother………. Go back to your holes.

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lbesq
Posted on January 24, 2013 at 2:32pm
The questions might have been asked, however, they were not asked again, and again, and again. She was allowed to “deflect” with her answers and was NOT forced to either answer the Question, or to plain spout a lie that is proven to be a lie. She also is falling on the sword, for Obama.

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Independent_Bill
Posted on January 24, 2013 at 2:27pm
What did we learn? I learned nothing. I already knew she was a sociopath just like her husband. Only a sociopath would let 4 people die by ignoring pleas for help to prevent any perceived threat to Obama’s reelection becoming newsworthy.

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noczars
Posted on January 24, 2013 at 2:16pm
We learned she committed purgery when she said there was no live feed during the attack.That is a LIE, look at the pics of the Situation Room during the bin liden “removal”. And that she will probably get by with it.

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El1Supremo
Posted on January 24, 2013 at 2:12pm
What did I learn from Hillary, NOTHING
She lies,
She knows how to read off a piece of paper
she gave a job description which shows in the past 4 years she hasn’t done her job
she muddled the history of the events
she showed me our senators and reps really aren’t after the truth or they would have asked the right questions and stopped all the psychobabble.
a right question would have been, did you see the events via the network or sat pics?
who told the ex-navy seal to stand down which he disobeyed and fought for 7 hours and who gave the order to stand down
just like they never asked bill clinton what his def of sex was so we could ask the right questions instead of swallowing ” I never had sex with that young lady “

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Arshloch
Posted on January 24, 2013 at 12:30pm
We learned, once again, how well the clintons can lie, prevairicate, stall, lecture, whine, shout and any thing else required to avoid telling the truth.

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jessieH
Posted on January 24, 2013 at 12:06pm
What did we learn? We learned that there is nothing a Clinton won’t lie about. We learned a concussion is coaching how to lie to anyone about anything. What we didn’t learn was why was the Ambassador there in the first place.

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kat747
Posted on January 24, 2013 at 11:09am
We learned that the cover-up of Benghazi is a lot worse than we will ever hear about.
Next, we will hear from some of the liberals that “it never happened” which is so typical
of those people.

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Bohump
Posted on January 24, 2013 at 10:30am
What did we Learn ? …. That she can Tell a Lie as good as Bill !

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jrcess
Posted on January 24, 2013 at 9:55am
Simple she is a liar like her husband.

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joey g
Posted on January 24, 2013 at 9:49am
nothing…

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Disabledvet
Posted on January 24, 2013 at 9:46am
That she is a LIAR, but everyone that could hurt her needs to watch out, remember WHITE WATER, everyone involved with that scandle of her and Bill, ended up dead except the two of them, I could see the same thing happening here.

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Wolf
Posted on January 24, 2013 at 9:36am
“…“Was it because of a protest? Or was it because of guys out for a walk one night decided they would go kill some Americans? What difference, at this point, does it make?” Clinton shouted…”

Useing that logic, then there was no reason for any retaliation for 9-11, Pearl Harbor, Korea…

The Clintons, Alinski, Gore,Kerry, have been a boil on the ass of America since the 60′s.

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- joey g
  Posted on January 24, 2013 at 9:48am
  rigt on…
  
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- kat747
  Posted on January 24, 2013 at 11:20am
  On the other hand, if Barry, Hilliary, Bill, John, Susan, Eric, Harry, et al would have been in that Embassy when “that” went down,
  and the response of the American People or better yet a Republican went like this,
  “WHAT DIFFERENCE, AT THIS POINT, DOES IT MAKE ?”
  
  How would that feel, Hilliary ?
  And, to make it better,
  the TRUTH was covered up !
  The truth wouldn’t matter at this point in time…”what difference, at this point, does it make ?”
  Hopefully your famous quote will be engraved on your tombstone.
  
  Report this comment
oldincarolina
Posted on January 24, 2013 at 9:29am
I watched every minute of both testimonys. The only thing I learned is that the lies and coverups continue. I’m still thinking it had somethink to do with arms smuggling.

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Michigander
Posted on January 24, 2013 at 9:18am
What did we learn? That she can throw BS as well as Bill does.

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noslave
Posted on January 24, 2013 at 9:13am
WE LEARNED THAT AMERICAS BECOMEING A NATION OF COWARDS,a looter can get elected by voter fraud?no contesting the irregularities?or biased a.g.holder gives guns to drug dealers,americans get killed,no answers??obama&crew get many dead in bengazi,etc. no answers just cover-ups??you have a communist dictatorship and you cant see it ,do nothing about it ??

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DennisNJ
Posted on January 24, 2013 at 8:09am
My respect for Hilly just went one step below the President. Both are not true patriots.

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nw5052001
Posted on January 24, 2013 at 1:07am
We learned that following the GOP and our conservative media outlets have no courage to confront the usurper…. We did it there way for four years now and things are only worse….

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nw5052001
Posted on January 24, 2013 at 1:02am
We learned that she and they can do whatever they want and you and I are only going to complain a lot but never do anything of substance..then we will die and our children will be hiding in caves, fighting the Jihadist’s…..

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MDECKER
Posted on January 24, 2013 at 12:27am
What Did We Learn From Hillary Clinton’s Testimony on Benghazi? That even with glasses that can see the farthest moon of Neptune, she is unfit for any future in public service.

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- mingfurecon
  Posted on January 24, 2013 at 12:54am
  We learned that Clinton is a feckless liar and is morally bankrupt as is her boss, B.O. These people are the scourge of this country. She and all the other dolts in this administration are shameless cowards and traitors.
  
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- lucky4u1937
  Posted on January 24, 2013 at 12:29pm
  Decker, I hate to tell you this but Hillary will be our next president, no question about it. She will continue to give to the takers just like Obama. Once you get to the point where there are more takers than givers, which is where we are currently at, then there is no turning back!
  
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drs1969
Posted on January 23, 2013 at 11:48pm
We learned she can’t lie for s hi t.
She did this back in ’92 when Willie was losing. Then again in ’08 when she was losing. A grown adult acting like a child.

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OhSnappage
Posted on January 23, 2013 at 11:48pm
Learned that Hillary Clinton had a very rehearsed speech, coordinated with fellow democratic senators, to portray her as an incredible and extremely talented individual that was put in an impossible situation that any one of us could not handle.

Hillary claimed responsibility without actually owning up to any responsibility. She does what Obama always does and sidesteps the issues, double spoke, and never takes full accountability. She was evasive and clearly does not wish to disclose or implicate herself and others about Benghazi.

Her very ego was what betrayed her, it gave her up as a phony. Hillary had an honest response to Senator Johnson by yelling over him because she took his line of questioning personal because he was right and she could not face such criticism. She invested time into the story of her character that no one can possibly question her like a suspect. Then she also expressed an honest snide disrespectful smirking reaction towards Senator Rand Paul when he railed her for failing in her duty and telling her she owned this failure. He took her very words and held her to account and like any criminal called out in a court room she bit her tongue to not respond because it may implicate her further. But her fellow Democrats were her damage control team to divert back to her “upstanding character”.

Hillary never answered a damn thing about what went down w/Benghazi (subject of Hearing) and the politicians did not seem to care to ask the basic questio

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- ChristLove
  Posted on January 24, 2013 at 1:49pm
  I think the questions were asked; the answers were not forthcoming.
  
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spfoam1
Posted on January 23, 2013 at 11:46pm
We learned that the only human life she values is hers. We learned that in her persuit of power, everyone else is expendable. We learned that her political career can include murder. We learned that responsibility is something that belongs to smaller people than her.

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- Ruff Razor
  Posted on January 24, 2013 at 1:33am
  She too, will need a body-guard for the rest of her life like hussein.
  
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