If the Benghazi hearing is not political and not an attempt to undermine Hillary Clinton, why would a Fox News host be looking for a smoking gun?
During a break in today’s Benghazi hearing, Carlson did her part for the anti-Hillary cause by saying it was “shocking” that Ambassador Chris Stevens didn’t have Hillary Clinton’s personal email address. “I mean that was shocking,” Carlson repeated, “based on the fact that she knew him well and he was in a troubled time in Libya.”
I guess it never occurred to Carlson that maybe they talked by phone, not email.
Then, before she closed an interview with Bret Baier, Carlson asked, “So far, from what you’ve heard, is there any smoking gun?”
According to Rep. Trey Gowdy, the Republican committee chair, the hearing is “not a prosecution” and not aimed at Mrs. Clinton. So, why didn’t Carlson ask something like, “Are we any closer to finding out why the four Americans died or what might have been done to save them?” I think we know why.
In short, there is no smoking gun. But obviously, Baier didn’t want to come right out and say that – and possibly suggest there was no point to the hearing - so he gave a long answer that meant to suggest something almost as good as had been uncovered:
BAIER: Well, I think the Jim Jordan email was new and it does present a problem for the set up, the tick-tock of what they’ve tried to explain. And I also think that the fact that she, that Hillary Clinton said that she did not know of any incoming threats prior to the Benghazi attack really will be challenged. There’ll be a lot of fact checking after this and there’ll be a lot of accusations that this is all a political witch hunt. I think this afternoon, you may see some more things that are new, that open people’s eyes to some different things. But as far as a smoking gun, I don’t think you’re ever going to get that out of this hearing, Gretchen.
Again, Baier tellingly couched the supposedly new information in terms of how it may affect Clinton, not in terms of what light may or may not have been shed on the deaths of the four Americans. And even so, there's nothing there.
Watch Baier pretend there is a there there, below, from the October 22 The Real Story. You can watch the hearing (currently in recess as I write this) live streamed on NewsHounds, here.
Now they have inquisitor Republican Mike Pompeo with his “bombshell” questioning (as characterized by sports guy Kilmeade). Poor Kilmeade should stick to jock talk. He’s trying desperately to whip up excitement – no, alarm! – over a complete rehash of everything we’ve already heard about Benghazi!. Poor Pompeo was forced to acknowledge there’s no evidence Hilary got any requests for increased security and actually admitted Clinton’s testimony is accurate. Not to be deterred, Kilmeade redoubled his efforts to make this all seem dastardly.
Speaking of much ado about nothing, recall the perfectly unbiased Foxies all trashing the Democratic debate as boring? Guess what? Kilmeade claims he watched most of the GOP kangaroo court and found the Republican performance “penetrating.” Yeah, I feel ‘penetrated’ by the GOP. Just like when I got my colonoscopy. ;^)
No doubt this is all cuing up to chief Benghazi! clown Tea Party Trey Gowdy showing up on GOPTV™ for another red-faced, sanctimonious performance of how non-partisan his Benghazi! hearing is better than all the many that preceded it and how grilling Hillary for 11 hours as the presidential election cycle gears up has nothing to do with getting a Republican into the White House. However, it’s such obvious b.s. it’s laughable. Just as laughable as watching completely unbiased GOPTV™ help Republicans use this hearing as another opportunity to regurgitate the same old GOP vomit on Benghazi! while pretending it’s all fresh and new and worthy of hysteria.
Oh, I thought I’d ended my rant but as I typed my last word Fox News ran an ad for a “smoking gun” special on Benghazi! Seriously? Maybe Bret will flip-flop on the smoking gun topic and host it. What a crock…
Wait, that’s not the kind of smoking gun they want- In fact, I’m surprised that one has gotten what mention it has on there.
While I sat out of earshot today I noticed Hillary looked confident and relaxed just like her debate performance. So I figured I’d encounter a lot of frownies ☹ on GOPTV™. Unfortunately (or fortunately depending on ones perspective), I haven’t been able to catch any Fox today. “Fox & Friends” tomorrow morning should telling.
Oh, and don’t let Bret Baier’s innocent boyish looks deceive you. While he’s no Hannity, he’s a hardcore partisan. Doing hilariously fanboy interviews like the adoring “Rumsfeld at War” (http://www.foxnews.com/on-air/on-the-record/2004/03/22/rumsfeld-war) and several drooling Dubya ones then getting nasty with Dems: Witness his certified 100% negative coverage of all things Obama and Hillary.
They’re not even trying to hide there bias about the fake scandal!
