Not since Megyn Kelly “assured” us that Santa is white, has she looked as foolish and biased as she did tonight arguing with Democrat Adam Schiff over Benghazi. She sounded almost hysterical as she demanded to know why President Obama called the attack on the American compound in Benghazi an “act of terror” and not a “terrorist attack.” Fortunately, Schiff nicely called out and smacked down her ridiculousness.
The pretext for rehashing this non-issue this time was a letter signed by three Republican senators using President Obama’s Super Bowl interview with Bill O'Reilly as an excuse to complain that he had not called Benghazi “a terrorist attack.”
This segment perfectly illustrates the Fox News/GOP Tag Team on Benghazi
See how this symbiosis works? O’Reilly plays GOP gotcha with the president, then the GOP uses the president’s response to hit back, then Fox News uses their attack as yet another “news” item to use against President Obama.
It’s too bad Schiff didn’t nail Fox on that, too. But we won’t quibble with the job he did.
You really need to watch the video to get the full effect but here are some “highlights”:
SCHIFF: As you remember from the campaign, the president referred to (Benghazi) as a terror attack the day after it took place.
KELLY: No, he did not. He called it “an act of terror.” That is not synonymous!
SCHIFF: An act of terror is not a terror attack? That sounds like the same thing to me.
…
KELLY (more excited) (interrupting): Listen, I’m doing you a favor because my viewers want an answer to this and they’re not satisfied. So I’m giving you, as a Democrat …the opportunity to convince them.
SCHIFF: If you’re doing me a favor, then let me finish.
KELLY: I’m gonna let you finish! But I don’t like dodging away from the question I want to keep you on point.
If you think an act of terror is synonymous in the president’s mind with terrorist attack then why, two weeks later, did the president decline to go that far when Joy Behar asked him (on The View), “Was this a terrorist attack?”
SCHIFF: You know, Megyn, honestly I think it’s a little bit ridiculous to say that someone who refers to an “act of terror” is not talking about a terrorist attack.
KELLY: (interrupting) But you’re not answering.
SCHIFF: That is really quibbling over terminology. (She tried to interrupt again) Megyn, Megyn, let me finish! He did say it! He said it the very next day. And in the (View) interview that you have now subsequently quoted, where you gave just a little snippet of the president’s comments, he was saying that he didn’t want to get into all the details during the pendency of the investigation. He wasn’t saying this wasn’t a terrorist attack. And to claim that that abbreviated sentence that you’re relying on, (Kelly tried to interrupt again), means something different, I think is just misleading.
I believe that Kelly knew darned well she was being ridiculous. Hence her dropping this sort-of acknowledgment that she was acting out someone else’s agenda: "I know many people think these are not legitimate questions but others do."
And here was Schiff’s great comeback:
With all due respect to the insatiable interest in this on Fox News and with my three senate colleagues, we have just received yet another report, this time a bi-partisan report from the Senate Intelligence Committee, saying there was no cover up, there was no politicization. …When will you take no for an answer? When will you take there’s nothing there for an answer?
And then, after several minutes of fevered theatrics on the issue, Kelly suddenly claimed she wasn’t the one who cared: "Take it up with the senators, sir. I’m not the one who wrote this letter. These are the senators on this committee who are upset about this."
SCHIFF: …If you look at the actual work product of the committee, they don’t agree with the thrust of that letter. The work product of that committee debunks for the umpteenth time this conspiracy theory. …Megyn, you would have to believe that General Petraeus was lying, that (CIA) Director Morrell was lying, that Director of National Intelligence Clapper was lying – and they were all lying. Why? Because they all wanted jobs in the future in a Hillary Clinton administration? It’s a preposterous theory.
… We ought to keep our focus on where are we in the hunt for bringing these people to justice. …The Benghazi conspiracy theories are a terrible distraction to the work that we need to be doing to bring these people to justice.
And that, I submit, is the tragedy after the tragedy here.
Watch the full discussion below.
It was not I who said Bush used “act of terror.” It was one of our regulars and I forget which one now. But thanks for finding it.
Robert Anderson, you keep making snide remarks about us as being somehow deluded but we keep making our case with facts whereas you do not. You have insisted Leon Panetta told President Obama Benghazi was a terrorist attack but your first link was to nothing. Your link to FactCheck says, basically, that Panetta eventually came to the conclusion that terrorists were partly involved in the planning of the attack (which, by the way, does not discount anything that either the Obama administration or the NY Times or the official investigations said). It does not say he told President Obama that the night of the attack.
So since you are unable to prove your case – despite accusing us of being closed to reality, I am going to assume you cannot make your case and will not respond to you further.
Public Papers of the Presidents
George W. Bush<br>2001: Book II
George W. Bush
2001: Book II
“Good evening. Today our fellow citizens, our way of life, our very freedom came under attack in a series of deliberate and deadly terrorist acts. The victims were in airplanes or in their offices: secretaries, business men and women, military and Federal workers, moms and dads, friends and neighbors. Thousands of lives were suddenly ended by evil, despicable acts of terror…”
http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/?pid=58057
Regrardless, If you too believe “an act of terror” is NOT a “terrorist act,” there’s really nothing left to say except “good luck with your future attempts at reading comprehension.”
He didn’t, but he also didn’t say it wasn’t a terror attack either… in fact he implicates other “extremeist groups” in addition to Al Qaeda:
JB:“I heard Hillary Clinton said it was an act of terror. What did you say?”
BO:"Well, we’re still doing an investigation, There is no doubt that, the kind of weapons that were used… the ongoing assault wasn’t just a “mob” action… Now we don’t have all the information yet, so were still gathering it, but what’s clear is that around the world there’s still a lot of threats there… we must stay on top of not just Al Qaeda, but other fringe groups… in that vacuum, what you see are these extremists trying to take advantage."
starts at at 11:00
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hdn1iX1a528
Funny how its only on Planet Wingnut that constant interruption to repeat the same nonsense (“An ‘Act of Terror’ is NOT Synonymous with ‘Terrorist Attack!’”) constitutes “ripping somebody to shreds” . . .
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The reason I ask is because she and Robert Anderson probably think those are completely contrary things, which they are not.
Adam Schiff was a great Dem spokesman to put on Fox. He easily and logically answered all questions very well, leaving Megan to look flustered, desperate and ultimately silly.
And when someone on the left like Schiff pushes back with this kind of logical argument, I’d love to see them take it one step further and ask Megyn (or whoever the FOX “news” talking head happens to be) if SHE believes that all 3 of these men must have been lying. Or if she thinks that the 3 GOP Senators who wrote the letter believe that these 3 men were lying.
Don’t just throw out the obvious line of thought that, in order for the right-wing cover-up/conspiracy theory to work, all 3 of these men would have to be lying only to let Megyn wave away your very valid point. Turn the tables on them and demand that SHE (or any of the FOX “news” talkers) answer YOUR question if they plan to continue pushing their “unanswered questions” agenda. Put them on the spot and hold them accountable for their accusations.
@scott from Toronto – excellent suggestion. This right-wing/FOX “news” meme that an act of terror and a terrorist attack are not the same thing is laughingly idiotic and reeks of ring-wing desperation.
