make it so, or maybe not

President Obama Announces Osama Bin Laden’s Death – 86600021-EndofApril_BeginningofMay_1200 (Photo credit: Phillip Stearns)

Benghazi represents a litany of mistakes and failures by our government at multiple levels.  So many questions are going to be left unanswered until the next Administration, I suppose. For example, how in the world did the State Department totally fail to provide the appropriate level of protection of our embassy and staff in Libya on that day of all days? What were they thinking and why hasn’t someone been fired for that?

The failure that really bothers me, though, is the total failure of leadership.  Which is underscored by the fact that we still do not know exactly what did, or didn’t happen, in the White House that tragic night. President Obama told us, later, that he gave the order to do whatever it takes to help his Ambassador. After which, we don’t know exactly what the President did, if anything. I guess he slept and prepared for his campaign trip the next day.

Regardless, one would assume that sometime the next morning someone would have to give the President the bad news of the death of his Ambassador and of three others. At which point, he would also find out that no action was taken to help them and that in fact orders were given to stand down. At that point, if I were the President, I would be very upset because I had given orders that were not obeyed. I would want explanations and, very likely, heads would roll. Figuratively, of course.

But that didn’t happen, President Obama has all but claimed that he has no idea what happened. No one has been held to blame. The President seems somehow inexplicably unaware that someone on his staff, perhaps the Secretary of Defense or in the military, disobeyed a direct order. This just doesn’t add up. The only possible explanation that I can think of is that, in fact, President Obama did not give any such order. Instead he ordered them to do nothing and have the military stand down. Then he went off, leaving the military, the departments of Defense and State to watch hours and hours of people calling for help and backup that never came. If I were him, I would want to cover that up, too.

what difference does it make what I say?

100518-N-0696M-214 (Photo credit: Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff)

I hate when people say “with all due respect” and then have no respect. Don’t you? So, ex-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, with all due respect, your statement to congress on September of 2012 makes no sense to me. No sense to me at all. Hillary said, “With all due respect, the fact is we had four dead Americans. Was it because of a protest, or was it because of guys out for a walk one night who decided they’d they go kill some Americans? What difference, at this point, does it make?” Huh? Guys out for a walk one night, with mortars, who just decided to go kill some Americans for fun?

It makes a big difference. It makes a difference to understand why our security was lax on 9/11 in Benghazi despite repeated warnings and requests for increased security.  It makes a difference to know why the administration falsely blamed a youtube video for weeks and weeks after the event. It makes a difference to answer why no help was sent during those long, long hours of fighting and dying.  It makes a difference to Ambassador Stevens and the others that died needlessly and perhaps pointlessly. It makes a difference to this country and, at this point, it makes a difference to me, Hillary.

I can see clearly now

366 • 10 • At the optometrist (Photo credit: Pragmagraphr)

I love all the talk of transparency in government the last few years.  Sounds like a good thing for our government to be open and held accountable to the people they serve.  Doesn’t it? Today, again in Senate hearings I heard the word mentioned several times.  Of course, this was in response to questions about a leaked memo concerning a secret legal opinion justifying killing our own citizens without due process using drones.  Somehow, this doesn’t give me confidence.  Despite assurances and empty commitments that the program and our government will be transparent in the future.  I’m just not seeing that.

I’m not seeing a lot these days.  Maybe, the problem is me and I should see my optometrist about it?  I’m not seeing the answers about the failures of operation Fast and Furious.  I’m not seeing the answers about the tragic death of our ambassador in Benghazi. I’m not seeing how the Affordable Care Act will actually reduce medical costs or improve health care.  I’m not seeing how the nearly trillion dollars we spent on stimulus in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act actually helped our economy or our infrastructure.  I’m not seeing any real cutting of  government spending because the deficits continue.  And worst of all, I’m not seeing much hope for the future because our national debt continues to increase.