Benghazigate: Lets Review Just What We Have Here

Benghazigate Coverage Can ... Wait?! By Lynn Woolley Texas Insider Report: AUSTIN Texas With regard to the circumstances surrounding the attack on the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi Libya on September 11 the question is not What did the President know and when did he know it?"  The question is What does the media know and why wont they report it?   The evolving story surrounding the attack that killed Ambassador Christopher Stevens and three other Americans smacks of a cover-up by the administration.  By traditional journalistic standards it is top-shelf above-the-fold news that if what appears to have happened actually happened suggests that an American president near the end of a close reelection battle may have chosen politics over American lives. Thats how important this is.  And yet if not for FOX News blogs and conservative talk radio you might not know much about the story at all.   There was some coverage in the mainstream media especially when emails turned up that were sent to the White House virtually as the attack was underway alerting the administration that an al Qaeda affiliate Ansar al Sharia had claimed responsibility.  This was a blockbuster revelation but coverage of a controversial comment about rape by a Republican senatorial candidate made more headlines.

The fact is that if what these emails indicate is true then President Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton were fully aware that the attack was not spontaneous nor was it a reaction to an anti-Muslim video that was on You Tube.  Yet the President blamed the video six (6) times before the United Nations and U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice appeared on all five Sunday political shows to do the same thing.  President Obama and Secretary Clinton made a TV commercial to run in Pakistan to deny involvement with the video.

Youd think the mainstream media would be curious about all this and dig further.  The one who did the digging was FOXs Jennifer Griffin.  On October 26^th she had an exclusive.  Griffin led her story with a shocking revelation:

Fox News has learned from sources who were on the ground in Benghazi that an urgent request from the CIA annex for military back-up during the attack on the U.S. consulate and subsequent attack several hours later on the annex itself was denied by the CIA chain of command -- who also told the CIA operators twice to stand down rather than help the ambassadors team when shots were heard at approximately 9:40 p.m. in Benghazi on Sept. 11."

In a follow-up Q & A with a FOX anchor she was asked point blank:  How good are your sources?"  Replied Griffin As good as they get."  Meanwhile on Hardball on MSNBC Chris Matthews expressed exasperation that some in the media he was referring mainly to FOX and talk radio were describing the affair as a cover-up.   Lets briefly review what we have here.

• The consulate was attacked on the anniversary of 9/11 and we werent prepared.
• The President and other key officials blamed it on a You Tube video.
• Emails seemed to provide evidence that it was a planned terrorist attack.
• CIA operators were twice told to stand down" rather than send help.

It does invite comparisons to Watergate except that we had no dead bodies in that scandal and we have four now.  For his part the President goes on entertainment shows like Leno and Letterman but does not face the Washington Press Corps.   And the Media which loved to accuse George W. Bush of not being curious is itself not curious. There was some mention of Benghazi on the Sunday shows of October 28^th to his credit Bob Schieffer discussed it in detail with Senator John McCain on CBSs Face the Nation but for the most part Griffins breaking news broke just on FOX.  The inescapable conclusion is that a major scandal just days ahead of the election would not be good for the President and therefore the mainstream media is thinking coverage can wait a few more days.  Besides Hurricane Sandy is blowing in and providing the media with some much needed cover.  Lynn Woolley is a Texas-based radio talk show host.  His website is www.BeLogical.com.