GOP Rep. Claims Hillary Clinton ‘Screamed’ at Member of Congress During Briefing Two Days After Benghazi – Here’s the Stunning Reason Why
Aug. 15, 2013 8:15pm
Speaking at a town hall meeting on Wednesday, Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.) claimed former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton “screamed at a member of Congress” two days after the Benghazi attack for daring to classify the tragedy as terrorism.
The alleged incident occurred during a briefing just two days after four Americans were killed in a fiery assault on a U.S. compound in Benghazi, Libya.
“Two days after this attack we were in a briefing with Hillary Clinton and she screamed at a member of Congress who’d dare suggest that this was a terrorist attack,” Kinzinger told constituents in Rochelle, Ill., on Wednesday. ”Now we find out that while it was happening they knew it was a terrorist attack. These are answers, we are going to get to the bottom of this.”
Read more and see video >>>>
A few things did not ring true. First was that two days after the attack no such hearing was on her schedule. Second was the use of the verb "scream." It is not that it is unimaginable that Hillary might raise her voice - but "scream?" Certainly, even from a closed hearing, some word of her "screaming" would have leaked somehow. Third, even a closed hearing would have appeared on her schedule, and there was none that week.
Yesterday, Hillary's spokesperson, Nick Merrill, came back at the story thus.
- 08/16/13Nick Merrill, a Clinton aide, provided the following statement to The Hill on the condition that it be run in its entirety.“Here are the facts: on September 20th, 2012, nine days after the attack - not two as he falsely stated - Secretary Clinton was part of two large briefings held for the benefit of all 535 Members of Congress.
Hundreds of House members were present for their session, and more than 90 Senators attended theirs. On January 23rd, 2013, she testified publicly before both the Senate and House. Those are the only two times Adam Kinzinger would have been within a mile of her."So we are to believe that he woke up today, 10 months and 27 days later, and suddenly remembered he heard something that 434 other people somehow missed? Not so much. What happened this morning was nothing short of brazen deceit.”
Hillary Clinton was on an extended trip in Asia the week prior to the attack ending with APEC in Vladivostok. She returned to the State Department immediately upon her arrival and went straight to work. No Congressional briefings appear on her schedule the week of the attack.
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE PUBLIC SCHEDULE SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 9, 2012
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE PUBLIC SCHEDULE MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2012
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE PUBLIC SCHEDULE TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 11, 2012
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE PUBLIC SCHEDULE WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 12, 2012
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE PUBLIC SCHEDULE THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 13, 2012
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE PUBLIC SCHEDULE FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 14, 2012
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE PUBLIC SCHEDULE Monday, September 17, 2012
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE PUBLIC SCHEDULE TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 18, 2012
Public Schedule Washington, DC September 19, 2012
And finally here, as stated by Nick Merrill, are those closed briefings on her schedule nine days after the attack, not two.
Mr. Kinzinger's memory of events is apparently faulty. Perhaps he meant two working days for him after the attack although we do not have his schedule. We know that Republicans tend to have problems with larger numbers as indicated by their cuts to embassy security budgets submitted by Secretary Clinton two years in a row.Public Schedule for September 20, 2012
Public Schedule
Washington, DCSeptember 20, 2012
SECRETARY HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON
9:15 a.m. Secretary Clinton meets with the regional bureau secretaries, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
10:00 a.m. Secretary Clinton delivers remarks at the Global Infrastructure Conference, at the Department of State. Please click here for more information.
(OPEN PRESS COVERAGE FOR SECRETARY CLINTON’S REMARKS)
10:30 a.m. Secretary Clinton holds a bilateral meeting with Indonesian Foreign Minister R.M. Marty Natalegawa, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
10:45 a.m. Secretary Clinton hosts the third annual U.S.-Indonesian Joint Commission meeting with Indonesian Foreign Minister R.M. Marty Natalegawa, at the Department of State.
(OPEN PRESS FOR OPENING REMARKS)
11:50 a.m. Secretary Clinton hosts a working lunch for Indonesian Foreign Minister R.M. Marty Natalegawa, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
1:00 p.m. Secretary Clinton hosts a joint press availability with Indonesian Foreign Minister R.M. Marty Natalegawa, at the Department of State.
(OPEN PRESS COVERAGE)
3:00 p.m. Secretary Clinton briefs members of the House, at the U.S. Capitol.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
4:00 p.m. Secretary Clinton briefs members of the Senate, at the U.S. Capitol.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
Finally, let us not forget that Hillary Clinton took full responsibility for incidents in Benghazi with no reservations. She has been entirely forthcoming and cooperative with Congress and should not be used as a political football by those seeking votes - neither should the tragic events in Benghazi.
