Menendez leads hearing questioning Clinton on Benghazi
New Jersey Sen. Bob Menendez is leading a highly-charged hearing this morning in which Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will testify about the terrorist attacks in Benghazi, providing a preview of what will likely be a new, powerful role for Menendez.
Menendez leads hearing questioning Clinton on Benghazi
WASHINGTON -- New Jersey Sen. Bob Menendez is leading a highly-charged hearing this morning in which Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will testify about the terrorist attacks in Benghazi, providing a preview of what will likely be a new, powerful role for Menendez.
Menendez, a Democrat, is presiding over the Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing in place of Sen. John Kerry, the panel’s chairman who is expected to soon be confirmed as Clinton’s replacement as Secretary of State. Once that happens, Menendez is expected to become chairman, giving him control of an influential committee that oversees how the Obama administration interacts with the rest of the world.
This long-anticipated hearing on the Sept. 11 attacks on the American embassy in Benghazi, delayed when Clinton fainted and suffered a concussion, is an early example of the kind of issue Menendez will be leading debate on as chairman.
The hearing room is packed with observers and news agencies from the United States and abroad. Pennsylvania Sen. Bob Casey, also a Democrat, also sits on the committee.
Four Americans, including ambassador Chris Stevens, died in the attacks.
Republicans have strongly questioned the Obama administration’s response, particularly comments from U.N. ambassador Susan Rice that at one point attributed the attacks to a spontaneous demonstration.
Menendez praised Clinton’s candor and cooperation in his opening statement, shortly after 9 a.m.
Speaking of those killed, he said, “We honor their service to our nation and we grieve with their families, but we also resolve to take specific actions to prevent future incidents.”
“It is my intention to work with members of the committee and department in the coming months on legislation that will improve security and better protect our employees.”
But, reflecting the rancor still surrounding the Benghazi attacks, and sensitive nature of the hearing, Sen. Bob Corker, a Tennessee Republican, opened the GOP remarks by saying the Obama administration's initial response "represented a denial of the world as it is today," and a committee "that has never done the kind of oversight that this committee ought to do."
Finally...about time...although my guess is she won't recall anything... Call it a "convenient concussion"... Nothing short of corruption with this administration and the lame liberal media's failure to report this fiasco...— Soul child2013- I like how this article makes it sound like a political witch hunt. "Republicans feel...Republicans want to know...Republicans have been waiting" like what they are being unreasonable. Where are Democrats? Don't they care about what happened. Are they so drunk with power that they just want to run out the clock on this incident? I still want to know why did Obama provide cover for al-Qaida and blame an "angry mob" and a Youtube video when he knew al-Qaida was responsible for the attack.— Phillies2008WSChamps
- Obama was in campaign mode. He couldn't afford to have Benghazi ruin his "Mission Accomplished" narrative in regards to al-qaeda. Now the Democrats want to protect Clinton who is a Democrat candidate for the next Presidential election.I doubt the truth will ever been known.— psyrus
- I disagree with most of the right-wing attacks on the Administration, but the Administration is not perfect. This, along with Fast and Furious, is one of the clear mistakes. Clinton needs to admit that the Administration screwed up--they messed up the protection of the embassy; they messed up sending Susan Rice onto the talk shows ill-prepared; and they messed up by not admitting that they messed up.— thegray
- Nice try, fraud. Share with the rest of us what you're referring to concerning Fast and Furious. Maybe you should wait until AFTER the testimony before you make your partisan points. — MikeP
- Wouldn't it been cool if they had investigated 911 and Iraq WMD's with as much vigor as this? My guess is not enough Americans turned up dead on 911 and Iraq. Granada anyone?— Big frank
- This hearing is already off to a good start. I was listening to Menenez this morning(remember the guy who had an illegal alien sex offender on his staff held secret 'til after the election), and he could not say enough good things about clinton. I guess he's hoping his fellow dems will remember him when he comes up on ethics charges (as if that will happen in reid's senate). Then there is casey, I just wonder if he can stay awake through the questioning. Don't worry Benghazi will go away, it is about the democrats, we all know that TASS is locked-step with the dems.— junethe4th
- Big frank: Democrats thought Iraq had WMD. Nice try though. Are you trying to chsnge the subject because 2001 called and wants its news back. Bush paid the price 100 times over and Obama has been blaming Bush for the last 4 years. I think you've gotten all the mileage you can out of it.— Phillies2008WSChamps
- You just want the truth, wherever the truth leads you, huh? No political axe to grind, right? And if this does turn out to be a witch hunt you'll be satisfied that we got to the bottom of it. Got it. How could I doubt the intentions of a patriot like yourself?
— wokmaster - No, Phillies---this is unprecedented in terms of political attacks. Did the Democrats drag Reagan administration personnel over the coals when they allowed the US Marine barracks in Beirut to be blown up killing over 300? (Reagan, of course, lied about Iran contra for 6 years and stonewalled all investigations, only to pardon the perpetrators.) No one investigated the horrible Iraq war strategy of committing too few men to occupation, while dismantling the Baath apparatus that was the only mechanism to police the country--resulting in thousands of American deaths. And you and your Fox talking head idiots go nuts over a bad CIA operation that results in 4 deaths? Are you kidding? This is a dangerous part of the world and until you and the other wingnuts, we always had a bipartisan foreign policy. Now, you question this President about every little thing that happens---this makes us weaker as a country. But keep on making everything political. It energizes the progressive majority to come out and vote every election, which guaranties that insane people now running the Republican Party stay in a perpetual minority.— Palestra Jon
- Palestra Jon: You're not even in the same ballpark with your examples. Just because there was nothing to investigate back then doesn't mean you can apply some kind of equivalency test to what happened in Libya. But I'd love to read what people in Washington DC did wrong that caused the military barracks to be blown up in Beirut. An embassy isn't a military barracks and Libya was supposed to be our ally since Obama helped to liberate them. See there are all kinds of differences. The embasssy asked for security, the administration botched the attack, then they botched the reaction to the attack.— Phillies2008WSChamps
- She gave a speech, had some crocodile tears and revealed nothing..Waste of time..— tuscany590
- Republicans once again making a strong case that Congress and government sucks. Yeah, as long as they're in office. All politics all of the time. Truely vile people in Congress these days. Rand Paul is one of the most despicable, selfish creep I've ever seen.— MikeP
Jonathan Tamari is the Inquirer’s correspondent in Washington, where he follows the Philadelphia area’s interests and representatives. Tamari comes to D.C. after two years as a beat writer reporting on the Philadelphia Eagles and the NFL (where, a political source once told him, there are at least rules against hitting below the knees). He previously wrote about politics and government from Trenton, reporting on the characters and color of New Jersey state government.Jersey born and bred, Tamari now lives in the capital city, where he is looking for stories, places to run, soccer bars and good meals.
Reach him at jtamari@phillynews.com.
Follow Jonathan on Twitter: @JonathanTamari.
