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Jehmu Greene & Tony Sayegh on President’s refusal to give more specifics during press conference
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And in our political panel to discuss -- hearings going on today and the president's response yesterday with me in the studio -- -- -- green Fox News contributor.
And Tony say national political correspondent with talk radio news so it was good to see you -- thanks to being here.
I've -- -- -- -- -- Ed Henry's question and the coordinates were -- question being asked by the family's legitimate questions and perfectly legitimate to be holding these hearings we do need songs is only what exactly what happening -- it with.
-- United States is attacked we.
Always have sent one make sure that we're going after the bad guys and investigating to see how it happened.
How we can potentially change procedures to make sure that these things -- happen again so congress should.
Ask as many questions as possible I think the reporting that Ed Henry has done.
Jennifer have friends here fox has been.
Great I did find his question kind of saying he had talked to the families.
That was a bit odd and I think the president his response.
Really did elevate the conversation away from the political theater that some people have wanted to get involved in.
For example.
After the press conference there -- a number of people on my Twitter feed.
Who work up an arms a lot of conservatives -- like I can't believe he hasn't addressed the families and who clearly what he was saying is he's not going to do that you know public with.
The press and publicly he did it directly as -- commander in chief talking directly to the family so I did appreciate the president's answer on that.
Clearly we're going to have a lot more questions asked.
A lot of the conspiracy theories that have come up in this I think have just been -- extremely irresponsible.
And people too quick to jump to conclusions based on.
A continually -- -- -- Partisan -- nation of their hatred of America press.
-- -- Tony four Americans died including the ambassador to Libya.
Mean there.
It seems to me a whole host of questions.
About it.
How this all played out whether enough was done at the time to protect those four Americans.
One of them if he was sitting on that on this -- foreign affairs committee today what's the first question you would Oscar of secular state Hillary Clinton if and when she appears General David Petraeus if and when he appears.
Well to Saturday and I would suggest why is she or someone in.
Her level at the the -- state.
Refuse to acknowledge the request by -- master Stephens and others from.
Libya for extra security we now know because of the actual reporting done here at fox that.
There were -- communiques as early as August 14 suggesting from the master they felt imperil that you felt the situation in Libya was increasingly hostile to him and he felt unsafe so why did we go that entire time without.
A request and now we know that request is actually denied by one of her subordinates so that would be my first question.
-- to her I think the overall question is okay wants to attack that commence.
What did the United States do to respond to what we know we had military assets in -- not far away.
They could've gotten there late but he still could have at least made an attempt to have gotten there.
And since.
Ben Ghazi happened what have we done to to the president's point hunt these guys down track them down and seek.
Obviously to to get the people who perpetuate perpetrated the -- -- I guess and and it did to it Tony's point.
Questions a second say Hillary Clinton -- -- do you think there was a deliberate effort to mislead us.
Was that incompetence.
In the way to Susan Rice the US ambassador to the UN was put out on the Sunday talk shows would.
What do you think happened there.
I think that there was.
Intelligence that was reported.
To the administration from the intelligence community they sent out some talking points that the administration went went.
In in every conversation.
From Susan Rice anyone we saw from the administration talking about this.
They said what we know right now they've made it very clear that things were -- that this was not made -- final and definitive that you don't believe that was him.
I happen to mislead -- I I think in the overall conversation about this Amy you know and nuance has been thrown out.
By many on the right who want to just really focus in on.
A few words that were said and not the entire I don't know I don't know I knew I want to -- because I -- you have to under its -- -- product.
That does suffer appalling to be made and that -- is important when as -- -- says four Americans -- Does this have to be either incompetence all of deliberate misleading isn't isn't -- some middle ground.
They misleading is -- the result by their intent to bring confidence and both are not good you know its ambassador rice have gone on to the Sunday show and.
Had given the American people be intelligent she had which was suggesting this may be.
Then I think we would have a different conversation in all six instances.
She insisted that this is what it was one the president himself and the second debate.
Suggested that the day after he called it an act of terror she did not stick with that line something obviously changed then that Wednesday after the Sunday.
The -- of our counter intelligence testified in front of congress to say.
This was without a doubt an act of terror but then the president goes forward and now we've heard this several times in public forums on the view in front of the UN general assembly and said.
This was all about a video in fact Jonathan the only response of the American government.
To this attack has been a taxpayer funded public service announcements in the Muslim world this -- valley the content of this video so I don't I can't -- really.
Only response because you actually laid out a series of really good questions if you were on that committee.
And one of those questions was.
You asked what has been done to find the fact that no -- else that's been done that's all we know -- that's all that's all we know what to assume that nothing has been done and I think what is really disheartening in this.
Is that when America is attacked that traditional American it used to be that we would.
-- -- -- Laser focus would be on the bad guys.
And the laser focus from the right has been.
In trying to box this administration and in trying to find someone to fire.
Instead of the first line of business mean.
You attacked us we're gonna get you that -- severe -- that's it that's seems to be a second thoughts on the right and that is is a direction that I think is still.
Political the political atmosphere of the election -- -- probably.
Didn't help anybody I decide in in the way they responded.
Publicly at least to this because everything was being informed by politics Upton.
November 6 do you think these kids these committee hearings though now that we're getting on the hill.
Provide an opportunity and to move cost that -- -- him.
Deal with this in the -- -- -- to -- talking about -- do you think because of the situation because -- still.
Democratic president the White House democratic senate Republican -- we still stay bogged down in in the politics of this -- -- the real reality.
The opportunities there Jonathan certainly for this to be now pursued in the way our government is designed to pursue it which is to have.
Congress with the oversight power go through what happened what did the administration know when -- they know it when that they've done since knowing it.
My.
Point though is not at all to suggest this should be a solely political response I actually think.
The -- stepped on its own feet.
In over politicizing the politicization of this from the right this is it -- -- did admit it.
Isn't it politicizing the police and I got a legitimate issue we have no challenge we we don't put the clearly see it -- in in a vacuum and these these events occur and there's another underlying feeling.
Among many not just on the right but I've been down the -- and criticism this administration.
From from places and not just from -- -- right.
About their general approach to the Middle East which the Ben -- issue seems to bring back.
Front and center which is.
We have made unholy alliances in that part of the world we have in potentially jeopardize our national security interest in doing so.
And we still haven't administration who as a response to what is there's really nothing to see and I guess the fear is that they try to.
-- put this under the carpet for -- for too long and now finally we will have a -- mechanism by which we could uncover what actually happened but let's not forget.
Four Americans died including an ambassador was reversed on this is happen in thirty years.
You have you been doing past politics here are you confident that this current bunch we have on the hill can do that.
I have not seen that so far maybe.
Not necessarily on this thing -- issue maybe we'll we'll we'll see some of that with the fiscal cliff.
Conversations that are clearly about to start but I think when it comes to these hearings when it comes to the response that we're getting from the right fit.
Some people on the -- -- that we're still in -- campaign and I thought the president yesterday did an excellent job.
Saying you know we are moving past the campaign and really laying out the principles.
Of how to govern you know outside of the electoral cycle.
But I don't know how -- -- job he did look in the president has an obligation and as you pointed out China and he doesn't talk to the press often the last but the press conference was in June.
When he said the private economy was doing -- which is why -- suppose it stopped having press conference is for awhile.
But yes obligation answer questions and he doesn't need an investigation to tell reporter what he was doing.
The night that he found out about Ben Ghazi and what his.
Suggested response was to Ben Ghazi and me to hide behind an investigation.
To be good good responses do what you gotta do it.
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- themselves what the Defense Department did what resources were being lined up.
In the CIA has been very clear that even though a lot of those rumors -- the it was calling nine on one thing that's happened they did not receive a call for help look.
I -- -- about -- the -- and so in this day and age they want government that runs like Twitter.
They want you know investigations.
That run in the speed of social media and they want all of this information well guess what.
We may not know every -- tiny detail of what actually is being done to get the perpetrators.
And that's okay and that's why we have special forces that's why we have Navy -- I don't need to know all of the details.
But I know I am confident.
That this president.
Through our military is going to get justice and that should be our number one my happen easily focused on getting -- -- my.
How different things are -- the -- on the other foot the -- -- George W.
Bush from the left was almost solely focused on the way he prosecuted the war on terror behind.
The you know the shield the Covert operations and now all of a sudden it works for them -- Jonathan Jon and why I -- I will say it's it's last year that's your trip personal opinion but.
And I would say Jonathan that there is room to -- -- point.
To have a deliberative process by which the facts are on uncovered but we need a president who is willing to not Stonewall and cooperate much more effectively.
OK got to wrap it up that good debate thank you -- green Fox News contributor and Tony saying.
National political correspondent with talk radio news service great to have you both -- thank you very much and -- wouldn't.
