slatten49 Loc: Lake Whitney, Texas

By Joel Rubin

House Republicans have a history of twisting facts to create a circus during congressional hearings; it’s a feature, not a bug for them.

But in a taste of sweet irony, Ambassador Marie Yovanovitch subtly flipped the script during the impeachment hearings Friday, using her opening statement to name her colleagues who were k**led in B******i and subsequently used as political props to attack the Obama administration’s State Department. Speaking of the department, she said: “We are Ambassador Chris Stevens, Sean Patrick Smith, Ty Woods, and Glen Doherty—people rightly called heroes for their ultimate sacrifice to this nation's foreign policy interests in Libya, eight years ago. We honor these individuals. They represent each one of you here—and every American. These courageous individuals were attacked because they symbolized America.”

The B******i hearings were a new low for House Republicans, who turned a national tragedy into a political circus focused on bringing down a Democratic p**********l candidate. Those hearings were never about what happened in Libya, and how to prevent future tragedies—as Kevin McCarthy publicly bragged at the time. They were about smearing Hillary Clinton so that she would lose in 2016. And it worked. That why House Republicans and Donald Trump are trying to do the same thing to Joe Biden in 2020.

The same people who drove the B******i h**x are now running Trump’s impeachment defense: Mike Pompeo, Kevin McCarthy, Jim Jordan, Mark Meadows, Devin Nunes, Lindsey Graham, and Mick Mulvaney. Only now, instead of backbenchers, they’re party stars in large part because of their political success with the B******i hearings.

The lesson they learned is that politicizing American foreign policy at the expense of the country’s national security in order to win an e******n is a time-tested strategy. At the core of this shameless abuse of our national security is the mistreatment of an American ambassador.

In the case of Chris Stevens, with whom I worked and who was beloved by the career State Department personnel, it was these Republicans who convened nine congressional investigations for multiple years to uncover zero scandal about his and three other Americans’ horrendous murder, except for mundane, unfortunate, and fixable bureaucratic mismanagement. Unsatisfied, they then formed the B******i Select Committee to find the scandal that they wanted but that didn’t exist.

And when they created the Select Committee, dozens of State Department witnesses were called to testify. All of them came, never compelled to do so by subpoena or in defiance of a White House order to not appear. I should know, as I was one of them. Not once did anyone even remotely suggest that I not comply. In the Obama Administration, we understood that Congress had a critical constitutional role to play in the functioning of our democratic government, no matter what it’s motivations. We just didn’t understand how deeply corrupted House Republican’s intentions were. Their willingness to smear State Department personnel had no boundaries.

Which leads us to impeachment today, and the hypocritical mistreatment of Ambassador Marie Yovanovitch. She has been smeared by the president’s allies and the president himself, and left unprotected by the current Secretary of State–the same Mike Pompeo who, when in Congress, had eviscerated the Obama State Department for not preventing Ambassador Stevens’ k*****g.

Pompeo’s actions back then, as now, make it clear that he prioritized politics over national security.
This was made clear by Yovanovitch when she described how she was recalled from her post. The threat wasn’t coming from a foreign actor. As she testified, she felt it was coming from the president of the United States. And Pompeo was nowhere to be found to protect her from that threat.

No one should be surprised that this fiasco has been facilitated by Mulvaney and Pompeo, now in the Trump Administration. They and their colleagues still on the Hill—Graham, Meadows, Jordan, Nunes, and McCarthy—see American diplomats and security assistance as tools to take down their domestic political opponents first, and our country’s foreign adversaries second, if ever. That’s what a shadow foreign policy is all about.

Perhaps that’s why they’re howling now. Because unlike during B******i, when they controlled the levers of congressional power and shaped the public narrative, they aren’t running the congressional show anymore and have to explain themselves and their actions. They have to answer the hard questions.

As is typical of those harboring a guilty conscience, neither Pompeo nor Mulvaney want to speak out. Instead, they hide while the State Department career professionals willing to obey their oaths of office and fealty to the Constitution testify openly to the American people, shining light on the darkness of this episode.

debeda

My goodness, where does this piece of convoluted "logic" come from? Citation, please.

slatten49 Loc: Lake Whitney, Texas

As his by-line says, Debeda: Joel Rubin.

Joel Rubin is the President of Washington Strategy Group, a national security and foreign policy strategic advisory firm specializing in public relations, government affairs, and fundraising. Recognized as an influential domestic political strategist and foreign policy expert, Joel is a frequent commentator on MSNBC, FOX, and multiple international outlets.

debeda

Ah, didn't notice at the top. I'll have to look him up.

slatten49 Loc: Lake Whitney, Texas

Don't most political commentators use convoluted logic

BTW, it was stated in the article that, having been an Assistant Secretary of State, he was called up during the B******i hearings.

Rose42

A predictable opinion piece. She should not have said “we are...” because she’s not in that class. A cheap stunt but thats politics.

From what little I saw she handled herself well.

vernon

How do you manage to come up with these unbiased demoRATS to attack President Trump. Now I understand why you never hear anything good about president Trump.
You really are a quiet wood or kev.

Rose42

A lot of people post opinion pieces. Some are more interesting than others.

Wonttakeitanymore

The clowns were the administration that used real Americans to be k**led to hide their treasonous acts!!! Creating isis and giving our weapons to serial k**lers! Wasted words on bull crap! The demonrat agenda! People will see the t***h when the dust settles! Always twisting the t***h to support their lies!!!

slatten49 Loc: Lake Whitney, Texas

Really, Vern You reserve no criticism for the countless biased biased threads from Fullspinzoo, etc.

emarine

Another interesting read slat... unfortunately logic and reason doesn't work here...

Rose42

Logic and reason seem to be subjective when it comes to politics.

slatten49 Loc: Lake Whitney, Texas

Here's a t***h...

The Reagan Administration's 1983 Beirut Marine Barracks bombing was a greater tragedy than B******i, with its four senseless deaths of Americans as opposed to over 240 American and 60 more senseless deaths in Beirut. Yet, a democratic Congress did not then engage in an endless array of hearings to no avail.

http://www.buckscountycouriertimes.com/article/20121104/LIFESTYLE/311049866

Excerpt: "From the outset, the American embassy in Beirut had sent numerous cables warning Washington that the invasion would provoke terrorism and undermine America's standing in the Mideast. But there was no response."

vernon

That wasn't intended for you. That was to our c*******t in hiding.

slatten49 Loc: Lake Whitney, Texas

You couldn't be more off the mark, Vern. Me, a c*******t I had a hand in k*****g 'em en masse. No matter how outlandish I may have thought some of your posts have been, I refrain from besmirching you or your views. I deserve & would appreciate mutual respect.