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Updated: Pickering!! "Things go Badly for Darrell Issa When David Gregory Fails to Be a GOP Shill"
Last edited Sun May 12, 2013, 11:16 PM - Edit history (1)
Darrell Issa (R-CA) made a fool of himself on “Meet the Press” Sunday as he tried to defend his Benghazi conspiracy. David Gregory (R-TV) pushed back hard, even bringing up the GOP’s defunding of security.
Issa even accused General David Petraeus of lying for the administration. As soon as Gregory would call Issa on one thing, he’d say he was investigating something else. Issa accused Tom Pickering of refusing to testify when in fact, Issa had not invited him to speak and Pickering was told that the Republican majority did not want him there. Issa ended up backtracking on that one, too, and it was super awkward when it came out that Issa never asked for him to appear.
Issa even accused General David Petraeus of lying for the administration. As soon as Gregory would call Issa on one thing, he’d say he was investigating something else. Issa accused Tom Pickering of refusing to testify when in fact, Issa had not invited him to speak and Pickering was told that the Republican majority did not want him there. Issa ended up backtracking on that one, too, and it was super awkward when it came out that Issa never asked for him to appear.
Turns out, Issa was just making inaccurate, unfounded accusations so as to falsely infuse his Benghazi hearings with the aura of nefarious dark secrets, because that is what Issa does for a living
.
Here’s the edited-for-brevity transcript from NBC. I’ve bolded the highlights (commentary in italics). It’s long, but it’s really a must-read if you want to see just how empty the Republican conspiracy is, and just how vulnerable Republicans are making their party with this line of attack:
Transcript at link..
http://www.politicususa.com/badly-darrell-issa-david-gregory-fails-gop-shill.html
From Sarah Jones at PoliticusUSA.. Thank you, Sarah!
Thought this should be out there since there seems to be so much Impeachment fearmongering and "Benghazi's the ONE!!11".
Updated:
Amb. Pickering: I offered to testify and was rejected
Ambassador Thomas Pickering responds to Congressman Darrell Issa’s claim that the diplomat should testify on the Benghazi incident.
Ambassador Thomas Pickering responds to Congressman Darrell Issa’s claim that the diplomat should testify on the Benghazi incident.
http://www.nbcnews.com/video/meet-the-press/51858359#51858393
Ambassador Pickering: I Was Willing To Testify On Benghazi
U.S. Ambassador Thomas Pickering said Wednesday he offered to testify at today's House Oversight Committee hearing on the deadly Benghazi, Libya attacks that occurred last year, contrary to what Chairman Darrell Issa (R-CA) claimed.
"Yes, I'm willing to testify," Pickering told MSNBC's Andrea Mitchell on Wednesday. "I made that clear yesterday. The White House I understand made that clear to Mr. Issa. He declined. I don't know the reasons for that, made some statement about perhaps sometime later we could come, but I was very interested in being there, because i thought the testimony this morning might be important with respect to the accountability review board and its work."
Pickering co-chaired an independent accountability review board on behalf of the State Department in the aftermath of the Benghazi attacks. A spokesman for Issa disputed his account, saying that committee rules prevented late additions to the witness list.
"Yes, I'm willing to testify," Pickering told MSNBC's Andrea Mitchell on Wednesday. "I made that clear yesterday. The White House I understand made that clear to Mr. Issa. He declined. I don't know the reasons for that, made some statement about perhaps sometime later we could come, but I was very interested in being there, because i thought the testimony this morning might be important with respect to the accountability review board and its work."
Pickering co-chaired an independent accountability review board on behalf of the State Department in the aftermath of the Benghazi attacks. A spokesman for Issa disputed his account, saying that committee rules prevented late additions to the witness list.
At link.. Issa spokesman, Fred Hill, more or less called Adm Pickering a liar.http://livewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/entry/ambassador-pickering-i-was-willing-to-testify-on
Thanks to DonVieo for heads up on updates!
46 replies
= new reply since forum marked as read
= new reply since forum marked as read
GREGORY:
But look– but look at these attacks on U.S. interest spanning Republican and Democratic administrations including President Bush’s administration. Why is there not more of an effort to beef up security after these attacks happen and even, you– you know, even before this happened in Benghazi? (Oh, God, do not go to the Republican defunding of security, David, or else all is lost for Issa….)
REP. ISSA:
David…
GREGORY:
And isn’t this Congress’s job to spend the money to beef up security? (BOOM goes the dynamite.)
REP. ISSA:
David, I– well, first of all, money is spent by the– the secretary of state and her people. We appropriate the money. (Apparently Issa, who listed other areas of great security concern, does not understand the word appropriations – as in, you have X amount, and you must make it work all over the world. Good luck. Oh, and by the way, we’re decreasing your funding and then we’re going to blame you for not being able to see into the future.)
BOOM! SHAKALAKA!!!! BOOM!
But look– but look at these attacks on U.S. interest spanning Republican and Democratic administrations including President Bush’s administration. Why is there not more of an effort to beef up security after these attacks happen and even, you– you know, even before this happened in Benghazi? (Oh, God, do not go to the Republican defunding of security, David, or else all is lost for Issa….)
REP. ISSA:
David…
GREGORY:
And isn’t this Congress’s job to spend the money to beef up security? (BOOM goes the dynamite.)
REP. ISSA:
David, I– well, first of all, money is spent by the– the secretary of state and her people. We appropriate the money. (Apparently Issa, who listed other areas of great security concern, does not understand the word appropriations – as in, you have X amount, and you must make it work all over the world. Good luck. Oh, and by the way, we’re decreasing your funding and then we’re going to blame you for not being able to see into the future.)
BOOM! SHAKALAKA!!!! BOOM!
If nothing else, just to rub their noses in that over and over...
David Gregory just grew a pair!
YES! Great interview with Gregory.
REP. ISSA: You know, let’s not blow things out of proportion. (It’s a little late for this warning, Issa.) This is a failure, it needs to be investigated. Our committee can investigate. Now, Ambassador Pickering, his people and he refused to come before our committee that… (Issa is accusing Tom Pickering of refusing to appear when he was not invited. Nice one, Issa.)
AMB. THOMAS PICKERING (Former Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs/Chair, Accountability Review Board on Benghazi): That is not true.
AMB. THOMAS PICKERING (Former Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs/Chair, Accountability Review Board on Benghazi): That is not true.
Issa should follow his own advice! " You know, let’s not blow things out of proportion." Correct Darrell. Maybe you should stop blowing Benghazi out of proportion! You talk about lies and deceipt that lasting for almost a month? Really? Where were you when Bushco lied and deceived our country for 8 years! Where was the outrage then! Hmmmm?
And that smirk he has on his face makes me ill.
DU 
We are the band of brothers and we 
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2013/may/10/itv-deborah-turness-nbc-news
This is now the 2nd time that he has called out the thugs in the past couple weeks (a record for him) although he has always wrapped himself in their ideology.
Yes.
What a unpleasant surprise it must have been for Issa to appear on MTP the day Gregory decided to be a journalist.
P.S. To my DU sisters & brothers, do NOT take any comfort that here isn't a real scandal or cover-up, do you honesty believe the GOP will allow the TRUTH to get in their way?
