‘What difference … does it make’ quip may thwart Clinton's political ambitions
WASHINGTON EDITOR’S NOTE: The writer is addressing the question, “Will Hillary Clinton’s political hopes be affected by Benghazi?”
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will soon become Citizen Clinton once more. She’ll rake in huge speaking fees, juicy book deals, corporate board seats and dozens more honorary doctoral degrees. But none of that can ever wash away what happened at the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya.
Last year, on 9/11, Secretary Clinton finally got that “3 a.m. phone call.” Her failure to answer leaves a permanent black mark on her record.
Al-Qaida has made war on our State Department for over a decade—since the 1998 bombings of U.S. embassies in East Africa. The department has had to learn how to defend its staff and facilities in combat zones from Iraq to Afghanistan. That background makes State’s failure to address adequately the security risks in Libya all the more stunning.
Secretary Clinton’s blindness to the magnitude of the department’s failure was on display in her recent testimony before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
“Was it because of a protest or is it because of guys out for a walk one night and they decide they go kill some Americans?” she asked rhetorically, before adding: “What difference, at this point, does it make?”
It was like asking: “What’s the difference between hitting a deer that bolts out in front of your car or running over some kids on a field trip because you’re blind drunk.” One is an accident; the other is a catastrophic failure of judgment.
The administration now acknowledges the assault in Benghazi was a deliberate, planned terrorist act. It is reasonable—indeed, necessary—to ask if State did everything reasonable to mitigate the risk.
We know there was no shortage of funds or other resources. Senior State Department officials have repeatedly testified there was no problem there—though some politicians continue to cry poverty on behalf of the administration.
Clearly, the problem was the department’s failure to plan adequately before the attack and respond adequately once it began.
Seeing no difference between a riot and a raid also suggests Clinton doesn’t understand the nature of the threat.
“Islamist terrorists,” wrote my colleague Middle East scholar Jim Phillips, “are motivated to kill Americans not because of emotional reactions to alleged slights such as the questionable video on Mohammed, but because they seek to seize power and impose their Islamist totalitarian ideology on other Muslims.”
Clinton just doesn’t get that. Her testimony revealed a leader unapologetic for her failure to act or understand.
Worse, she showed no real interest in learning from the incident. Such knowledge could help her department better adapt to the emerging threats in the region.
But Clinton has disengaged herself from the Benghazi horror from the beginning. Immediately after the attack, the department surprised everyone by presenting a U.N. ambassador—a post irrelevant to the events—rather than the secretary herself as its official spokesperson for the tragedy. Later, and perhaps more shockingly, Clinton didn’t even bother to testify before the Accountability Review Board she had commissioned to investigate the incident.
When challenged on her actions and non-actions at the hearing, Clinton launched an emotional counterattack. But demonstrating empathy with the fallen can never make up for the avoidable failures that allowed them to fall. And after four months of distancing herself from the tragedy, Clinton’s hearing histrionics rang hollow.
Throughout this sorry saga, Clinton has demonstrated poor leadership. Taking “responsibility” for the attack means nothing without follow-up. It appears that the only thing she hopes to learn from the experience is that—if you play nice with the press and with Congress—you can suffer no consequences for abject failure.
That said, the bumbling of Benghazi and the indifference toward learning from the disaster cannot be erased from reality. The ghosts of Benghazi will always follow Citizen Clinton—even amid the future crowds cheering “Madam Secretary.”
James Jay Carafano is vice president for Foreign and Defense Policy Studies at The Heritage Foundation. Readers may write to him in care of The Heritage Foundation, 214 Massachusetts Ave. NE, Washington, D.C., 20002; Website: www.heritage.org.


Feb 2, 2013 at 7:53 p.m.
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“Was it because of a protest or is it because of guys out for a walk one night and they decide they go kill some Americans?”
OR WAS IT A PLANNED TERRORIST ATTACK ON THE ANNIVERSARY OF 9/11/01?
BTW: fordfan: I only check in now and then so you may have made similar statements before concerning the thousands killed in Iraq and Iran. I posted months ago after this terroist attack that the liberals would simply ignore it or, worse, say that it was nothing compared to what Bush had caused in Iraq and Afganistan. Took a while for me to see it but you certainly took that route. By the way, Bush stopped being President four + years ago. I also have a bit of a personal issue here as have a brother that works for USAID and is stationed in one of the African countries. Hope they have better security there.
Feb 1, 2013 at 3:58 p.m.
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I see another partisan goon has revealed himself, thanks! Good Lord the blind partisanship from both democrats and republicans is ridiculous, prounion, you do realize that yes Fox is right leaning and promotes an agenda, but so does CBS, NBC, ABC, MSNBC and CNN all to the left. The continuation of democrats making excuses for Obama and his failures is as pathetic and embarrassing as the Republicans giving Bush a pass on his. Or let's keep it local the Republicans that continue to fall for the BS that Paul Ryan is a fiscal conservative.
Feb 1, 2013 at 3:43 p.m.
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Right Data - tell it to FOX News.
And so what if we would not have heard about Monica Lewinsky - we would have saved a ton of money on all the legal nonsense the Republicans insisted on and been better off for it.
Feb 1, 2013 at 2:21 p.m.
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Interesting that some people think it was no big deal Embassy burned, four Americans dead, and then a cover-up and Clinton gets a pass. That's not a big deal, huh?? I'd bet you'd think it was a big deal and would be demanding answers if one of the dead was a relative of YOURS.
Feb 1, 2013 at 2:07 p.m.
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MrData, one word... excellent.
Feb 1, 2013 at 1:29 p.m.
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This is an article that must be taken very seriously. It's from the totally unbiased Heritage foundation, and the question was from senator "sunspot" who was trying to appear relevant. This will just about finish Hillary's chance to be president. RIGHT!
Feb 1, 2013 at 12:59 p.m.
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Why isn't there an outcry of the blatant racism displayed by the state department and the administration? Wasn't the excuse that a vide on Youtube used as to the catalyst of the 'riot' that killed 4 Americans? The Administration and state department knew that wasn't true if not during, shortly after. However they perpetuated this reason for at least 2 weeks. Why? Because it is possible in their eyes that Muslims would go bat S crazy over a video and just start irrationally killing? What is even worse is they thought we would buy that reason as well, and sadly any did. It isn't uncommon for Democrats to push racist themes, it is a huge reason I stopped voting Democrat in my 20's (The GOP is not above doing the same btw). Before you run this through your partisan filtered goggles, really think about what I just posted and ask yourself, was this not racist rhetoric aimed at a particular group in order to deflect from the failure of the administration? As far as me taking the job with the state department I think it is too obvious I am too honest, not corrupt enough and I don't participate in partisan games, so yes I am unqualified.
Feb 1, 2013 at 12:56 p.m.
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The bottom line is that Hillary Clinton was incredibly flippant about those deaths by that outburst...That alone should disqualify her for ANYTHING.
Feb 1, 2013 at 12:53 p.m.
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I cannot honestly blame those in either party for being 'sheeple', as Eagle1 calls them. There's an old saying .. KNOWLEDGE IS POWER. Our Founding Fathers knew that 236 years ago when they created this nation. They had experienced tyranny, lies, and government monarchs censoring the truth.. That is why they fought so hard to create our new nation....America. The Founders counted on the nation's FREE PRESS to be the watchdog for us over our government, reporting to us, the nation's citizens, the honest, unbiased facts about our government's, and its politician's, actions regardless of political affiliations.
For decades journalists reporting the news to us held their political bias in check while they did their job honestly. From Huntley and Brinkley, to Douglas Edwards, to Peter Jennings, to the Mighty liberal Walter Cronkite, best of all journalists, our news was truly accurately reported in a professional manner of journalism and news reporting. The decline into bias reporting began with CBS' Dan Rather when he openly lied about GWBush and then had to apologize nationally for his bias. Today such lies are reported every evening as facts without neary an apology (or correction) to the news watchers. Movie stars, and the entertainment industry including musicians, were never as liberally biased a few decades back as they have become today. And our educators have become such loyal union mongers that their liberalism now clouds the facts in the lessons they teach to the kids in our schools.
When our nation's KNOWLEDGE becomes LIBERALLY BIASED and horribly TAINTED through unfactual, intentionally misleading information in our national evening news; unfactual intentionally misleading lessons in our schools and universities; and unfactual intentionally misleading information in our movies and the songs we see and hear regularly. It is no wonder so many Americans are fooled about facts.
I have lived through decades of growth, change, recessions, and problems in the USA. But we Americans always had access to the facts and figures about what was happening in our government or with our politicians. It’s never been this openly, disgustingly bad. If Clinton had the liberal news media that Obama enjoys today, none of us would have ever heard about that woman .. Miss Lewinski, or the stain on her blue dress, or what Bill liked her to do to him in the Oval Office.
Our nation cannot blame just the Repubs for ALL the problems with our nation, as the media - our educators - our entertainers expect us to. They are fools and they either intentionally, or ignorantly, lie to us.
No one in either political party is blameless. It is no wonder millions of Americans believe as they do. The national propaganda machine and its censorship of the facts keep Americans dumbed down. Most have no idea of what is happening in this world, or WHY! As Hillary asked Congress last week. WHO CARES? Not liberals apparently!
Feb 1, 2013 at 12:47 p.m.
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There is no pleasing some people. The State dept was releasing information to the public as they were being made aware. Albeit, the information was based on bad intelligence. If they had waited until all of the facts were analyzed and confirmed there would be people saying there was a coverup. They released bad information, there was a coverup, if they had released no information there was a cover up, if they had waited to confirm intelligence reports there was a cover up. If some of you people who comment here are so informed and experienced in the matters of State and world terrorism, why don't you apply for the job??? Until then keep your mouths shut for YOU KNOW NOT WHAT YOU SPEAK OF.
Feb 1, 2013 at 12:25 p.m.
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We got the same response from her on the missing Rose Law firm billing records with her finger prints all over them. Lying will get you far in Washington!
Feb 1, 2013 at 11:41 a.m.
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It is lovely to see partisans defending failure from their party, much like the GOP supported failure from Bush. More evidence there is little if any difference in the parties and how they operate. This is a huge deal in the scope of things much larger than Watergate, Iran Contra and Anything Clinton (Bill) was investigated for, but we have become a country of sheeple unable to separate right from our idiotic party loyalty. Sad sad sad.
Feb 1, 2013 at 10:20 a.m.
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When you have nothing to offer like the Republican's, you have to blow anything WAY out of proportion to try to save face.
Just remember, on 9/11/1012 we tragically lost four American Embassy workers. On 9/11/2001, we tragically lost 3,000 Americans in a single attack that President Bush had been warned was coming. Then Bush followed it up with another 4,500 Americans by invading a country (Iraq) that was of no threat to us. Then we lost another 2,000+ by having to clean up the mess in Afghanistan that was left when Bush pulled troops out to invade Iraq.
When you have nothing to offer as the Republican Party, you have to make up something to divert attention. Some people have very short memories or are disingenuous or both.
Feb 1, 2013 at 9:55 a.m.
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NVgrf.. asks .."I wonder why this idiot does not include her next sentence? More selective quotations by the goofy right!"
In her next sentence Hillary Clinton blurted out .."WHO cares?"
The nation cares, Madam Secretary, even if you do not.
Hillary Clinton had a moment of a psychiatric meltdown ... a dissociative reaction with her bumbling attack on Senator Johnson clearly out of frustration that HER failing was being aired publicly to the nation and her remorse and HER own guilt could no longer be covered up.
As the very liberal New York Times wrote after Hillary's testimony ... she claims to be accountable for the State Department's actions, but NOT responsible for the deaths of State Dept. personnel in Benghazi.
Typical Clinton / liberal diatribe. It's always someone else's fault.
Feb 1, 2013 at 8:03 a.m.
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What difference did it make in Watergate? What difference did it make in Iran-Contra? What difference did it make in the War on Iraq? The cover up is always the worst part of these scandals, this one will linger for Mrs. Clinton with those of us that have a memory, I am very disappointed in her, the handling of this by Hillary has caused me to lose all the respect I gained for her since she became a Senator. There was massive mishandling of Benghazi and the BS excuses and reasons for the attack are not only insulting but possibly criminal. I realize nothing will happen to the current administration because the GOP hasn't got the balls to really pursue anything so those of us that are disgusted by the events of this past September 11th will have to remember this testimony during the 2016 campaign. Shame!
Feb 1, 2013 at 7:52 a.m.
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The difference it makes is covering up the known cause of the attact for political gain (or at least to avoid political loss) shortly before an election. There are lies, and then there are whopper lies for the slimiest of reasons.
Feb 1, 2013 at 2:32 a.m.
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On Hillary’s mea culpa
Posted on October 18 at 1:49 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
I tend to disagree he threw her under the bus thus ruining any chance at a future run. Obama supporting women Ha! It is all about him maybe just maybe if he would have attended some briefings he would have heard the problems in Bengazi pulled the crew at the embassy or at least said yes lets beef up security. It is ultimately the presidents fault not his cabinet. His cabinet was put into place to help advise the president, not to protect him from decisions that should and have to be made.
Feb 1, 2013 at 2:28 a.m.
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Even before her testimony I said Obama threw her under the bus and ruined any chance she had at becoming president.
Jan 31, 2013 at 11:30 p.m.
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The same left fringe that declared Bush knew about 9-11 before it happened, stayed in the school too long following the attacks, or even declared the story of WMD was made up have no problems with this incident. To them delaying the real facts surrounding the incident, just prior to a national election is just fine. I suspect these same folks also once declared Ronny sent Bush Sr. on a SR-71 to stage the hostage release until after that election. Sadly their history of lack of conviction continues.
Jan 31, 2013 at 8:28 p.m.
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“Was it because of a protest or is it because of guys out for a walk one night and they decide they go kill some Americans?”
Still in cover up mode. Could not even admit to it being a planned terrorist attack on the anniversary of 9/11/01. Know she said they were going to work on improving things. Know they can not bring the people back to life. KNOW IT WAS NOT guys out for a walk one night and they decide they go kill some Americans?
The above statement, not the "what does it matter" disgusted me when I heard it live and still does. I was a supporter of her 4 years ago. Never again.
Jan 31, 2013 at 7:58 p.m.
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Secretary Clinton said at the hearing, "Was it because of a protest or was it because of guys out for a walk one night decided to go kill some Americans? What difference at this point does it make? It is our job to figure out what happened and do everything we can to prevent it from ever happening again, Senator."
Now I'll grant the Ms. Clinton probably isn't feeling her best yet, but jumpin' Jehoshaphat, can't we expect better than that from someone like her? What difference does it make???? How can we figure out what happened and do everything we can to prevent it from ever happening again if the details don't make any difference????
I am glad, however, that Senator Johnson didn't rip into her for her haughty remark. Her statement speaks for itself and volumes about her. There was no need to ask anything more. Senator Johnson showed a lot of grace. (The Senator certainly shows a lot more grace than the commenter who only seems capable of expressing his disdain for the article by calling the author an idiot. I thought a fistful of Master's degrees would make one more eloquent than that.)
Jan 31, 2013 at 6:31 p.m.
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I wonder why this idiot does not include her next sentence? More selective quotations by the goofy right!
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