Hillary Clinton accepted blame for the security at the Benghazi Consulate. That may seem like she is taking Obama off the hook, but the opposite may be true. There is no way that Hillary was going to avoid the blame for this anyway, since security decisions were made by the State Department. But this is the ultimate poison pill for Obama. It makes Hillary look strong and presidential and it makes Obama look weak and small.
Even in what appeared to be an attempt to help Obama, she stuck it to him:
“In the wake of an attack like this, in the fog of war, there’s always going to be confusion,” Clinton told CNN. “And I think it is absolutely fair to say that everyone had the same intelligence. Everyone who spoke tried to give the information that they had. As time has gone on, that information has changed. We’ve gotten more detail, but that’s not surprising. That always happens.”
Sometimes it’s not what you say; it’s what you don’t say. She didn’t say she was confused, she offered this as an explanation as to why Obama may have been confused. Hillary is already on record as saying that the State Department never considered this anything other than a terrorist attack, and they had the same information as the White House. She also said that the State Department did not brief Susan Rice before she went on the lying tour. By accepting responsibility for that which is undeniable, she shifted the focus directly back on Obama, just in time for tonight’s debate.
The press is already asking Obama if he blames Hillary for the lack of security in Benghazi. If he says yes, he looks weak. He will also infuriate all those liberal women who adore Hillary Clinton. If he says no, then he is accepting responsibility himself.
Hillary looks strong, principled and focused. The contrast with President Obama, just before the second debate, could not be starker.
This reminds me of Proverbs 25:21-22
21 “If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat;
if he is thirsty, give him water to drink.
22 In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head,
and the LORD will reward you.”
Hillary figured out she wasn’t going to dodge this bullet. When you are obviously guilty, begging for mercy from the court of public opinion is the only option. The Clintons have pulled this off before. Bill Clinton was booed out of office after his first term as Governor. He ran again by apologizing for doing a lousy job and asking voters for a second chance. It worked. He was re-elected to Governor. He pulled the same stunt when Republicans ran the table on him during the 1994 election. Bill Clinton said he realized the era of big government was over, and he reached across the aisle and started working with Republicans. The public forgave him then too.
Hillary knows that President Obama is incapable of accepting responsibility for anything. She also knows that while she is responsible for the State Department, the State Department reports to the President. She just told the world that the President of the United States was not involved in critical decisions regarding his most important cabinet position. I don’t know how you define that, but you don’t define that as strong leadership.
By apologizing for what is obviously true, Hillary Clinton just may have done the one thing that will restore her coveted political career. By doing this now, she has stuck it to Obama at the worst possible time; in other words, she may have heaped coals of fire on his head with kindness. Remember, the most vicious personal attacks are those done with a sweet smile.
One final note: Susan Rice gave an interview where she said her statements she made on those morning news programs were based on intelligence reports and talking points. The intelligence community never produces talking points, so Susan Rice pointed the responsibility straight at the White House. Ouch!
TDM