Obama’s Passiveness over Benghazi Defended

Semi-News/Semi-Satire ^ | 9 Feb 2013 | John Semmens

Recent testimony at the Senate Armed Services Committee by Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta and Joint Chiefs of Staff General Martin Dempsey disclosed that President Obama showed little interest in the September 11, 2012 attack on the US Consulate.
“Some 90 minutes into the seven-hour siege I briefed the president with what I felt we knew at the time,” Panetta said. “He didn’t react. He asked no questions. He gave no instructions.”
How this sworn testimony should be interpreted in light of Obama’s unsworn assertion that he gave clear directives to “secure our personnel” posed a challenge for Press Secretary Jay Carney.
“The president is legendary for his coolness under pressure,” Carney bragged. “It is easy to see how Secretary Panetta might construe this as not reacting to the shocking news. The president’s incomparable brilliance obviously enabled him to grasp everything without having to ask any questions.”
“As for the Secretary’s impression that the president gave no instructions, let me point out that it is the Secretary’s job to anticipate what the president wants without having to be explicitly told,” Carney added. “This gives the president the flexibility to embrace or disavow whatever action may be taken or not taken as seems most advantageous as the situation develops. Seeing that the President won reelection two months later, it should be apparent that those who are now second guessing his artful handling of the crisis are off base.”