Columns

One ring or three

LEN TRIA, Uncommon Sense
Published: November 28, 2012

The Benghazi melodrama continues on but it seems over the weekend the Republicans are softening their tone regarding Ambassador Susan Rice.

Could this be a ploy to let the president think the opposition to the nomination of Susan Rice as Secretary of State has been reduced? I was somewhat amazed to hear a left of center talking head claim that it is arrogance on the president's part to even nominate her.

Whatever the reason the administration takes a gamble on the sworn testimony that Rice will have to deliver. There is no doubt that the questions will most certainly revolve around the situation in Benghazi.

What did she know independent of the so called "Talking Points" information relative to the attack? She certainly has the security clearance to have access to the reports that it said it was a terrorist attack within 24 hours.

These and other very pointed questions will definitely be asked of the nominee if she testifies before the Senate. Now that James Clapper, DNI, has been identified as the person who changed or authorized the changes to the CIA's original assessment stating that the Benghazi raid was a terrorist attack with ties to al Qaeda the question remains why?

Was it done to avoid a scandal right before the election which would have made a mockery of the president's claim that al Qaeda was no longer a serious threat? In fact President was saying over and over bin Laden is dead and al Qaeda was on the run.

He neglected to say that al Qaeda was alive and well in at least 30 countries in the Middle East. The attack and killing of four Americans in Libya including the destruction of our embassy goes against the mantra that al Qaeda is on the run.

Why was Ambassador Rice given the task of being the spokeswoman for the administration when the President himself said she had nothing to do with Benghazi?

This Washington circus is very similar to the three ring variety of Barnum & Bailey except B&B is a more honest and entertaining one. One wonders if the American public will ever find the truth this year or any subsequent year as long as the government operates the way it currently does.

We the people deserve better but increasing we get less and less of transparency and truthfulness. In reality it is the fault of "We the People" because we do not demand the honesty and truthfulness of our elected representative.

We elect liars, impeached and convicted judges, outright crooks that have cheated and lied their way to prosperity while supposedly serving the people. When the people finally wake up and I hope before we have lost the "Republic" then and only then will we have truth and honesty in Washington.

Len Tria, a regular columnist for Hernando Today, lives in Spring Hill and is a former Hernando County commissioner.