Sometimes Less is More

At the dedication of the Union Cemetery at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, the most renowned orator of the day spoke eloquently (we think) for more than two hours, with no breaks for the audience or himself.  What he said that memorable day may well be recorded and documented somewhere.  To my knowledge, however, his speech is not enshrined on the wall of any Washington, DC Mall monument.

Abraham Lincoln spoke for fewer than three minutes at Gettysburg, but his words were truly immortal.

Trey Gowdy and his repub. panel mates might have taken heed of this great lesson of history.  Rather than giving Ms. Clinton a national audience for over nine hours to allow her to wallow in the victim hood of constant political badgering, they would have been better served, and the Republic possibly preserved, had they instead asked the former Secretary of State but three questions:

          (1)  Mrs. Clinton, you have testified that you put out the fabrication that an internet video caused the death of our four Americans serving in Libya.  You told us today that you did so knowing it to be false, in order to persuade the Arab governments to stop further mob attacks on our nation's in-country facilities.  Beside that absurd linkage between a video and other Arab dictators motivation to engage in mob control pursuits, you also personally told that lie to the mothers of Glen Daugherty and Shawn Smith at their coffin return ceremony in Delaware.  What possible reason did you have to lie to these grieving parents, saying that you personally would "get and punish that murderous video maker" ?

          (2) Mrs. Clinton, you have testified that Congressional budget cuts prevented the State Department from adequately providing security to our facilities in Libya.  How did you decide it was more important to spend $60,000,000.00 on converting the Paris, France Embassy building to solar power instead of improving the security of Ambassador Stevens and Shawn Smith?

           (3)   Mrs. Clinton, on September 10, 2012, the Office of the President issued a Press Statement, assuring Americans that because the next day was the eleventh anniversary of the 911 World Trade Center attacks, every US government facility, and particularly those located in hotbeds of radical extremist activities, had been placed on Def Con 1, a veritable war footing in preparation for fully anticipatable attacks. Despite this directive from the President, you and the State Department changed absolutely nothing in Ambassador Steven's schedule for September 11th - his one day trip to Benghazi for a leisurely outdoor patio dinner with Turkey's Ambassador.  Did the President lie to the American people, or did you intentionally ignore his directive to protect Ambassador Stevens and his staff taken to Benghazi that deadly anniversary day?

Sadly, The repubs failed us, as did Mrs. Clinton in Libya.