Associated Press
The Watergate in Washington, D.C.
I guess this was inevitable.
Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) joined the chorus of Republicans criticizing President Obama's response to the violence in Libya on Monday, going so far as to suggest that the administration's handling of the situation is worse than Watergate -- the scandal that brought down President Richard Nixon: "I think this is an issue -- Benghazi-gate is the right term for this. This is very, very serious, probably more serious than Watergate."
Now, Blackburn struggled to explain what it is about the attack she considers Watergate-like, or even what she's accusing the administration of, exactly.
But for those keeping score at home, we've now reached the sixth Republican-identified Watergate of the Obama era.
Rep. Peter King (R-N.Y.), June 2012:
Alleged national security leaks from the Obama White House are "worse than Watergate."
Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.), May 2010:
An e-mail from Rep. Darrell Issa's (R-Calif.) campaign suggested Wednesday that the controversy over Rep. Joe Sestak's (D-Pa.) alleged administration job offer could be President Barack Obama's Watergate scandal. [Issa sent] an e-mail with the subject line "The Sestak Affair - Obama's Watergate?"
The Weekly Standard, September 2011:
Will the 'Fast and Furious' Scandal Be Obama's Watergate?
Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.), November 2011:
Bachmann made a striking accusation against the Obama administration, presenting a severe conspiracy surrounding the government's involvement in the failed Solyndra solar power company. "It just stinks on every level. This makes Watergate look like child's play," Bachmann declared.
The American Spectator, February 2012:
Is Media Matters Obama's Watergate?
Putting aside the fact that Republicans really need a new touchstone to serve as a point of historical comparison, there may come a point at which the administration is embroiled in a legitimate scandal, and I wonder whether Blackburn and other assorted GOP partisans will regret having cried wolf quite so many times.
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They can try real hard but it won't stick.
Maybe it isn't sticking because of this "Watergate list".
Brains.
Wish republican politicians had some.
Whats a Watergate ? Does this mean I'll have to read a book or something . I'll email Gretchen Carlson, she'll know the answer . She's real smart.
Using the word Watergate is like an elephant that complains about a human that has a problem with obesity.
Republican political appointees routinely go to prison so often that it barely makes the news.
Democrats don't, which is why that often becomes the whole topic of every news conversation on every TV channel.
Faux !News has to resort to lying in order to get people to believe them because that is what they sell.
So the ultimate joke may be that conservative news organizations are the real reason that republicans routinely go to jail.
A drowning man will grab on to anything even if it doesn't float.
crackhead
You could teach the people at Fox a thing or two.
A conversation I would expect to overhear at the debate:
Are any other questions really necessary?
Crack -- actually, if Romney follows his usual pattern, his answer would be "My plan will improve the economy!"
They still seem to think they can win by listing goals and calling them plans. It's pretty weird.
Well, according to Mittwit, once he's elected, the economy will just improve itself ... it's like MAGIC, or something!
"It depends of course which markets you’re talking about, which types of commodities and so forth, but my own view is that if we win on November 6th, there will be a great deal of optimism about the future of this country. We’ll see capital come back and we’ll see—without actually doing anything—we’ll actually get a boost in the economy. If the president gets re-elected, I don’t know what will happen."
Mittwit RoMONEY, May 2012
That "MAGIC" is more likely to be caused by Rumplestilskin dropping a true love potion down a well than Mitt Romney being elected president of the United States. OUAT reference
Such hyperbole.
For Benghazi to equal Watergate, the Obama Campaign would have had to be the ones who stormed the consulate.
And then covered it up. And if they did attempt a cover-up, they did the worst job of covering something up EVER.
Til Mitt got in there and cracked that cover-up wide open...
So this is the current "scandal" that has all the Repubs frothing at the mouth. Is this Romney's October surprise he's going to spring on Obama during the debates?
I wonder why Bohner kicked Michelle Bachmann off the National Security Committee after all of the national security information leaks?
Oooohhhh.
It was Obama's fault that the House of Representatives leaks like a sieve.
Now I see.
Given that the criminals of Watergate who are still alive have been involved in every Republican scandal since, and are now looked on as Wise Men in the party, the GOP has still failed to learn the lesson of Watergate. Of course, it does take a brain for one to use in learning things. This is one elephant that never remembers.
Sounds like they all got the same memo.
I'd stick this link in Morning Maddow, but that will be pushed off the front page any second now (would be nice if the day's posts stayed on the front page that DAY at least!).
This is too cool not to share: Michelle Bachman is on a freakout that falafel in school lunches is a gateway drug to becoming a jihadi!
While she is crazy, you realize this was a satire right?
This was at least more believable satire than a previous headline on that site
"Romney apologizes for 'shameful' Libya comments."
Nobody was fooled by that one.
I dislike to agree with banned but it looks real The Onion-ish to me.
Maybe satire.
Maybe real.
Who could tell with Bachmann?
Is it possible that the whole state of Minnesota is so crazy that they used the voting booth to do this on purpose?
Perhaps voter suppression should be applied to republicans so we can reduce the number of crazy people in Washington?
Point taken. Not marked as satire, but I agree, it is most likely satire. Thanks, y'all, for sussing that out.
Love satire.
More please.
OTOH yummm felafel!
For sheer crazy, Bachmann is in a class by herself almost.
Yummy.
You know the rule, with six you get eggroll-gate.
But on the other end of this "discussion" we get Nancy Pelosi declaring that impeachment is off the table and newly elected President Obama agreeing to not pursue criminal charges against Bush, Cheney, Yoo, and Feith over the matter of torture.
You did the unthinkable as a conservative, Dogjudge, you evoked He Who Cannot Be Named. Beg for your Republican voter card, beg for it!
Watergate? Pish Tosh!
It at least rises to the level of the Teapot Dome!
Or the Dreyfus Affair!
Blackburn, King and Issa are throwing down more fodder that makes them greatly unreliable, incredible and champions if the "Obama derangement syndrome!"
By this time in the story, the good people of the village are gonna let the wolves devour those knuckleheads, as we are all tired of them crying (in the BooHoo sense of the word) wolf all these years!
Hey you puny, undeserving Congress Critters who are more obstacle than achievement - get a job and then go away! -Kevo
Funny coming from the "GOP's War on __________" station.
To quote Princess Bride: "You keep using that word, I do not think it means what you think it means."
Well, you have to remember that the right has smeared Obama with the worst human in history, Hitler, to excess. They've smeared Obama with the worst non-human in history, the Anti-Christ, to excess. What else is left but to scrabble around for Anything-gate?
There's still 4 weeks to keep whipping the exhausted masses toward the anti-Obama voting booths, whipping them even though they're dropping like flies at this point...Romney. Must. Win.
And just what is this scandal supposed to consist of? Confused reporting at the beginning of the event? Lack of knowledge of what went on? I don't get it. The NYT claims that the 'changing stories' about the attack could hurt Obama. Why him, when changing stories more times than we could ever count doesn't hurt Mitt???
Waterloo>> Watergate >>>think they have water on the brain.
Evidently the GOP has forgotten all the lessons embodied in children's fairy tales.
"The Boy who cried Wolf" and "Chicken Little" come to mind.
They are going to be extremely upset when the real Anti-Christ appears and no one will pay attention to their cries.
The GOP is playing end game politics. Since the end is not here here, the only end they will cause is their own.
Will this constant reminder of how vile the right was even back then become their Waterloo?
Does anyone know the number of calls for impeachment?
It's gotta be way more than 6.
Marsha Blackburn is a harpy who wishes her mangina was the Watergate but alas, nobody visits..
(Childish of me for certain and yet mildly as important a statement as Marsha's own..)
It's always Marsha, Marsha, Marsha!
This conversation is beyond help~
Sure, all the stated -"gates" are much worse than paying "plumbers" AKA burglars to commit a felony, break into the opposing party's HQ to steal confidential info, pay them with money from a slush fund of diverted campaign contributions, and then lie to Congress and formulate plans at the highest levels of the White House to cover it up. Much worse.
Yeah much worse. I mean a break in to steal the oposing party's political secrets is horrendous. How dare the death of a U.S. Ambassador is even mentioned in the same breath as a burglary/coverup. What are they thinking??
Obama killed him?
No George of course not. But from what it appears, there was not much in the form of security for the Ambassador in a country that is still not exactly stable. I do understand that he was not at the Embassy, but at a consulate, but it seems depending on local security only seems a little lax to me. The ex-Navy Seals that died with him were on a seperate contractor mission and just happened to be there when this all hit the fan. I am just intriqued why most Americans are not a little outraged at these attacks on the embassies (which are considered U.S. soil) and the consulate resulting in a U.S. official dying. As I stated below, I would bet that the usual suspects here would be all over President Bush for this. And no, I do not think his attackers were just there with pretty decent weaponry because of the YouTube video - and that it was a coincidence that it happened on 9/11. The video was out for weeks before that date. Do you even think (a little) about the fact that the President barely interrupted his campaigning and fundraising after one of our Ambassadors died? What if it were the Secretary of State of the Vice President? Would he have paused then? Just wonder what the cutoff - official rank-wise is.
Based on what I know:
Stevens was aware of the dangers, but preferred to be out among the people. Most Libyans were appreciative of that.
True, there wasn't a lot of security at the satellite consulate. But as a rule the US is very dependent on the host country for security. Previous reports the Marines wer unarmed have been debunked.
Obama spoke live and released a statement condemning the attacks and vowing justice for the perpetrators the very next morning. He was also there to receive the remains when they were returned stateside. I'm not sure what the criterion for "barely interrupting his campaigning and fundraising" is.
It didn't take long for most of us to conclude that this heavily-armed and hours-long attack was well-planned and had little to do with the protests. But I can say things with little evidence without it becoming international news. Others can't which is why they may be more judicious with their pronouncements until they have more facts. Certain Presidential candidates would do well to emulate this.
I feel outrage, all right. But I accept as sad reality that there are radical murderous fanatics who want to kill us. I actually think I'm more outraged by Egyptian President Morsi condemning the movie immediately, but waiting two days—only after being scolded by Obama, BTW—before condemning the Egyptian flag-burning and Embassy-attacking protestors.
Since I don't consider myself a "usual suspect," I doubt my reaction to Bush would have been different. Nor would I have blamed him. Many are beginning to realize that we have little influence over that part of the world, haven't for a long time, and won't again for decades, if ever.
The playground chant in this country is "sticks and stones can break my bones..." I wish those in other parts of the world would embrace that simple philosophy.
I wonder what most of the comments here would be if President Bush was in office when the embassies and the consulate were attacked leading to the death of a U.S. AMBASSADOR (a high ranking U.S. Government offical mind you) and 3 other Americans and he continued with fundraising events right afterward.
At least no one died during the Watergate break in...especially a high ranking government official.
i believe the comments would go something like:
that s.o.b. started another war!
or,
yes, he was an ambassador, but to nuke the whole country!
If the GOP holds on to the House, there will probably be articles of impeachment voted on before too long after January, if Obama wins a second term. Ordinarily I wouldn't give it much of a chance, given the effect that voting article of impeachment had on Clinton's popularity and the fact that there is virtually no chance that the articles could sustain a conviction in the Senate, but these wing nuts be crazy man.
Maybe, but utterly futile unless they also win a solid two-thirds majority in the Senate, because that's what it takes to convict.
Not necessarily futile if it's another tactic in their overall strategy of bringing the government to a standstill. It sure slowed Clinton down even though he was never convicted.
Coming up at 6:00 on FUXNewz, the next Watergate:
"Obama Uses Charmin; says Cottonelle is "too rough!"
Marsha Blackburn got air time? Really?! Don't waste our time with that ignorant babbling!!