Cummings is a despicable human being.
In Retired Air Force Brigadier General Robert Lovell’s prepared testimony at the hearing today, he said this:
There are accounts of time, space and capability discussions of the question, could we have gotten there in time to make a difference. Well, the discussion is not in the “could or could not” in relation to time, space and capability — the point is we should have tried. As another saying goes: “Always move to the sound of the guns.”
He’s simply saying that the discussion should never be can or can’t we make a difference when our people are in harm’s way, but that you just go anyway, you run to the sounds of the guns. You just do it. If you can’t make a difference, at least you tried and you have no regrets.
But we know in this case they could have made a huge difference and likely saved two lives.
So Cummings quotes the above from the General and suggests that the General is saying the US didn’t try to help the people in Benghazi. He then goes through a series of points made in prior testimony and asks if the General disagrees with any of it:
1. Chairman McKeon found that our military, including General Ham, General Dempsey and others, authorized two Marine F.A.S.T platoons in Rota, Spain to prepare to deploy.
2. Chairman McKeon found that a special operations unit assigned to the European Command known as Commanders In Extremis Force, which was trained in Croatia, was ordered to move to a U.S. Naval Air Station in Sigonella, Italy.
3. Chairman McKeon found that a special operations unit in the United States was also dispatched to the region.
Cummings asked if the General disputes any of that, which he doesn’t, and then says this:
So I’m afraid I just don’t understand why you are testifying here today under oath that the United States military did not try to help the night of the attacks and how do you explain that?
Cummings emphasizes that ‘General Ham is watching this‘ and that he feels it is his duty to protect their testimony or something.
The General then explains that he isn’t disputing or countering previous testimony, nor is he saying the US military didn’t try. He’s arguing that we have to be able to do more, which means we need to have more capability and capacity so that we can adequately support our people and “have their backs” when they are in harm’s way.
Cummings then says this which is what he was aiming for:
All of us would have liked for the military to have responded more quickly and changes have been made to allow the the military to respond faster, but the facts are that the military did mobilize forces, it did act and it did try. So we concede that point now that you have been presented with some of the actual evidence.
For emphasis, Cummings then asks specifically “so you agree that they did try?”
The General responds:
I’ve always stated that they did try and acknowledged that. My point is there’s more that we should be able to do more.
There it is. Case closed. Cummings got the statement that he was looking for. Everybody can go home, right?
Wrong. Issa has point he wants to make:
Mr. Cummings…I’m trying to understand, all of the units that you mentioned were deployed to Tripoli. None of them were ever headed to Benghazi. You know that right?
Cummings responds, “Yes.”
So when it comes to what was done for the people dying in Benghazi, none of those were going to help them. They weren’t activated for the people dying in Benghazi.
Cummings ignores the point and says “I asked him what I wanted to ask him and he was very clear and I appreciate that.”
You bet he ignores it. Issa has just outed his deception. Cummings isn’t interested in the truth, he’s simply interested in trying to squash these hearings and make them look more politically motivated to give the Left ammo against Republicans and to protect the White House.
As I said, he’s a despicable human being.
Chaffetz also responded, adding to what Issa said and a bit more. You can watch that below as well as the video of Cummings:
CUMMINGS DECEPTION:
CHAFFETZ RESPONSE: