MSNBC “Hardball” host Chris Matthews — a staunch pro-Obama defender who famously earned the nickname “Tingles” for remarking on the president’s ability to send shivers down his leg with his speeches — is singing a new tune.
On a broadcast this week, he actually blasted the White House and federal government for failures to save the lives of Americans who were killed in the Sept. 11, 2012, Benghazi, Libya, terrorist attacks. And moreover, he targeted the president with his rant.
“The president is the best security agency, people are sitting in the White House 24-7, there are officers on deck, they are getting an instantaneous report on what’s happening there,” he said, The Blaze reported. “What were they looking at in forms of assets that could have been sent? Where was the U.S. Cavalry, to use an American image. Where were the people that could’ve come or tried to get there within how many hours it took to save the lives of the people still living? Where were they and why weren’t they called to do it?”
Mr. Matthews promised he wouldn’t rest until he received a reply.
“I’m going to ask that question until I get an answer,” he said.
He also called the Benghazi issue a “hot opportunity for the Republicans,” but said he simply wanted the facts, regardless of which political party brought them forward.
Mr. Matthews went on, The Blaze reported: “The questions I have about this are what was the State Department’s role in real-time, not beforehand, but at the time of the attack in defending the lives of their people, especially the U.S. ambassador, who was a friend, a friend of the Secretary of State’s Hillary Clinton? What was their actions, what was the tick-tock? What did they do when they got the warning of the attack?”
He also said that refusing to send in forces to counter the attackers, even hours after the conflict started, because of the belief that the attack was ended, was poor policy.
“If that [was] your brother or father in there, would you say that’s an acceptable response? ’Oh, it’s probably over by now, it’s no good to send anybody.’ Or would you say, ’I don’t care if it’s over or not, I’m going to collect the bodies if nothing else. I’m going to get there and show I cared.’ That’s what I’d do,” Mr. Matthews said.
• Cheryl K. Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.