McCain: Libya worst cover-up I've ever seen
Sen. John McCain said Sunday he was sure President Barack Obama would show leadership “in fine fashion” in response to Hurricane Sandy, but said his handling of the deadly Libya consulate attack was the worst “cover-up or incompetence” he had ever seen.
“This tragedy turned into a debacle and massive cover-up or massive incompetence in Libya is having an impact on the voters because of their view of the commander in chief,” the Arizona Republican said on CBS’s “Face the Nation.”
“It is now the worst cover-up or incompetence I have ever observed in my life. ...” said McCain, Obama's 2008 presidential rival. "Somebody the other day said to me, 'Well, this is as bad as Watergate.' Nobody died in Watergate."
McCain and other Republicans, including GOP National Chairman Reince Priebus and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, pounced on the Obama administration during the Sunday talk shows after news reports came out over the weekend showing discrepancies between the White House and Defense Department over why reinforcements weren't sent to Libya after the attack on the U.S. consulate in Beghazi.
The attack killed U.S. Ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said last week it was too dangerous to send troops into Libya after the U.S. compound came under attack. But White House officials said they had not denied requests from Americans in Benghazi for backup.
"Why after a cry for help to Leon Panetta and after the president gave a directive to protect those people … Panetta now claims he told the person to stand down," Priebus said on CNN's "State of the Union."
"Either the president didn’t give the directive or the president isn’t being truthful or perhaps Leon Panetta acted as commander in chief."
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