Graham to keep holds on Obama nominees
Washington (CNN) - Sen. Lindsey Graham vowed on Sunday that he would continue to block President Barack Obama's nominations until Congress hears from Benghazi survivors.
The South Carolina lawmaker told CNN's Candy Crowley on "State of the Union" that he will place holds on any nomination put forth by the administration unless it makes available five survivors of the September 11, 2012, attack on the U.S. compound in Benghazi, Libya, who have been interviewed by State Department investigators but remain out of Congress' reach.
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"I've been trying for a year to get these interviews without holds," Graham said.
Graham scoffed at any notion his maneuver amounts to political grandstanding, portraying his actions as a last resort and couching them as part of "trying to perform oversight."
"I don't want to hold anybody. All I want to do is talk to the survivors," Graham insisted. "I'm not trying to prosecute a crime."
Graham announced his intention to hold all of Obama’s nominations the day after CBS's "60 Minutes" aired a controversial report on the attacks. The newsmagazine has since pulled its report, saying that its eyewitness, a British contractor stationed in Libya, lied to reporter Lara Logan about what he saw on the ground.
When pressed by Crowley about whether the debunking of the piece would impact his stance, Graham told her it wouldn’t.
"I never asked for the British contractor. I didn't know he existed," Graham said.
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How much is Graham paying the so call survivors to speak? Or the ones who say their were there. Does he have witnesses or is he paying people to lie?
I generally dislike Graham; can't stand the man actually. But on Benghazi he is 100% right. FSOs are suppose to be rescued when the sh-t hits the fan; that is standard protocol; and that's the basic understanding that an FSO has when they sign up for that career for our nation, in dangerous places. Although its' currently difficult to get an accurate assessment of what happened; it appears as if Tripoli asked for a rescue; 2 Destroyers deployed but sat there with the d-cks in their hands because someone stood them down. What angers me is that the people that work in these compounds are not ordinary people. They are GREAT men and GREAT women that serve our country in hell holes like Libya. People that do these jobs, are generally usual and special, Peace Corps DNA, the best of the best; people that have a greater sense of humanity and goodness and giving than the regular American. If we are going to die attempting to save anyone; these guys would be at the top of anyone's list. Its' like Ted Kennedy left 1 person in a lake; someone left 4 in a compound. I don't see it any different.
Wish they had been so concerned when Halliburton murdered Sgt Maseth in Iraq.
First they lied about the cause then they lied about it being a "phony scandal". Many news agencies including CNN and MSNBC have now reported otherwise. It's time to get to the bottom of this and stop all the BS. Obviously something is being hidden and only party line sheep are still willing to ignore/excuse it.
Bull! It's still political grandstanding, no matter how you pain it.
As a republican, I say its itme for graham to go, he thinks he is god and is not respronsible to the Americn people. He needs to read the Gettesburg Address one more time, to remind himself, what is an American, then resign. Obama has done great things for this nation, and Graham and his buddies keep beating on him.....stop it you iidiots, Obama was elected as our President by a majority of the voters, accept it. As to Ted Cruz, he should be stripped of his US citizenship, and sent packing back to Canada where he belongs.
I do not think they missed it. I think a stand down was called to aid it. I think they are going to lie to the American People because that is what they do for a living. I think that when faced with China they will do the same thing. Cause that is how they have made their money. True colors shinning through. I am not color blind they tested me at the Island. That is not RED WHITE AND BLUE.
Once again, it's my way or no way. These guys need to leave congress and get a real job like the rest of us. Then they can find out what happens when you don't do your job right. Can you spell unemployment?
A made up scandal which is being used solely to stymie Obama in any way possible. If he gets to talk to survivors what will he come up with next?
Americans want answers to this nightmare called Bengazi and they want them now. If this is what it takes to make the administration puke up the witnesses so be it. America wants to know who in the administration decided that those lives were not worth the money to spend to make that outpost safer. Americans need to see these beaurocrats be brought up on charges that can be had.
Yep, no backing down when you're wrong-that's the GOP way! I guess that's why they don't get my vote any more.
Facts simply don't matter to the Republicans any more. Everything is about hostage-taking, obstructing, and posturing.
Please, please, please, let's return America to sanity in 2014.
Appointments have nothing to do with Benghazi. Stop obstructing out government.
Grahams got Benghazi on the brain .
Another Republican who puts politics over people.
The GOP have demonstrated time and again that they are fiscally irresponsible and morally bankrupt. They can neither lead nor follow. It is simply time for them to get the hell out of the way!
I ask why clinton hillary was left job at her state secarty so we belived that clinton was lied her story what happened about murder 4 amercian at benghizina libya so iwill not vote support for hillary clinton. Cause presdient obama and hillary clinton are trouble lied story about murder
GOP thought process=We have to do every thing possible to keep this government from governing and this economy from getting better.
I am not interested in this politicized subject, Sen. Graham!!!
More of the same from the GOP, big surprise here...of course when the good Senator from South Carolina figures out that the CIA was in Libya to take their confiscated arms and repackage to covertly ship them to the Syrian rebels, perhaps he will be the Hawk with egg all over his face...jerk!
More "obstructionism" by the right wing. When will it end? They are just not getting it are they? Dumb and dumber is all I can say about Graham. How did he ever get into the position he holds? Really?
Continuing to hammer this one into the ground won't bring those 4 people back.
Four Americans died in Benghazi, and no one did anything to help them. It is a cover up that the media is going along with. wake up.
Lindsey Graham, a soulless, political tool. Nothing more.
Sen. Lindsey Graham should be a little careful here, as he is obviously turning into a Darrell Issa clown clone, in a vain attempt to appeal to the TP bat crap crazies, simply to win re-election; we really need more obstructionism by the GOP in governance...