UPDATED: McCain Satisfied With WH Benghazi Response, Ready To Press On With Hagel Vote [View all]

[DonViejo]

Last edited Thu Feb 14, 2013, 04:05 PM - Edit history (1)

Source: TPM

Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) said Thursday that the White House's response to his and other Republican senators' questions on the September attack in Benghazi, Libya was satisfactory. The senior Arizona senator said he is now ready to find a way to end the filibuster that is holding up the confirmation vote for defense secretary nominee Chuck Hagel, CNN reported.

"I think it was an adequate response, yes," McCain said. "We are working on and having negotiations now trying to smooth this thing out and get it done."

McCain said he is now trying to get answers to questions posed by Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) regarding Hagel's sources of income. If those inquiries are answered, McCain said, there won't be a need to end the filibuster with a vote. Instead, the Senate could move to vote a straight up-or-down vote on Hagel, which would require only a simple majority of 51 votes to be confirmed.

In response to questions raised by McCain and other GOP senators, White House Counsel Kathryn Ruemmler said in a letter released Thursday that President Barack Obama placed a phone call to Libyan President Magariaf on the day after the attack on the U.S. diplomatic mission in Benghazi that left four Americans dead.

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Read more: http://livewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/entry/mccain-satisfied-with-wh-benghazi-response-ready-to

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UPDATE:

White House Obama Spoke To Libyan President Night After Benghazi Attack

DAVID TAINTOR 1:25 PM EST, THURSDAY FEBRUARY 14, 2013
Responding to a letter from Republican senators, who asked whether President Obama spoke with Libyan officials on the night of the Benghazi attack, White House Counsel Kathryn Ruemmler said in a letter Thursday that Obama called Libyan President Magariaf on the following day.

"As to the specific question in your February 12 letter, Secretary Clinton called Libyan President Magariaf on behalf of the President on the evening of September 11, 2012 to coordinate additional support to protect Americans in Libya and access to Libyan territory," Ruemmler wrote in the letter, obtained by Politico. "At that time, President Magariaf expressed his condemnation and condolences and pledged his government's full cooperation. The President spoke to President Magariaf on the evening of September 12."

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http://livewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/entry/white-house-counsel-obama-spoke-to-libyan-president?ref=fpb

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WH: Obama didn't speak to Libyans on day of attack

By JOSH GERSTEIN | 2/14/13 12:53 PM EST

President Barack Obama did not speak with Libyan leaders as the attack on the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi was under way last September, the White House acknowleged Thursday in a letter to lawmakers.

White House Counsel Kathy Ruemmler said then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton did reach out to Libyan President Mohamed Magariaf at Obama's request on the same day the attack began, but Obama didn't personally call the Libyan leader until the following night.

"Secretary Clinton called Libyan President Magariaf on behalf of the president on the evening of September 11, 2012 to coordinate additional support to protect Americans in Libya and access to Libyan territory. At that time, President Magariaf expressed his condemnation and condolences and pledged his government's full cooperation," Ruemmler wrote. "The President spoke to President Magariaf on the evening of September 12."

The letter (posted here) was a response to a query Sens. John McCain (R-Ariz.), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and Kelly Ayotte (R-N.H.) sent to the president on Tuesday, asking: "During the eight hours the U.S. mission was under attack, did you personally speak with any officials in the Libyan government to request assistance for our American personnel?"

more:
http://www.politico.com/politico44/2013/02/wh-obama-didnt-speak-to-libyans-on-day-of-attack-157054.html