This Just In ...

Week-ends (05/11/13)

Posted by Kevin Fischer on May 11, 2013

Week-ends

A look back at the people and events that made news the past week. Week-ends is a regular weekly feature of This Just In...


HEROES OF THE WEEK


Charles Ramsey ... MORE.


Angel Cordero


Oak Creek, WI police officers


Michael Salame


Lilly Cracknell's doctors


Miss Minnesota


Erin Day and others


Ryan Howard


Teddy Kremer and the Cincinnati Reds



VILLAINS OF THE WEEK


Ariel Castro


The State Department


The IRS


Dr. LeRoy Carhart


Scott Compton


Debra Farinella


Naked Pope



QUOTES OF THE WEEK


"I knew something was wrong when a pretty little white girl ran into a black man's arms."
Charles Ramsey, a neighbor who was credited with helping Amanda Berry escape after a decade-long captivity in Cleveland. Gina DeJesus and Michelle Knight were also held captive. Ramsey became a media darling after a series of colorful interviews.


"Secretary of State Clinton called me along with her senior staff ... and she asked me what was going on. And, I briefed her on developments. Most of the conversation was about the search for Ambassador Stevens. It was also about what we were going to do with our personnel in Benghazi, and I told her that we would need to evacuate, and that was she said that was the right thing to do.”
Gregory Hicks, a former top diplomat in Libya delivered an account at a Congressional hearing of the chaotic events during the deadly assault on the U.S. diplomatic mission in Benghazi last September, with a 2 a.m. call from Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and confusion about the fate of U.S. Ambassador Chris Stevens.


"I was stunned. My jaw dropped and I was embarrassed."
Gregory Hicks, responding to the talking points used by UN Ambassador Susan Rice on the Sunday talk shows in which she said the attacks appeared to be associated with demonstrations in Egypt and Libya over an anti-Islam video.  Rep. Trey Gowdy, R-S.C., said Rice's comments contradicted statements by Libyan leaders and others who called the attacks pre-meditated assaults by terrorists. Gowdy said Rice's comments "perpetuated a demonstrably false narrative."


“It was the saddest phone call of my life, when he told me Ambassador Stevens had passed away.”
Gregory Hicks about the phone call he received from the Libyan prime minister.


“Has that ever happened where lawyers get on the phone prior to a congressional delegation investigating? Have you ever had anyone tell you, ‘Don’t talk with the people in Congress coming to find out what’s what?’”
Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) questioning Hicks. Jordan told the committee  that Hicks had previously been informed by a lawyer at the State Dept. not to cooperate with the House investigation and not to speak with Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah).


“Never.”
Hicks responding to Jordan’s question.


“It matters. It matters personally; it matters to my colleagues. My colleagues at the Department of State. It matters to the American public to whom we serve. Most importantly, it matters to friends of Chris Stevens, Sean Smith, Glen Doherty, Tyrone Woods, who were murdered on Sept. 11, 2012.”
Eric Nordstrom, who was responsible for overseeing the agency that secured the consulate prior to the Benghazi attack, began choking up as he spoke in his opening statement about the loss of fellow co-workers. His voice cracking, Nordstrom praised the committee for continuing its probe.


“Clinton still has the gall to say 'it wasn't me, it was them.'"
Rep. Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah, choked up at a hearing on Benghazi as he lamented the four deaths in Benghazi and accused Hillary Clinton of ducking blame for inadequate security.


"These witnesses deserve to be heard on the Benghazi attacks, the flaws in the accountability review board's methodology, process and conclusion.”
Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., chairman of the Oversight and Government Reform Committee, insisted that the investigation is necessary despite Democratic and administration complaints.


“I think the dam is about to break on Benghazi. We’re going to find a system failure before, during and after the attacks. We’re going to find political manipulation seven weeks before an election. We’re going to find people asleep at the switch when it comes to the State Department, including Hillary Clinton.”
Sen. Lindsey Graham


“During the 2008 Democratic Presidential primaries, former Secretary Clinton ran an ad attacking nominee Barack Obama for his lack of wisdom and experience in a foreign crisis – and touting her own. It has become known as the '3:00 A.M. call.' 

"I commend Chairman Issa for holding Wednesday's hearing to try to bring more clarity to what actually happened in Benghazi. As more and more facts regarding Benghazi are painfully extracted from the Obama administration, this much can be ascertained: Benghazi was a failure of leadership by President Obama – before, during, and after the pre-planned terrorist attack that killed four Americans. Absent evidence to the contrary, it appears President Obama failed to fully engage, take command and act - instead delegating his responsibilities as Commander in Chief to others. His administration then embarked on a narrative for the attack that was disconnected from reality and initially misled the American public. Benghazi was President Obama’s 3:00 A.M. moment and he failed that test of leadership. What difference, at this point, does it make? Leadership - or lack thereof -  before, during, and after a crisis, always makes a difference.”
US Senator Ron Johnson (R-WI)


"There is something called Benghazi going on. And I think the Democrats now are starting to worry about it. I started--I got calls from a number of Democrats yesterday trying to undermine Greg Hicks's testimony, saying he wasn't demoted, etc. So I think they feel that some damage was done by those three witnesses on Wednesday."
NBC’s Lisa Myers


"I don't think there's a smoking gun today. I don't think there's a lukewarm slingshot."
Rep. Mark Pocan, D-WI on the Benghazi hearing.


"So where’s your thirst for truth, America? Why aren’t we outraged? Maybe because, as White House Press Secretary Jay Carney said, 'Benghazi happened a long time ago.' Maybe Carney should ask grieving family members wanting answers and longing for closure how long it’s been since their loved ones lost their lives in Benghazi. Or maybe we are at a point in this country where a politician’s political aspirations trump everything else.

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