Letter to Chris Wallace of FNS

Dear Mr. Wallace:

Bravo, an excellent performance this morning with Senator Feinstein to save your network.  Unfortunately,  it also relegates the American people to the loss of the last cable network news organization that more often than others attempted to expose the truth and speak it to those in power.

FOX’s relentless pursuit of the Benghazi terrorist act and act of war in killing our Ambassador, incompetence in the lead up to it, and subsequent cover up—which continues—was nothing less than old fashioned aggressive investigative journalism.  Something not witnessed by many Americans these days and, sadly, will not be seen again from any major news outlet in existence.

As a preeminent journalist, I don’t need to bore you with the details surrounding Benghazi.  I am certain you are intimately familiar with the facts.  Two additional facts you are probably aware of, but I may have missed hearing from your network, are the sudden departure from command of Rear Admiral Charles M. Gaouette and General Carter Ham.  Could it be that they dared to put into motion efforts to respond to the repeated pleas for help from Americans that were being slaughtered over a seven hour period watched live in the Situation Room by, I assume, the President?  Alas, no one will be digging for the answers to these critical questions for the American people.

And how curious is it that one of the key figures who could assist in uncovering the truth about Benghazi, suddenly resigns in disgrace caught in a most bizarre affair, may not even be called before the congressional committee to testify.  (I’ll bet on the side of Petraeus never being called, any takers?)

Your deft and subtle shift in asking Senator Feinstein “was there even time to send assistance” from the key question: Did President Obama give the order to stand down, was a feat in sleight of hand that Criss Angel would be envious of.  Your legal staff should be commended for developing that doozie–kudos for saving your network’s assets.

So now the Benghazi high crime will be buried in the news cycle with endless inquests from complicit politicians, while the last vestige of the Fourth Estate, joins the rest of the Fifth Column.  It makes me wonder if there are any patriots left…and weep for my country.

Sincerely,

Julie Schmidt

UPDATE 2/19:  For anyone interested in the details regarding what happened on the ground in Benghazi, I would highly recommend “Benghazi: The Definitive Report” by Webb and Murphy.  I appreciated the details from these experienced Special Operations veterans and wonder why our multimillion dollar media seems incapable of producing the information regarding what happened that fateful day in September.  I suppose it may have something to do with the Administration apparently running a quiet, some would say secret, war in Libya and across Northern Africa with U.S. Special Operations boots on the ground along with the CIA that they don’t want the American people to be aware of.  Operations that were likely the catalyst for a retaliation by the Al Qaeda types trying to control Libya against our poorly–in the sense of grossly negligent–defended “consulate” in Benghazi.  Heads should still be rolling at the State Department, but with Hillary gone, all seems quiet.

There are still so many questions that need to be answered that the media and Congress have not asked, it is appalling.  While the President may not have given explicit orders to stand down, what did he do?  When did he do it?  And who else is still in a position of authority that shouldn’t be after this terrible debacle?  Why haven’t those who perpetrated this attack been brought to justice as the President promised?  Or have the Special Operations boots already found the necks of those responsible and dispatched them to Allah?  If so, why not tell us…oh yes, that little secret war.

I’ll grant that in our modern era of asymmetrical warfare against non-state actors it may be difficult for our leaders to believe that the American people are capable of grasping the dangers that loom around the globe and what we must do to respond to them, but I’d venture to say if you gave us the facts and stopped neglecting the Constitution, you might be surprised at just how much we could agree on.  O’ ye of little faith.