Live-Blogging Media's Coverage of Benghazi Hearings

This live-blog will be updated throughout the hearings and during the coverage afterwards. Newest posts are at the top. (All times are Eastern and dated May 8, 2013 — unless otherwise noted)… Breitbart News is live-blogging the major events in the hearing here.

3:37 PM: All Three Cable Nets Ignore Ongoing Libya Hearing To Cover Arias

Jodi Arias probably killed that guy and definitely killed the news-cycle for the Libya hearings. Even Fox News is ignoring the whistle-blower testimony in favor of hyping the upcoming Arias verdict.

The Apocalypse must be nigh.

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2:52 PM: Media Disappears from Twitter During Libya Hearing 

Usually, during big news events like today’s Libya testimony, the media swarms Twitter with live updates, observations, and open coordination on Narratives. We saw this last night when South Carolina sent Mark Sanford back to Congress, when the Senate voted on gun control, etc. Political happenings always bring the media to Twitter like moths to a flame.

But today the media has been hiding — at least as soon as the Libya hearings started. Almost all of the Libya Twitter-traffic is coming from those who are not part of a mainstream media that wants to pretend none of this is happening. In other words, they are hiding in shame.

But they are also busy conspiring on how to handle and cover the hearings — with one another and with the White House.

The Narrative to protect the president must be a united one.

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2:51 PM: Jodi Arias Verdict Reached, Media Squeals

A verdict has been reached on the months-long Jodi Arias capital murder trial. The relief on CNN and MSNBC that this would distract from today’s Libya hearings was palpable.

2:18 PM: John Harwood Can Only Wonder About Logic Behind Cover-Up

Thanks to today’s hearings, we now know for a fact that the White House lied for 10 days about the attack occurring at the hands of protesters. We also have testimony from Gregory Hicks claiming that Hillary Clinton’s right hand at State told him not to cooperate with Congress. 

But what is “journalist’ John Harwood’s takeaway…?

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2:09 PM: Media Will Never Admit It, But Hearings Prove Obama Lied to Them

While he media focuses on “old news” and “what we already knew” to diminish the whistle-blowers’ testimony, one fact coming out of this is undeniable one that the Obama Administration lied-lied-lied about a spontaneous protest gone bad for a full ten days after the attack.

To the media, though, this is not a revelation. They knew Obama was lying and chose to join in on the cover-up.

Never forget, either, that Hillary Clinton stood in front of the coffins of dead Americans and repeated that lie. 

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1:52 PM: Megyn Kelly Promises to Remedy Fox News’ Unbalanced Coverage of Benghazi Hearing

Fox News’s Megyn Kelly just admitted on the air that the channel has not been fair and balanced in its coverage of the ongoing Libya hearings. In so many words, she admitted they had been covering GOP house questioners and cutting away during Democrats’ questioning.

Fox is now doing the opposite to balance things out.

This is why Fox is #1 in ratings and trust: Credibility and integrity.

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1:38 PM: Can Media Ignore State Department Pressuring Whistleblowers to Not Cooperate With Congress?

The same media that lost its mind over the nothingburger that was Plame-Gate now has a real scandal to deal with. Cheryl Mills, Hillary Clinton’s chief of staff at State, told Hicks not to talk to Congress.

This is THE story out of these hearings. Look for the media to allow Democrats to muddy the waters.

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1:32 PM: Is CNN’s Benghazi Blackout A ‘Family Thing’?

Richard Grenell, a one-time adviser to Mitt Romney and insightful media critic, asks a great question:

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1:19 PM: Politico Headline Nothing-To-See-Here’s Libya Hearing

The Politico homepage is offering a case-study in how to pretend you are covering news without covering news. The top story is (finally) Libya, but here’s the Obama-shilling outlet’s nothing-to-see-here headline: “Benghazi hearing gets emotional.”

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1:04 PM: CNN Now Completely Ignoring Benghazi Hearings

CNN’s brand continues to get more “poop shippy” by the day. Right now, the network is totally devoted to a local Ohio crime story.

MSNBC is in and out. 

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12:58 PM: Washington Post: Chick-fil-A Lovers are Tweeting about Benghazi

Again, this is all a media attempt to marginalize legitimate criticism and questions as partisan and political:

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12:37 PM: NBC’s Luke Russert Says Online Cons Only Interested in Libya to Hurt Obama

Luke Russert to Alex Wagner: “I think we’ll still have a few more months of this, especially with the conservative blogosphere beating the drum on this seemingly every single day because they view this as the best possible line of attack they have on the President.”

Yeah, Luke, it is not about getting to the truth or anything

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12:29 PM: Politico’s Glenn Thrush: Bachmann’s Presence Undermines Hearing

On MSNBC, both Luke Russert and Politico’s Glenn Thrush mocked the presence of Rep. Michele Bachmann at the hearings. Russert chortled that she was “taking notes.”

Thrush shamelessly spun the hearings as playing into Obama’s hands. He said that all this “blunderbuss” undermines the real mistakes the White House made.

Apparently, the media’s excuse for not holding Obama accountable for his “real mistakes” is Republican blunderbuss.

—12:26 PM: NBC News, Politico Rebutting Libya Hearing In Real-Time

On Alex Wagner’s MSNBC “Now,” as video of the hearing plays on the left side of the screen, on the right side Wagner and her guests are dismissing and rebutting whistle-blower testimony as it happens. Panelists include Salon’s Joan Walsh, NBC’s Luke Russert, and Politico’s Glenn Thrush.

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12:22 PM: Prior to Hearing, NBC’s Chuck Todd Defended Obama Libya Response as “Rational”

Doug Powers at Malkin’s place helps to explain why MSNBC is not covering the Benghazi. Why Bother when Obama does everything right?

On Morning Joe, NBC News Political Director Chuck Todd auditioned for Jay Carney’s job explained why he thinks those investigating the Benghazi attack are pushing a conspiracy theory and laughed off any notion of it developing into a major scandal.

Powers includes video and a transcript.

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12:13 PM: Politico’s Dylan Byers Mocks Benghazi Witness Gregory Hicks

Gregory Hicks has already had his credibility attacked in the media, which is probably why he used his opening statement to talk about his credentials and the praise he received from President Obama and Hillary Clinton for his role in Libya before, during, and after the attacks. Here’s Politico’s Dylan Byers snarking on him:

The media, most especially Politico, are desperate to do anything they can to diminish and marginalize these witnesses and their testimony.

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12:07 PM: CNN Covers Libya, NBC News Covers Ohio SUV Pulling Out of a Driveway

CNN cut to Wolf Blitzer and the Benghazi testimony just as the first whistle-blower began his testimony. MSNBC is still obsessed with a local Ohio crime story.

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11:53 AM: Politico Cover-Up of Benghazi So Complete Cheney Ignored

Tuesday, former Vice President Dick Cheney released a rare statement critical of the Obama Administration’s mishandling of Libya. His statement is found nowhere on Politico’s front page.

Like I said before, this is a willful cover-up being conducted by Politico. The idea that a “news” outlet like Politico would ignore a former VP criticizing the current administration on the same day a major hearing is set to take place, is a breathtaking act — even for Politico.

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11:45 AM: Word “Benghazi” Finally Appears on Politico Homepage

Wow. After two days of deep-sixing and willfully ignoring a story that could have major political ramifications, Politico offers a live-feed of the hearing.

So Politico did know the hearings were set to happen.

Nowhere else on their homepage, though, will you find the words “Libya” or “Benghazi.” 

Like the New York Times and NBC News, the left-wing outlet is terrified this story might get out and damage Obama and Hillary.

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11:41 AM: MSNBC, CNN Find Local Crime In OH Bigger News Than Libya Hearing

As Darrell Issa opens the Libya hearings, both CNN and MSNBC are live in Ohio breathlessly covering the homecoming of Amanda Berry, one of the kidnap victims found after ten years.

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11:35 AM: MSNBC, Fox Cover Hearing While CNN Anchors Stands In Ohio Street

MSNBC and Fox are all over the hearings — setting up what is about to come with live reports from the hearing room. CNN, however,  has Ashleigh Banfield and her designer glasses reporting live from Ohio in front of the home of one of the kidnap victims recently rescued.