The media are celebrating Hillary Clinton’s response to a heckler at an event in Buffalo, NY. The man shouted at her about the Benghazi scandal: “You let them die!” In response, Clinton said that Americans had to work together for a future–and that future “doesn’t include yelling.” The audience erupted in applause.
But it was Hillary Clinton herself who started the yelling over Benghazi at a Senate hearing in January, when she famously shouted at Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI): “What difference, at this point, does it make?” The media loved it, while conservatives were appalled. Beyond the substance, however, was the fact that she had yelled.
Not only was her response rude, but it displayed a contempt for the oversight role that Congress is meant to exercise over the functions of the executive branch. Her tone added insult to injury. If the future “doesn’t include yelling,” then Clinton’s political future may depend on cooperating with Congress, not shouting it down.