Former Fla. Gov. Jeb Bush (AP photo)
“The Liberty Medal recognizes individuals who have furthered the ideals of freedom, democracy, and equality, often against great odds,” NCC President and CEO Jeffrey Rosen said. “Hillary Clinton has devoted her life to expanding opportunities for ‘We the People’ not just in this country but around the globe.”
“Former Secretary Clinton has dedicated her life to serving and engaging people across the world in democracy,” Bush, the NCC’s chairman, said in a statement announcing the award. “These efforts as a citizen, an activist, and a leader have earned Secretary Clinton this year’s Liberty Medal.”
Last year’s winner was former boxing champion Muhammad Ali. Previous Liberty Medal recipients include former presidents Bill Clinton and George H.W. Bush, former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, and former United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan.
Several veterans groups have been urging House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) to set up a Watergate-style committee to investigate the Benghazi attacks that killed U.S. Ambassador Christopher Stevens and three other Americans. The groups plan to hold a day-long commemoration on the west lawn of the U.S. Capitol the day after Clinton receives the award.
Appearing on FOX News last month, Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.) accused Clinton of lying about Benghazi during a private meeting with him and other members of Congress two days after the Sept. 11, 2012 attack on the U.S. mission in Libya.
“So now after the investigation conclusions and the hearings, congressman, are you under the belief that when she told you two that it was irresponsible to not believe that it was a You Tube video [that set off the Benghazi attack] that she knew all along it was a terror attack, is that your belief, that she did not tell you the truth?” Kinzinger was asked.
"Yeah, absolutely," he replied. "I mean, if you look at the emails that were exchanged during this, they called it basically a terrorist attack.”
Secretary of State John Kerry (AP Photo)
But the fallout from the Benghazi attacks is far from over. A day after the four State Department officials were reinstated, House Oversight Committee chairman Darrel Issa (R-Calif.) promised an expanded investigation into the State Department's handling of the Benghazi affair.
“Obama administration officials repeatedly promised the families of victims and the American people that officials responsible for security failures would be held accountable. Instead of accountability, the State Department offered a charade that included false reports of firings and resignations and now ends in a game of musical chairs where no one misses a single day on the State Department payroll. It is now clear that the personnel actions taken by the Department in response to the Benghazi terrorist attacks was more of a public relations strategy than a measured response to a failure in leadership,” Issa said in an Aug. 20 statement.
“In the course of our investigation, the Oversight Committee learned that the State Department’s review of these four individuals did not include interviews with them or their supervisors to either substantiate or challenge allegations. The Oversight Committee will expand its investigation of the Benghazi terrorist attack to include how a supposed ‘Accountability Review Board’ investigation resulted in a decision by Secretary Kerry not to pursue any accountability from anyone.”
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