Wiretap: Assigning blame for Benghazi

 
The Senate Intelligence Committee report points a lot of fingers on Benghazi while concluding that the four deaths there could have been prevented. The committee report puts much of the blame on the State Department, but has little to say about Hillary Clinton’s role. So naturally, the Republicans on the committee put out an addendum, saying that Clinton bears the ultimate responsibility for the lax security. It’s probably just a coincidence that she might be the Democratic presidential candidate in 2016.

The report goes to the breakdown of communications between the State Department and the CIA. Via the New York Times.

The report and the committee’s statement on the report.

The report means that Hillary Clinton still has questions to answer. And rightly so. Via Amy Davidson and the New Yorker.

The numbers are in for the governor’s race, and, if money does talk, you’ll be hearing from Hickenlooper for a while. Hick is over $1 million for the year and over $400,000 for the fourth quarter. Tancredo leads the Republican field. Via Fox 31.

Colorado Senate Democrats to Colorado Senate Republicans: “Sorry, no do-overs.” Example: Democrats killed Sen. Ted Harvey’s proposed repeal of the renewable energy standard passed last year. Harvey is upset. Conservation Colorado is not upset. Director Pete Maysmith: “We applaud members of the State Affairs Committee who turned back an attempt to repeal the Colorado rural renewable energy standard. The legislature passed Senate Bill 252, the governor signed it, and a citizen stakeholder committee agreed that SB 252’s target of 20 percent by 2020 was doable and that the law’s provisions to protect consumers are strong.”

Reminder to Colorado Second Amendment lovers, the First Amendment right to free speech is restricted. A U.S. district court in Denver handed a Grand Junction man who threatened police officers and their families on Facebook a four-year stint in federal prison.

Larimer County Judge Robert Rand has been on paid leave for six months and court officials will not say why. “The ‘necessary’ people already know the truth.”

The really big campaign money, nationally, is going to attack ads on Obamacare. Can you say Koch brothers? Via New York Times.

The Supreme Court can’t seem to make up its mind: How far is 35 feet anyway? Via the Atlantic.

Norm Ornstein, the expert on Congress, isn’t thrilled with Congress’ budget bill. He says you shouldn’t be, either. Via the National Journal.