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Issa blames Benghazi security failures on White House concern with optics

The GOP attack dog is not letting go of the Obama Administration's leg.On Sunday, U.S. Republican Rep.
House Oversight Committee Chairman Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., arrives on Capitol Hill on Oct. 10 for a hearing on the attack on the American consulate in Benghazi, Libya, that resulted in the death of U.S. Ambassador Christopher Stevens.
House Oversight Committee Chairman Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., arrives on Capitol Hill on Oct. 10 for a hearing on the attack on the American consulate in Benghazi, Libya, that resulted in the death of U.S. Ambassador Christopher Stevens.

The GOP attack dog is not letting go of the Obama Administration's leg.

On Sunday, U.S. Republican Rep. Darrell Issa, who has spent years investigating the alleged misdeeds of Democrats, accused Team Obama on CBS' Face the Nation of being prioritizing public relations over security at the American consulate in Benghazi, Libya.

"We believe they didn’t want the appearance of needing the security. We want to put real security ahead of the appearance of not needing security,” said Issa, who chairs the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee.

The criticism was in response to last month's attack on the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi, which killed American Ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans. 

The California Republican said the consulate attack reminded him of President Bush's "mission accomplished moment," referring to the 2003 incident in which Bush announced the end to major combat operations in Iraq underneath a banner behind him that read "Mission Accomplished." The fighting, obviously, did not end following that event. 


Obama, Issa argued, should not be "in denial" about the presence of terrorism in Libya. 

Meanwhile, Democratic Rep. Elijah Cummings accused Team Romney on CBS of treating the Libya situation "like a political football."

 "We don't have substantial evidence yet," Cummings said. "We're still gathering evidence, coming to conclusions and searching for facts."