Sen. Graham: 'They're getting away with' Benghazi lie

close

Video

Graham: Obama admin getting away with Benghazi lie

Sen. Lindsey Graham sounds off Susan Rice's lack of regrets over Benghazi talking points, calls for House to form committee with subpoena power to investigate

This is a rush transcript from "On the Record," February 25, 2014. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.

GRETA VAN SUSTEREN, FOX NEWS HOST: Senator Lindsey Graham blasting the National Security Adviser Susan Rice on Twitter. Rice still sticking by the talking points she delivered on five different Sunday morning shows in the days right after the Benghazi attack when four Americans were murdered in that attack. But the Obama administration insisted it was all about a video.

Senator Lindsey Graham tweeting Susan Rice may be comfortable about the role she played in Benghazi debacle but no one else outside of President Obama's political inner circle is.

Senator Graham joins us. Nice to see you, sir.

SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM, R-S.C.: What a very smart thing to have said, if I say so myself.

VAN SUSTEREN: What -- what is going on with this? I mean, at least -- I mean...

GRAHAM: Well, they're getting away with it.

VAN SUSTEREN: Well, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said this was the most regrettable incident of the time she was there. Susan Rice acts like its still fine.

GRAHAM: Well, from her point of view, her -- her job was to turn the terrorist attack into a protest because there seven weeks from an election. All of the intelligence coming out of Libya, from the station chief, the CIA station chief said this was not -- not a protest. Fox has done a marvelous job of detailing how people reported a terrorist attack, named who was involved, and this protest story was politically hatched out of the White House and why was Susan Rice picked? She was the U.N. Ambassador. She has absolutely no control over the conflict in Libya, she doesn't. You know, that's not her portfolio. I think they picked her and not Hillary because she would say anything.

VAN SUSTEREN: I think it's disturbing that these years out that she is still sticking to it.

GRAHAM: Very disturbing.

VAN SUSTEREN: Instead of -- instead of saying, you know, I made a mistake or whatever, something, but still sticking to it and acting like we are so stupid that we still believe it number one. And number two is that I -- I don't I'm always suspicious of someone who will never admit a mistake when backed into the corner with the facts.

GRAHAM: Well, number one, if she really believes what she said is still accurate, God help us all.

VAN SUSTEREN: That's scary.

GRAHAM: She said that the consulate was substantially, strongly, and significantly secured. Who in the world -- that's with never the talking points. She was making things up. Al Qaeda has been diminished, they are on the run, there is no evidence of a terrorist attack. But what we think is a protest was caused by hateful video we had nothing to do with. She was marginalizing the blame of the Obama administration, trying to hide from the American people that Al Qaeda was coming back. They did attack us. And the Obama narrative wasn't holding water.

If congress doesn't call her before an appropriate committee to answer questions that she is never going to get asked on television, then how can we tell family members we got to the truth because she was the person who told the world on 16th of September a lie. And if she is not called before congress, how can any of us say we done a good job.

VAN SUSTEREN: All right. I know you are in the minority of the senate, so you cannot -- you don't have the authority issue. But we are a couple years out and everybody listening at home is thinking to themselves...

GRAHAM: Where is the House?

VAN SUSTEREN: What? Yeah, where is the House -- where the House of Representatives? Why aren't they doing something? Because this is a little bit absurd we are now in the year 2014.

GRAHAM: Can I suggest what we should do? Just looking at committees separately is not working. DOD just looks at the DOD. Intel looks at the CIA. Foreign relations looks at the state department. You need to have a single committee looking at everybody.

VAN SUSTEREN: You have been saying that for almost -- for two and a half years and it's still not happening.

GRAHAM: Can I suggest to your viewers hold Republican House accountable for not having a joint select committee to get to the truth.

VAN SUSTEREN: How do they do that?

GRAHAM: Well, just start calling Trey Gowdy and others have a resolution calling for joint select committee. John Boehner is one of my dearest friends. He has been a great Speaker, but why we have not in the house formed a joint select committee with subpoena power?

VAN SUSTEREN: Why -- why haven't we?

GRAHAM: I can't -- I can't answer that. But I know this, the first person two there's two people I would call. Susan Rice to see.

VAN SUSTEREN: As a witness?

GRAHAM: As a witness, and Mike Morell the number two at the CIA who actually changed the talking points.

VAN SUSTEREN: And do you know what I would do? I would issue.

GRAHAM: And he lied to me about changes.

VAN SUSTEREN: You know, what I would do? I would issue a subpoena and I would demand that documents that are classified, because a lot -- I think we overclassify.

GRAHAM: Overclassify, absolutely.

VAN SUSTEREN: I would demand all those classified documents be reviewed to see if they're really classified or whether they hide things from the American people.

GRAHAM: Mike Morell lied about changing the talking points on two different occasions. To me, Senator McCain, and others -- he blamed the FBI. And later in May of 2013, in November of 2012.

VAN SUSTEREN: There is no consequence.

GRAHAM: None.

VAN SUSTEREN: James Clapper lied to Senator Wyden in the U.S. Senate and there is nothing on that.

GRAHAM: If you care about Benghazi...

VAN SUSTEREN: Do you know what happens if you lie in traffic court? You get in trouble.

GRAHAM: That's right.

VAN SUSTEREN: You -- you can go up here on Capitol Hill apparently but anyway, that's another day, another story. Anyway, senator, nice to see you, sir.

GRAHAM: Thank you.