More Republican Crazy.

I understand there's a story going around that blames President Obama for letting the folks at the embassy in Benghazi die because he was in bed.

I haven't read it, I'd too afraid it would set in some brain rot or something.

But from the comments of a right winger who apparently believes it, there were a couple of C130's sitting on a runway somewhere full of troops waiting for Obama to wake up so he could give them permission to enter Libyan airspace.  Or something.

Just on this spare info, there is already so much wrong with this, the stupidity is almost infectious, so handle this with rubber gloves.  You've been warned!

First of all, common sense should tell you that the US won't be flying troops in from somewhere else to rescue an embassy or consulate under attack in the capital of a foreign power.  Mainly because we don't have an agreement with any other country in the world to operate our troops in a combat mode within their territory.  We just don't.  Afghanistan is a combat zone, officially declared by DOD, which puts it into a category all by itself.  Benghazi isn't in Afghanistan.  the other reason why we would never do that is distance.

The closest US air base to Benghazi is Naval Air Station Sigonella in Sicily, and that's an hour flight time, from take off to landing.  That doesn't take into consideration the time required to alert the troops, prepare them for the operation, transport them to the airbase, load them, then off-load them at Benghazi and transport them to the embassy under attack.

They'd get there in time to sweep up the ashes and bury the bodies.

None of that takes into account the time required to alert the Department of State of the problem, get that information to DOD and back down the chain of command in time to get that ball rolling in Italy!  Or the time for the DOS to get a dialog going with the Libyan government in order to get permission to even fly two C130's full of troops into their country in the first place, much less permission to allow them to go running around their capital city armed and dangerous!

And come on, two C130s?  One alone carries 64 combat loaded airborne troops.  That should be enough to take on a bunch of terrorists, much less fit inside the embassy.  But you've got to get them there in the first place.

Lastly, this story is focused on the fact that supposedly, President Obama is in bed, asleep, and the troops are just sitting there and the folks in Benghazi are dying for lack of that permission.

Which is insulting to the max, because all one has to do is examine Obama's track record as the Commander in Chief to see that he is always very concerned for his people's welfare.

For a timeline and a good explanation of the attack, go here.  Maps and everything.