LIBYA BECOMES A FOREIGN POLICY POLITICAL FOOTBALL............

The era of political partisanship, "ending at the water's edge" on the part of both Democrats, and Republicans, in American Foreign Policy, has gone on hiatus if not ended, in the current electoral and governing environment of the United States, as currently indicated by how the partisan divide is responding to last month's Libyan Embassy attack and killing of Ambassador Stevens and three other American diplomats.  The special investigatory hearing on the part of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, on Wednesday turned into a partisan free for all as Republican and Democratic members were convened for a hearing less than four weeks before the General Election focused on potential intelligence failures, growing militant threats, the prospect of security lapses, and whether the Obama Administration underestimated the continuing dangers posed by Al Qaeda, in Libya and North Africa.  All of these matters under the Committee's right perview.  However, that does not mean seeking to use the hearing for a decidely partisan advantage, as campaign fodder, instead of advancing the common good of American national security and a non political response to addressing the aftermath of the situation seems to be the priority members of the House Committee exhibited in their questioning of, and responses to, the witnesses called to testify.  As the truth of what occurred and how it transpired on September 11th, 2012, unless the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee's intention was to sincerely and objectively assess the situation and not politicize it  for partisan advantage, it would have been far better to wait until November 7th and thereafter to carry out their responsibilities and address the matter.  Bipartisanship in Foreign Policy not Politics, should be the foremost priority and guiding principle in a crises such as this, even in the final weeks of a campaign for the White House and the Congress.  Turning American Foreign Policy into a political football only serves to divide Americans and fuel the intention of our terrorist enemies to harm and vanquish us............Fr.  Troy