In news briefs on Tuesday and Wednesday, NBC Today anchor Natalie Morales touted: "Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will be given the National Constitution Center's Liberty Medal for her years in public service and her work on human rights." The two segments totaled 36 seconds of air time. [Listen to the audio or watch the video after the jump]
Meanwhile, on Wednesday, the network morning show only managed to offer a couple mentions, totaling 10 seconds, to the anniversary of the September 11, 2012 terrorist attack in Benghazi, Libya that killed four Americans – a major security failure that occurred during Clinton's tenure at the State Department.
On Fox News's Special Report on Tuesday, anchor Bret Baier also noted Clinton receiving the award, but unlike NBC, he included criticism of her handling of Benghazi:
Tonight, on the eve of the one-year anniversary of the Benghazi attack that killed four Americans, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will receive the 2013 Liberty Medal from the National Constitution Center. She is being honored for her, quote, "Lifelong career in public service and her ongoing advocacy efforts on behalf of women and girls."
Some conservative groups are not happy, to say the least. The Independence Hall Tea Party Association writes, quote, "As all of you undoubtedly know, much of the blame for the Obama administration's failure to contain the Benghazi attack and the scandalous handling of its aftermath can be traced directly to Mrs. Clinton." That group organized a prayer vigil for the Benghazi victims to coincide with the ceremony.
But Clinton is not the only one taking heat. The person who will present the award is another possible presidential candidate, former Florida Governor Jeb Bush. The Gateway Pundit writes, quote, "Really Jeb, no one else came to mind?" And from the National Review's Jim Geraghty, quote, "If Jeb Bush didn't want to run for the Republican nomination, he could have just said so."
While all three network morning shows on Wednesday briefly noted the anniversary of the Benghazi attack, they all ignored current Secretary of State John Kerry refusing to allow survivors to testify before Congress.
Here are the September 10 and 11 news briefs respectively from Today:
7:15AM ET
NATALIE MORALES: Well, today, two potential 2016 rivals will be face to face in Philadelphia.
[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: New Honor for Hillary Clinton; Liberty Medal Presented by Jeb Bush]
Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will be given the National Constitution Center's Liberty Medal for her years in public service and her work on human rights. And she'll get the award from the group's chairman, former Florida Governor Jeb Bush.
7:11AM ET
NATALIE MORALES: Two potential rivals in the 2016 presidential race shared the stage Tuesday in Philadelphia.
[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: Sharing the Stage; Jeb Bush Honors Hillary Clinton]
Former Florida Governor Jeb Bush honored former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton for her life-long career in public service. She was given the National Constitution Center's Liberty Medal and said she was overwhelmed by the tribute.
