After CNN televised Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's Congressional testimony on the Benghazi attack, on the 5 pm segment of The Situation Room Wolf Blitzer provided some analysis, including an interview with Senator Rand Paul (R-KY). Then Blitzer announced there was breaking news. He turned to CNN national correspondent Jim Acosta, who reported that Beyonce had - hold onto your remote here - lip-synced "The Star Spangled Banner" at President Obama's inauguration Monday:
BLITZER: All right. We've got some breaking news coming in on Beyonce and the lip-sync scandal that's being called. Definitive information now being learned by Jim Acosta.
Jim, what are you learning?
JIM ACOSTA, CNN NATIONAL POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, we can tell you that inaugural official who asked not to be identified told me just a short time ago that pop star Beyonce lip-synced her performance on Inauguration Day, saying, quote, "She did not sing live."
That official told CNN a prerecording of the artist's rendition of the national anthem was played instead. So what was heard by spectators and viewers was the sound of that recording, according to this official.
Acosta provided more details, with Blitzer interjecting observations such as "Say what you will, though, she does have a beautiful voice" as well as "And she wasn't lip-synching somebody else's voice. This was her voice, her own recording." Ending the report with a promise that Acosta would "have much more" on the story in the next hour, Blitzer then teased:
The stars partied late into the night with the president and the first lady. And an exclusive White House after-party up next. You won't want to miss what went on behind closed doors.
Benghazi, Schmenghazi, CNN knows what's genuinely important to its viewers. Why waste time airing stale criticisms of the Obama administration's bumbling on Benghazi when there's real news to report? Stop the presses at "The Most Trusted Name in News."
