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Manhattan Diary by Cahir O'Doherty

Mitt Romney accused of shooting first, aiming later

Posted on Thursday, September 13, 2012 at 10:04 AM

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In 2008 John McCain made a theatrical but politically ineffective decision to suspend his presidential campaign because of the breaking financial crisis.

But the move was judged as deeply unpresidential and ultimately contributed to his defeat.

On Tuesday night, on the anniversary of 9/11, just hours after the deaths of four U.S. diplomats including the US ambassador to Libya, Mitt Romney released a hastily worded statement calling the president's handling of the Libya and Egypt attacks 'disgraceful.'

Only Sarah Palin and Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus joined Romney in his condemnation, which soon had Republican foreign policy experts calling the GOP nominees' response 'an utter disaster.'

It began when a statement released by the U.S. Embassy in Cairo on Tuesday morning was condemned by Romney as an 'apology for America's values.'

In fact the statement had been issued before the embassy was attacked, contradicting Romney's apology claim.

Critics countered that Romney's actions have left him open to the perception that he was attempting to capitalize politically on the death of a US ambassador and less than 24 hours after his death.

It quickly became clear that the US Embassy's statement did not apologize for America's values, as Romney had asserted, but instead it defended religious freedom and the 'universal right of free speech.'

So Romney was quite wrong in his accusation that the Obama administration's 'first response' was sympathy for those who actually started the violence; in fact the clashes came after the first statement was published.

'There's a broader lesson to be learned here,' said Obama yesterday. 'Governor Romney seems to have a tendency to shoot first and aim later and, as president one of the things I've learned is you can't do that. It's important for you to make sure that the statements that you make are backed up by the facts and that you've thought through the ramifications before you make them.'

Asked directly if Romney's attacks were irresponsible, the president replied, 'I'll let the American people judge that.'

Critics, and many of them conservatives, are suggesting Romney's failure to support the President of the United States when our nation is attacked shows that he is willing to put his fate before the nations in order to win an election.

Cartoon by By Bill Schorr.

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53 comments

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Nicomax | Sep 14, 2012, 09:36 AM EDT

This was a major misstep since his main argument against BHO was he was woefully ill-prepared to manage the economic crises when he was elected POTUS. Mitt has now proven that he is woefully ill-prepared to manage international affairs. No surprise since money managers, one-term governors and Olympic organizers can be expected to have little knowledge of how international affairs actually work.

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olovely | Sep 14, 2012, 09:07 AM EDT

Partisanship stops at the waters edge. That has been US political tradition for 100 years. That is why our diplomacy isn't written by 12 year olds. Romney came out too fast and too hard. Americans are dead. I find his decision to make hay with this deeply troubling - and I wonder how much he knew about all this, considering its right wing source, in the first place.

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The Waltons | Sep 14, 2012, 02:19 AM EDT

Mitt Romney, how dare you speak about the leader that way. The leader is all knowing. The leader will provide. No one is greater than the leader. Baaaaa Baaaaa Baaaaa.

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hollabackgurl | Sep 14, 2012, 12:24 AM EDT

I can't remember a presidential candidate EVER coming out with a position paper on a national tragedy. We have one president at a time. The correct response would have been to keep silent. Mitt Romney now looks like Richard Nixon, both his character and his policy were both revealed.

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jamthecat | Sep 14, 2012, 12:01 AM EDT

The more I read of comments made by anti-Obama people, the more I fear four our country. Their blindness and appalling stupidity are cause enough for alarm, but their willingness to defend Romney, even in the face of his despicable and self-serving actions, is beyond understanding. I always thought even conservatives had some sense of human decency, deep down, but now I wonder if you've all been so overcome with hate for Obama that you're willing to destroy everything that is civilized about the US in order to get your own way. Are you really that far gone? The way some of you talk, you're just like the anti-US devils who worked the crowd up into a rage...and that is to Satan's joy, not God's.

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Lynchy | Sep 14, 2012, 12:00 AM EDT

Mr. Romney has damaged his reputation to such an extent that we are waiting for the next blunder (and he lacks the 'charm' of Boris). USA

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McNamara31 | Sep 13, 2012, 08:09 PM EDT

Here's the actual statement released by the embassy in Cairo: "The Embassy of the United States in Cairo condemns the continuing efforts by misguided individuals to hurt the religious feelings of Muslims – as we condemn efforts to offend believers of all religions. Today, the 11th anniversary of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the United States, Americans are honoring our patriots and those who serve our nation as the fitting response to the enemies of democracy. Respect for religious beliefs is a cornerstone of American democracy. We firmly reject the actions by those who abuse the universal right of free speech to hurt the religious beliefs of others."

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hollabackgurl | Sep 13, 2012, 08:02 PM EDT

Romney needs to buy a mop. He should apologize to the US for his egregious opportunism too.

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seanomelb | Sep 13, 2012, 07:10 PM EDT

Libyan authorities have arrested four people for the murder of the US diplomats. Romney made is silly remarks before the riots. The usual Obama haters led by their chief liar Hannity are grasping at straws to demean the president, looking for an election plus for dead meat(sorry Mitt) Romney

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BrianO | Sep 13, 2012, 07:03 PM EDT

Eiriamach the Navy Seal Glen Doherty was from my part of the world. I'm sure the murders and assassins in Lybia should not be feared all they did was murder and assassinate, in the name of Islam. Those are facts not some philosophical exercise. As to your obama he signaled the weakness of the US to fight back and lit the fire to the Muslim brotherhood's takeover of Egypt,Tunisia,Lybia, and working now on takeovers of Syria,Yemen and Turkey. The ethnic cleansing of non muslims has already begun in the name of the religion of peace.

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Tom Mo | Sep 13, 2012, 06:55 PM EDT

Our Abbassador to Egypt was brutally beaten, raped, and murdered on American soil. There were no Marine guards. If there were guards, they did not have live ammunition, on orders from our Commander in Chief. An you Cahir, you harp on Romney, along with a few other slugs at Irish Central. This is an outrage and no pertinent questions are being asked by the Government Media. Mitt Romney is not the enemy. The Media are.

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PiperMac52 | Sep 13, 2012, 06:15 PM EDT

Romney's aim was right on target. Obama has pandered to Islamists and he supported the Muslim Brotherhood in what has turned out to be a nightmare scenario as radical Islamists now control the Middle east and Sharia law is not far off. Al-Qaeda was the victor here. Obama's foreign policy has showed he is either clueless or he is taking care of Muslims for which he has an affinity. The results will be disastrous for Israel and the West.

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allentown | Sep 13, 2012, 04:23 PM EDT

Mitt Romney forced President Obama to act, although it was 12-hours after the attack on our Embassy. Senator Kerry defending President Obama said that it took 12-hours, because President Obama was gathering all the facts before making a statement. Wasn't it Senator Kerry who attacked President Bush for those 7-minutes President Bush sat in the classroom after being told "America was under attack"?

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eiriamach | Sep 13, 2012, 04:20 PM EDT

Brian0, even the most ardent Republican would be embarrassed to repeat that tired George W Bush line that Muslims "hate America because America stands for freedom." You insist on YOUR individual rights like freedom of speech, while you advocate silencing the voices of Muslims simply because you fear them. Then you come on IC and try to get others to share your fear so that you'll have allies in fear and hate. If the right-wing fanatics who've been using their God-given and government-protected free speech to demonize Obama and Muslims had spoken out AGAINST the "Innocence of Muslims" video instead, it's likely that we would not be mourning slain embassy staff today. As Public Affairs Officer at the US Embassy in Cairo, Larry Schwartz, wrote on the embassy web site (in the words that Romney called an "apology"), the US Embassy staff "firmly reject the actions by those who abuse the universal right of free speech to hurt the religious beliefs of others." So, patriotic Americans, why didn't you give a verbal lashing to the right-wing lunatic who published the obscene video that triggered attacks on our embassies? We didn't need another national tragedy to make the fanaticism of the far-right crystal clear, but we have tragedy again because right-wing American fanatics will not stop provoking right-wing Muslim fanatics!

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EphraimKibbey | Sep 13, 2012, 04:15 PM EDT

Regarding the four State Department people killed and the destruction of our Libyan Embassy: 1. He called the Libyan President and that official explained that the search was already on for the murders, that 10 Libyans had died trying to defend our embassy and that his people were taking to the streets to protest the actions of a very small group of radicals who do not represent the sentiments of the Libyan people. 2. As a precaution he ordered our other Benghazi people to Tripoli, sent in the Marines and has sent two cruise missile destroyers to positions off the Libyan coast. The reaction in Libya can be seen in the newsreels of the population with signs in English decrying the actions of the terrorists and the fact that the Libyan authorities already have arrested four people. This is the problem with opening your mouth before you do not have the facts. Like Gilda Radnor, you have to say “Sorry, never mind” when you are shown to be a FOOL! Why anyone in the Republican party thinks Romney is Presidential timber mystifies me. Don’t they remember how Cheney/Bush worked out?

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