TIME: One of the most craven and ill-advised tactical moves in this entire campaign.

[kpete]

Unless the Romney campaign has gamed this crisis out in some manner completely invisible to the Gang of 500, his doubling down on criticism of the President for the statement coming out of Cairo is likely to be seen as one of the most craven and ill-advised tactical moves in this entire campaign.

http://thepage.time.com/2012/09/12/romney-and-foreign-policy/


Romney’s decision to use a fatal attack on Americans as an opportunity to seek political gain based on a complete lie is just the latest example of his copyrighted #romneyshambles campaign. It is a classic #romneyfail.

http://www.balloon-juice.com/2012/09/12/when-youve-lost-halperin-and-his-500/
http://maddowblog.msnbc.com/_news/2012/09/12/13828189-romney-fails-critical-leadership-test


***********

Jumping Ship Update:

Romney’s decision to weigh in is generating criticism from fellow Republicans. Former Sen. John Sununu of New Hampshire said on MSNBC Wednesday morning: “They probably should have waited. … You look at the way things unfolded, you look at the timing of it, they probably should have waited.”
http://www.nationaljournal.com/whitehouse/romney-campaign-denies-acting-rashly-on-libyan-situation-20120912

*********

Bracing for trouble before the start of the protests here and in Libya, the American Embassy released a statement shortly after noon that appeared to refer to Mr. Jones [the idiotic Koran-burning "pastor" Terry Jones]: "The United States Embassy 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." It later denounced the "unjustified breach of our embassy."

Apparently unaware of the timing of the first embassy statement, the Republican presidential candidate, Mitt Romney, put out a statement just before midnight Tuesday saying, "It's disgraceful that the Obama administration's first response was not to condemn attacks on our diplomatic missions, but to sympathize with those who waged the attacks." Mr. Romney also said he was "outraged" at the attacks on the embassy and consulate.

http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2012/09/three-quick-points-on-the-libya-killings/262263/

http://2012.talkingpointsmemo.com/2012/09/romneys-false-libya-attack-puts-him-way-ahead-of-mainstream-gop.php?ref=fpblg

[myrna minx]

1. K&R -I knew Romney was a creep, but now he makes me shudder.

[kardonb]

35. general discusion

lets buy this ignorant fool under a landslide in Nov . !!!

[K Gardner]

2. Even republicans are jumping all over this, unbelievable. n/t

[Laura PourMeADrink]

6. really K. who? loving this

[PearliePoo2]

3. He's lost Halperin?? Goodbye Mittens.

nt.

[BumRushDaShow]

8. He lost Andrea Mitchell too

as Rmoney's advisors have been pissing her off since early this morning. It's breath-taking to watch.

[Cha]

29. John Sununu! "They probably should

have waited" was the best that craven insulter could come up with..but, still..

[MADem]

42. That was SENATOR Sununu (the kid) not the groping governor John. nt

[Cha]

51. My bad.. got my Sununus mixed up. nt

[MADem]

53. Hey, it's All in the Family....and those two make Archie and the Meathead look like

Bishop Tutu and Bill Clinton!

[Cha]

58. REally.. and Carrol O'Connor was

such a sweetheart in RL.

[MADem]

62. Unlike Groper Governor, Sununu the Elder! nt

[cali]

9. And Peggy Noonan.

[Arugula Latte]

14. And Scarborough

[George II]

20. And Sununu

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

23. Really? He lost Sue Nunu? When did he lose his beloved Nunu?

[Orrex]

56. Nunu!

[George II]

61. YOUNGER John Sununu said this yesterday....

"You look at the way things unfolded, you look at the timing of it, they probably should have waited."

Looks like I mentioned the wrong Sununu - the older one (maybe out of senility) still supports Romney's comments.

[Lex]

37. No way! Him too?

What'd he say about it?

[red dog 1]

40. And his mind!

[BumRushDaShow]

4. All of his advisors are doubling and tripling down on it.

The ones now protesting are former rethug diplomats who are completely flabbergasted at this type of insane attack for political gain.

[MADem]

30. How interesting that the son of one of his advisors, Senator Sununu, son of Gov. John Sununu, is

quoted as saying he should have waited!

[Angry Dragon]

5. Willard cares not whom he preys on

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

7. I thought he only wanted to discuss the economy

but I guess that was before he was cornered and refused to discuss any specifics in his economic policies. He won't discuss any of his past. He won't discuss social issues. All that's left for a Romney triumph is a discussion of imaginary scenarios.

[speedoo]

10. He got "distracted".

He's the worst presidential nominee in my lifetime. And FDR was President when I was born.

[MADem]

43. He makes Dewey look folksy, warm and gracious! nt

[WestWisconsinDem]

44. even worse than Dubya?

Not saying I disagree. Just wonderinn...do you say this because rMoney is as evil as Bush* but more cunning?

[Grown2Hate]

60. At this point I don't even think you can say he's more cunning! Watching that smirking asshole

walk away from the podium today, with a shit eating "I dun good!" look on his face... I mean, I was floored. I said the SAME THING that I declared to my roommate the day McCain picked Sarah Palin (since I actually had a clue who she was beforehand): "Hey! Guess what? We just WON THE ELECTION."

[WestWisconsinDem]

66. Most likely theory I've heard so far is that he's a sociopath.

Feels no remorse for anything, ever. Incapable of empathy. Ends always justify the means

[randome]

12. Foreign policy is a 'distraction', remember?

[leftyohiolib]

13. FUNNY CAUSE F.P. IS REALLY THE PRESIDENTS JOB

[Tarheel_Dem]

11. K&R

[hue]

15. Romney reveals his true ego centric/self serving nature-->a true sociopath!!!

[malaise]

16. Rmoney does not have the temperament to be President

He will never be President

[Jazzy_Obama]

17. What a quack!

Mittens campaign is so desperate it's disgusting!!! A US ambassador is DEAD! & all he can do is attack President Obama? With False attacks at that!? What a pathetic piece of crap he is! How undignified & Unpresidential! He should be ashamed of himself! I'm so thankful that President Obama & Sec. Clinton are in charge! God knows what would be of our country if mittens was in the oval office! I shiver at the thought!

[indepat]

18. Just maybe RMoney, in trying to fu*k America, has royally f*cked

himself and much of the GOP.

[CubicleGuy]

19. Hey, this is just another Sandra Fluke conspiracy

We all know that what really happened here was that the Obama administration caused the outbreak of violence and the deaths that have occurred just to make the Republicans look bad. Why, I have it on good report that Sandra Fluke arranged the whole thing.

[Aerows]

27. "both Presidents"

As though Romney has been elected.

Romney is NOT President. Barack Obama IS President of the United States.

[Uncle Joe]

21. Kicked and recommended.

Thanks for the thread, kpete.

[INdemo]

22. But the teabagger RNC chairman Reince Priebus

thinks its ok and in fact was probably the guy that advised Mittens to put out a statement so early.
In fact he made a statement very similar to Romney's

[lpbk2713]

24. It's his job to blindly support their candidate.

Anyone else with the sense of a parakeet wants a lot of distance between them and Mittens now.

[Raster]

25. Rinse Penis is toast. His convention sucked. His candidate sucks.

[WestWisconsinDem]

45. Rinse Penis!!!

Thank you! I'm going to use that if it's ok with you. I'm a Wisconsinite, so I do need to apologize for Rinse, Lyin' Ryan, and Scat Wanker.

[Raster]

55. You are more than welcome!

[Aerows]

26. Both Presidents!?

still unfolding crisis underscore the pitfalls of both presidents

Last I checked, there was only ONE President of the United States. That has to be the worst dig yet that President Obama isn't "really President".

[JenniferJuniper]

28. Andrew Sullivan has pulled together a lot of commentary of this; worth a gander.

[bullwinkle428]

31. Hey...it's only Sept. 12. Maybe TIME should hold off on a declarative like that!

[WinkyDink]

32. "One of the most...." leaves room for more.

[MADem]

33. Bush Homeland Security Secretary Disagrees With Romney's Remarks on Libya

http://thinkprogress.org/security/2012/09/12/837841/tom-ridge-obama-libya/
hinkProgress spoke with Ridge, who served under President George W. Bush from 2003 to 2005 and endorsed Romney earlier this year, on Capitol Hill today to get his reaction. He was unwilling to criticize Romney directly — “I don’t want to get in the he said, she said” — but rebuffed his charge that Obama’s sentiments were with those who carried out the attacks. “I don’t think President Obama sympathizes with those who attacked us,” Ridge said. “I don’t think any American does.”

KEYES: Do you think that President Obama sympathizes with those who attacked us and attacked the embassies?
RIDGE: No, I don’t think President Obama sympathizes with those who attacked us. I don’t think any American does. I’m not going to question the strength of his words.

Watch it:

&feature=player_embedded

Romney is finding few defenders for his charge, even among fellow Republicans. Buzzfeed spoke with a senior Republican foreign policy hand who said that Romney was “just trying to score a cheap news cycle hit” and now it’s become an “utter disaster.” Top Republicans in Congress are also refusing to echo their presidential candidate’s in press releases.

[lpbk2713]

34. What I think is hilarious ...

People we seldom hear from any more are seeking out microphones
so they can distance themselves from rMoney and his stupidity.

I love it.

[MADem]

38. I have to wonder how pissed off his donors are right now...

I'll bet they're all mumbling something along these lines:

Man, I put all that money down; I knew it was a fifty-fifty bet at best, but I didn't think it would be a damn toilet-flushing exercise!!!

[AlinPA]

36. Coming from that right-wing republican. that's amazing.

[Cha]

59. It is indeed..because they usually back up

others' idiot comments.

But, Akin and Romney both crossed the line into the Abyss and they are being cut loose.

[DemKittyNC]

39. Gee's

Even my Republican mother who supports this asshat said it was disrespectful and nasty of Rmoney to make such a comment and she is seriously thinking about just not voting this November. I am sure dad will drag her to the polls tho but I would rather they just stay the hell home.

[bucolic_frolic]

41. It Must Have Been A Deliberate Decision

rMoney tried to paint Obama, once again, as not really American,
siding with the attackers.

This is his 'pallin' around wiht terrorists' moment.

They obviously continue to believe Obama can be dissed as
a Muslim, an illegitimate-not-born-here pretender.

I expect Willie Horton ads, but with a turbin this time around.

What does surprise me is they seem to think the American public
is stupid enough to believe them.

But you know those Madison Avenue Corporate Public Relations types!

Mitt is one of them!

[amandabeech]

46. I have a feeling that the American public doesn't give a shit about this.

I've been upset since the first reports of attacks on the Benghazi consulate last night.

My Romney/Ron Paul supporting roommate just told me that he thought that I was getting too upset about things over which I have no control. I had told him that today was a bad day. He asked me why. I told him that an American ambassador had been killed last night along with a consular official and two other, maybe marines. He said, "Oh, I thought that it was something personal. You really should think about getting upset over things over which you have no control." He's a big Rmoney fan. He can't understand why anyone could vote for someone other than Rmoney. I have been thinking that I need to move, and this provides a big incentive.

[Bluenorthwest]

47. If I may, I'd like to say that your Republican roommate is too small a sample to declare his views

to be representative of the American public.

[Cha]

48. If I may..+1

[amandabeech]

49. You may be right, but I've had enough of him.

My landlord picks the people who live here. I have no say in it. I've stuck around 'cause its cheap and convenient and I have spent most of the last two years in Michigan helping my elderly Mom clean up her brother's estate, which included a small family farm.

If this guy was detached from politics altogether, and if he knew me well (he's only been here a month), I would give him a pass. But he pretends to know everything about everything. He's a jerk.

[Rosa Luxemburg]

50. Romney the Rookie

[Initech]

52. Romney is a *PERFECT* example of why business and politics don't mix.

[Setsuna1972]

54. Rimjob just lost the election

Just now on The Last Word, Rimjob's sorry ass choice of action and words has been compared to McCain's Lehman moment (when he suspended his campaign and went back to DC...).

He has already lost the election--way too much damage has been done

[BootinUp]

57. Romney will probably come out in favor of outsourcing diplomacy next

Just a guess.

[porphyrian]

63. . n/t

[magnifisense]

64. This "incident" has to be the last straw.

I hope most voters will now have come to the conclusion that he is not ready to be president, that he is unqualified.

[Kablooie]

65. This fits the heartless, arrogant businessman image perfectly.