The whole world expects the Bengazi attack to be featured prominently in the foreign policy debate on Monday. I do think the moderator will raise the issue, but will not be surprised if Mitt Romney keeps the issue short and sweet and moves to the next topic asap.
Romney really blew it in the last debate by trying to echo the very popular right wing meme that President Obama had not called the attack terrorism for 2 weeks. Having that fact checked in real time was embarrassing enough, but I think the Romney camp is really asking for a smack down when you actually consider what happened following the attack.
The very first time President Obama talked about the attack he talked about terrorism. The next day he did so as well. He got it right.
The very first time Mitt Romney talked about the attack he explicitly tied it to the anti-Muslim film and the attacks on US embassy in Cairo and did not mention the word terrorism. The next day he did so as well. He got it wrong
Not only did Romney get it wrong in the very same way as he is wrongly accusing the President of getting it wrong, but he did it in such a patently offensive and opportunistic way in the face of a tragedy that he was castigated across the political spectrum.
To recap: On the very day of the attack Romney explicitly tied the Bengazi murders to the anti video riots, did so in a singularly offensive manner and then reiterated his position the next day, all while never mentioning terrorism. Obama explicitly mentions terrorism the first two times he talks about the subject. And somehow it’s supposed to be Obama who’s got some ‘splaining to do on the tone of his response to the attack. In whose universe? This is a case of the veritable black as night pot calling the purely white snowflake black.
Romney needs to look in the mirror to see which candidate first did what he is accusing Obama of doing, and that is just obvious to anyone who has connected brain cells.
If I were President Obama I would be positively salivating at the thought that Romney will actually want to fight this battle again. There has been some mention of the fact that Romney’s initial statement was a bit tone deaf and quick on the draw. But I have yet to hear anyone point out that it was Romney who first made the initial connection betwixt Bengazi and the video, while not mentioning terrorism and comparing that to the President’s initial reaction.
I sure hope it comes up on Monday, and the President reminds us just who said what.
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