'Unpresidential'

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"Unpresidential."
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Friday, September 14, 2012

Romney's Foreign Policy Fumble Getting Notice in Battleground States

“Blunder," “Reeks of Political Opportunism," “Amateur Comments," “Unpresidential”

IOWA

Des Moines Register: Another View: He blunders again with foreign policy

“Mitt Romney should be ashamed. The way he behaved on Tuesday night and Wednesday after the attack on the U.S. Embassy in Cairo and the killing of J. Christopher Stevens, the American ambassador to Libya, is not befitting a candidate for president of the United States.”

NORTH CAROLINA

Raleigh News Observer Editorial: Romney's haste, waste

“But Romney plunged ahead. ‘Apology for America’s values is never the right course,’ he declared. Of course not. Neither is criticism of the president so hasty and poorly informed that it reeks of political opportunism amidst a deadly crisis.”

NEW HAMPSHIRE

Concord Monitor Editorial: Romney's amateur comments on Libya

“The demented attacks on America's embassy in Egypt and consulate in Libya, and Mitt Romney's hasty and hyperbolic response to them, raises similar questions about the Republican presidential candidate's fitness to govern. Romney's condemnation of the Obama administration, at a time when American lives had been lost and its embassies were under siege, calls his judgment and ability to guide foreign policy into question.”

NEW YORK

Utica Observer-Dispatch: Editorial: Romney and the Libya tragedy

On the other hand, what was wholly inappropriate was for presidential challenger Mitt Romney to weigh in when and how he did. "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," his campaign first said in a statement at about 10:30 p.m. Tuesday evening. By the next morning he was saying at a Florida campaign stop that "apology for American values is never the right course."

NEVADA

Reno Gazette-Journal: It's Romney and Amodei who sent wrong message on attacks in Libya

“Although who was responsible for the brutal murder was still unclear several days later, and no one knew for sure whether an anti-Muslim film was the cause or simply an excuse, Romney immediately blamed Obama for the attack, accusing him of a failure of leadership, particularly in the Middle East. … Whether you agree with Obama’s policies or not, Romney’s statement was ill-considered, ill-timed and politically opportunistic. There should be no place for it from a man who wants to be president.”

PENNSYLVANIA

Philadelphia Inquirer Editorial: Libya still needs the U.S.

“Unfortunately, because it is election season, Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney didn't wait for expert assessments to use the four diplomats' deaths to launch his own verbal assault.”

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Editorial: Romney’s gamble: He uses a day of American loss for political points

His handling of the Benghazi tragedy was shockingly inept. First, instead of sharing quietly in the grief of those who lost family, friends and colleagues in the firebombing of the U.S. Consulate, Mr. Romney tried to turn a day of American loss into a political opportunity. He accused President Barack Obama of apologizing to America's adversaries and placating foreign extremists. That baseless criticism calls into question not only his judgment but also his sensitivity, sense of decency and even his humanity.

Observer-Reporter: Editorial: Now, election is about ideology, competence

In 1988, as he accepted the Democratic presidential nomination, Massachusetts Gov. Michael Dukakis said the election was not about ideology, but competence. Twenty-four years later, voters have good reason to wonder about the ideology of Dukakis’s successor, Mitt Romney, given his well-documented “flexibility” on numerous issues. But it’s becoming increasingly apparent that they should also start asking serious questions about his competence.

FLORIDA

Miami Herald Editorial: Treacherous currents in the Mideast

“Predictably, the attacks were quickly mired in political controversy at home. Candidate Mitt Romney jumped the gun in attacking Mr. Obama as an ‘apologist’ because of a statement issued by the U.S. Embassy in Cairo before the assaults took place. Reacting to the death of U.S. diplomats by seeking to take political advantage is profoundly inappropriate.”

Tampa Bay Times Editorial: Romney's quick attack ill-advised

Two problems: First, the response was a statement from the embassy in Cairo that was released hours before Americans were attacked. Second, the statement was aimed at preventing violence and calming the angry response over the release of Innocence of Muslims, a hateful film critical of Islam and heavily promoted by fringe anti-Islamic Gainesville pastor Terry Jones. The embassy had criticized the movie as the handiwork of ‘misguided individuals to hurt the religious feelings of Muslims — as we condemn efforts to offend believers of all religions’ Romney disingenuously seized upon the statement as a ‘disgrace’ that sympathized with the protesters rather than a condemnation of the attacks.

Florida Sun Sentinel Editorial: GOP's criticism unwarranted

“Pointing fingers, playing the blame game, second-guessing without all the facts, and trying to score political points during a time like this is indeed ham-handed, even by the standards of a political campaign that seems to get nastier by the day”

Palm Beach Post: Editorial: Foreign policy no longer a debate afterthought

“For the moment, commentary has focused on Mitt Romney’s premature, inaccurate blast at the Obama administration for “sympathizing” with those who carried out the violence that killed the U.S. ambassador to Libya and three other Americans. In fact, the comments were from one Cairo embassy staffer, came before news of the murders in Benghazi, Libya, were aimed at heading off protests over an anti-Muslim video and were ordered removed by the White House. Mr. Romney does himself no favors by doubling down on a very unpresidential response.”

Herald-Tribune: Another 9/11 attack

“When terrorists struck America on Sept. 11, 2001, the nation grieved together. Eleven years later, in the wake of another 9/11 attack -- which Tuesday claimed the lives of a U.S. ambassador and three other brave Americans at a consulate in Libya -- that spirit of unity was missing. In its place was partisan finger-pointing by Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney, who prematurely lobbed off-base criticism at the wording of the U.S. diplomatic response.”

MICHIGAN

Detroit News Op-Ed: Romney fails the statesmanship test

“A real leader doesn’t jump the gun and put countless lives in danger with careless bravado in responding to acts of aggression. A good president waits for reliable reports, considers the implications of his words, which will be closely parsed, and makes a measured statement. Mitt Romney did the exact opposite, immediately leaping to wild accusations long before all the facts were in.”

OHIO

Cleveland Plain Dealer Editorial: A shocking attack in Libya: editorial

“Republican nominee Mitt Romney's trigger finger was so quick that he didn't even get it right.”

Akron Beacon Journal: Attack in Libya

“Unfortunately, Mitt Romney chose to ignore the distinction. In a statement, the Republican presidential candidate expressed outrage at the attacks and the death of an American consulate worker. He then cudgeled the White House for a “first response” that did not condemn but showed sympathy “with those who waged the attacks.” The idea of any American president, Republican or Democratic, taking such a stance is ludicrous. As it is, Romney strained in grabbing the moment to press a familiar campaign theme.”

WISCONSIN

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: A martyr for freedom

“Mitt Romney, the Republican nominee for president, was quick to criticize President Barack Obama, noting Tuesday night that he was "outraged by the attacks" and that it was disgraceful that "the administration's first response was not to condemn attacks on our diplomatic missions but to sympathize with those who waged the attacks." The chairman of the Republican National Committee, Reince Priebus of Wisconsin, tweeted: "Obama sympathizes with attackers in Egypt. Sad and pathetic." Sad and pathetic? Yes, it was sad and pathetic to see such callous and uninformed statements from politicians who couldn't wait until they had the facts to use an international incident for political gain.”

COLORADO

Daily Camera: Terrible tragedy on anniversary of terrible day

“That democratic peace relies on tolerance of people with different beliefs. Without that tolerance for other beliefs, it all falls to pieces. That couldn't be more clear in the wake of the deaths in Libya. And stating that commitment to one of our core values is not an "apology" as candidate Mitt Romney tried to portray it. Not only irresponsibly, when he was clueless as to the extent of the attack but even the next morning when more information was available to him. For someone whose campaign has been studded with tone-deafness abroad, this was stunning, undiplomatic and undemocratic rhetoric.”

Denver Post: Editorial: Deadly enemies of free speech

“Still, Republican candidate Mitt Romney was out line when he criticized the embassy statement for "sympathizing" with rioters. U.S. diplomats obviously have no sympathy for such criminals, and the statement doesn't imply they do.”

VIRGINIA

Virginian Pilot Editorial: Candidate Romney's unpresidential gaffe

“American presidents don't indulge in public tantrums during international crises. They don't exploit the deaths of American servants in an attempt to score cheap political points. And they don't accuse American diplomats of sympathizing with terrorists. Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney did all of those things this week, in the midst of attacks on U.S. embassies in the Middle East, thus providing his opponents and voters with ample reason to question his ability and judgment in foreign affairs.”

Roanoke Times: Editorial: Ready, shoot, aim on Libya

“Mitt Romney's response to the attack on the U.S. consulate in Libya, which killed Ambassador Christopher Stevens and three other Americans, cast further doubt on the Republican presidential nominee's ability to navigate sometimes roiling foreign policy seas. Relying on scant reports gathered in the haze of battle, Romney was too quick and too brash in his criticism of the Obama administration's reaction to events in the Middle East.”


http://www.democrats.org/news/press/romneys_foreign_policy_fumble_getting_notice_in_battle_ground_states