Romney softens tone on Chen Guangcheng

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/politics/sns-la-pn-romney-chen-guangcheng-20120504,0,3081365.story

A day after Mitt Romney spoke of a "day of shame for the Obama administration" for its role in protecting a dissident in China who sought shelter at the American embassy, the presumptive GOP presidential nominee on Friday appeared to be softening his words about the handling of Chen Guangcheng.

"Some recent reports coming from China suggest we may not have been as effective in protecting his freedom as we should have been and if those reports are true that would be a very dark day for freedom, but let's wait and see what those reports finally show,” Romney said on the Fox & Friends show on Fox News. "Hopefully we can get security and freedom for this gentleman and for his family and colleagues."

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Romney on Thursday seized upon the reports in an indictment of the Obama administration.

"If these reports are true, this is a dark day for freedom and it's a day of shame for the Obama administration,” Romney said while campaigning in Portsmouth, VA. "We are a place of freedom, here and around the world, and we should stand up and defend freedom wherever it is under attack."

His comments led to criticism not only from Democrats but from conservative commentator Bill Kristol, who described Romney's comments as "foolish” when the U.S. is still in the midst of trying to resolve the crisis.

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