Hill GOP leaves Romney out on limb on Libya

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0912/81103.html?hp=l1


Hill GOP leaves Romney out on limb on Libya



Senior Republicans on Capitol Hill are leaving GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney out on a limb after he criticized President Barack Obama’s “disgraceful” handling of the assault on the U.S. embassy in Libya, which led to the death of U.S. ambassador Chris Stevens.

Indiana Sen. Dick Lugar, the top Republican on the Foreign Relations Committee who personally knew Stevens, refused to assign any blame to the Obama administration.

“My heart is with Mr. Stevens, my former staff member, my friend,” Lugar told POLITICO on Wednesday. As a Pearson Fellow to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Stevens served as a staffer for Lugar in 2006. Lugar helped shepherd Stevens’s nomination as ambassador through his panel earlier this year.

“I’m not going to make any comment about the political. None,” the senator added.

While Romney was very critical of Obama in a morning statement on the Libya attacks, senior Republicans across the board avoided criticizing the administration shortly after Stevens’ death was announced.

Obama didn’t even get a mention in most GOP press statements blasted Wednesday morning.

“We mourn for the families of our countrymen in Benghazi, and condemn this horrific attack,” House Speaker John Boehner said in a statement Wednesday.

“Eleven years after September 11, this is a jolting reminder that freedom remains under siege by forces around the globe who relish violence over free expression, and terror over democracy — and that America and free people everywhere must remain vigilant in defense of our liberties.”

Majority Leader Eric Cantor and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell also declined to invoke Obama, signaling that for a second day in a row this was a time for Americans to come together and put election-year politics on hold. On Tuesday, Republicans and Democrats gathered on the steps of the Capitol to mark the 11th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

“Our thoughts and sympathy today are with the families of these brave Americans,” McConnell, a Kentucky Republican, said on the Senate floor. “These attacks remind us of the sacrifices made on a daily basis by foreign service officers, diplomatic security personnel, and our Marine Security Guards.”

Three of the most important voices on foreign policy — Sens. John McCain (R-Ariz.), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) — said they were “anguished and outraged” by the deaths of American diplomats, and considered Stevens a “friend.” But they, too, didn’t see fit to criticize the president the way Romney did.

 

http://www.politico.com/blogs/media/2012/09/noonan-romney-not-helping-himself-135300.html?hp=l1_b3


Noonan: Romney not helping himself



The Wall Street Journal’s Peggy Noonan is criticizing Mitt Romney’s response to the death of a U.S. diplomat in Libya, telling Fox News today she doesn’t feel that the Republican presidential nominee “has been doing himself any favors” in the past few hours.

“I was thinking as he spoke, I think I belong to the old school of thinking that in times of great drama and heightened crisis, and in times when something violent has happened to your people, I always think discretion is the better way to go,” Noonan said. “When you step forward in the midst of a political environment and start giving statements on something dramatic and violent that has happened, you're always leaving yourself open to accusations that you are trying to exploit things politically.”

In a statement last night, Romney slammed the Obama administration for sympathizing "with those who waged the attacks" rather than condemning the attacks outright. Romney doubled-down on that attack today during a press conference, telling reporters the statement was “akin to apology" and that it was “disgraceful to apologize for American values.”

But Romney's effort to politicize the violence in Libya was met with blowback not just from the Obama administration but from the media. "[Romney's] doubling down on criticism... is likely to be seen as one of the most craven and ill-advised tactical moves in this entire campaign," Time magazine's Mark Halperin wrote on his blog.

Noonan's criticism delivers a harder blow, however, coming as it does from high within the ranks of the conservative establishment. Indeed, it is just the latest in a string of criticisms Romney has faced from the right's most influential media outlets in recent days, including The Wall Street Journal editorial page and the Weekly Standard.

“I don't feel that Mr. Romney has been doing himself any favors, say in the past few hours, perhaps since last night,” Noonan told Fox News. “Sometimes when really bad things happen, when hot things happen, cool words or no words is the way to go.”

 

Simultaneously yawning shaking head and rolling eyes.

 

refused to assign any blame to the Obama administration.
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perfect.

It's no ones fault, no one to blame, no one is responsible.

Obviously this is the best we can do. (libya)

Besides, Bush's first name is "Blame" and lets keep it that way.

 

It appears that everyone, left and right, disagrees with you.

 

Not everyone.

 

It looks like me like romney is guilty of poor judgement and not following protocol. If this is grounds for not being elected I would say the obama apology tour and bowing to foreign leaders is much worse.

Let's not mention obama just bypassing congress.

 

OK, yeah, let's not be gentlemen on the World Stage. Perhaps we stand with our arms crossed, Rapper style, come on. And, bypass who? The same people who said they will work against any and everything this duly elected president is favoring? Get real.

 

What are you talking about?

Sorry, my bad. I thought the constitution meant something, I guess when you are democrat the rules don't apply.

you lefties are pretty far gone. Don't forget barry put the hit out on a us citizen in yemen. No judge, no jury and no trial.

you guys are pretty funny.