As Dave already noted here, the roof has caved in on Mitt Romney with the number of people calling him unfit to lead after his disastrous response to the murders of American diplomats. We had Peggy Noonan and Chuck Todd throwing Mittens under the bus and you can add Mrs. Greenspan to that list as well.
September 12, 2012

As Dave already noted here, the roof has caved in on Mitt Romney with the number of people calling him unfit to lead after his disastrous response to the murders of American diplomats. We had Peggy Noonan and Chuck Todd throwing Mittens under the bus and you can add Mrs. Greenspan to that list as well.

Romney adviser Richard Williamson appeared on Andrea Mitchell's show this Tuesday to defend his candidate's craven political response to the incidents and it was nothing but more flame throwing and being extremely condescending to Mitchell. President Obama's leading from behind. He's apologizing for America. It's the same old tripe we hear over at Fox day in and day out, but they're not having quite so much luck selling their talking points this time around.

Williamson even attacked former ambassador Nicholas Burns, trying to pretend he's a partisan because he worked for Jimmy Carter. As Mitchell pointed out, he also happened to work for Republicans as well, but never mind that. His response was basically to shrug his shoulders and say, "So what?"

The Romney campaign has been lying so much, I was wondering what it would take for him to finally start losing the media. I think we got our answer this week. When you're losing the likes of Todd, and Noonan and Mitchell, Mark Halperin and Jake Tapper, you're in trouble. They've all been carrying a lot of water for the Romney campaign thus far to put it mildly. When even they can't take the cravenness of this campaign any more, stick a fork in him. I guess we'll see if this lasts and how much pressure gets put on any of them after the fact by the Romney campaign to change their tune as the week goes on.

Rough transcript below the fold.

MITCHELL: Mitt Romney in Florida this morning, standing by his original statement, the printed statement last night, regarding the events in Libya and Egypt, as reporters were plying him with questions about the timing of his comments. And joining me now, Richard Williamson, former Ambassador to the United Nations for Special Political Affairs, currently a senior foreign adviser to the Romney campaign. Ambassador, thank you very much for joining us. What about the questions that have been raised about the Romney campaign jumping on this with a statement while we didn't even know the identities of who had died, and without knowing the timeline of what had happened?

WILLIAMSON: You know, as a lawyer, I'm familiar with the old saw that when you don't have the facts, you argue process. And that's what's going on here with the White House trying to have a discussion of timing of a statement. The fact is, the substance of what the Governor said last night was true. He continues to stand by it. We shouldn't be on an apology tour, but rather, be aggressive in condemning this breach of sovereign American soil.

We should be defending our principles of free speech and pluralism, and first and foremost, this morning, when we've learned that a life was lost and other lives were lost, we have to be conscious of our condolences and sympathy and appreciation for their service. But the substance of what the Governor said last night was true then and it's true now. And the American people have a choice to make and it's between an administration that apologizes for our values and principles and someone who stands up for it.

MITCHELL: Ambassador-

WILLIAMSON: Someone who lead from behind, which contributed to the turmoil and someone who wants to lead from the front.

MITCHELL: Forgive me for interrupting. How is it an apology for our values to issue a statement before a protest even happens? You're suggesting, and Governor Romney is suggesting -

WILLIAMSON: Because, because-

MITCHELL: - that the – that the statement from Cairo was apologizing for something that had not happened for another six hours. That's why process matters. Facts matter.

WILLIAMSON: Andrea, I believe if you – I believe if your reporters on the ground check, it was reissued after the U.S. compound in Cairo was breached. Second, it-

MITCHELL: It was on a website and may not have been taken down, I don't know that to be the facts.

WILLIAMSON: It's my understanding it was reissued, it was not taken down, and, in fact, the White House didn't respond and back away from it and say they did not approve of the statement until many hours later, after President Obama had seen the statement from Governor Romney.

MITCHELL: Do you think it was appropriate for Governor Romney to issue a statement last night, when the State Department, the CIA, the White House, were all scrambling to try to find out who were these Americans? One American, we now know the Ambassador, had been carried by Libyans to the hospital, the identities were still trying to be ascertained. They were trying to notify next of kin. And then again today, for Mitt Romney to come out in the 10:00 half hour, before the President of the United States made a scheduled statement at 10:35, does it seem to be injecting politics into a national tragedy?

WILLIAMSON: Andrea, you're an experienced reporter. You've had the same questions asked about your own reporting from time to time. You have seen American political personalities make misstatements in difficult times. The American people are being asked to make a decision between the failed policies of President Obama and the proposals of Governor Romney. Governor Romney has said that you shouldn't hesitate to stand up for our values. That's what he did last night.

You're engaging in a process question. The importance is the substance of what's going on in the Middle East, where the U.S. is being compromised and in retreat. Where there's turmoil because we failed to lead, whether it's in the broader Middle East, in Syria, in Iran. Those are the questions the American people want, not the White House desire to have a discussion about process and timing.

MITCHELL: Well, I was just interviewing ambassador Nic Burns, who as you know, first served under George Herbert Walker Bush and has served as a foreign service officer and ambassador in two administrations.

WILLIAMSON: He first served under Jimmy Carter. I mean, he served as a foreign service officer first under Jimmy Carter, then Reagan. Yes, he's fair ambassador and I respect him.

MITCHELL: And served with Condoleezza Rice and was appointed an ambassador by George – by George W. Bush.

WILLIAMSON: And I respect him. He could have a different view, so what?

MITCHELL: Okay. As you said, facts matter.

Can you help us out?

For nearly 20 years we have been exposing Washington lies and untangling media deceit, but now Facebook is drowning us in an ocean of right wing lies. Please give a one-time or recurring donation, or buy a year's subscription for an ad-free experience. Thank you.

Discussion

We welcome relevant, respectful comments. Any comments that are sexist or in any other way deemed hateful by our staff will be deleted and constitute grounds for a ban from posting on the site. Please refer to our Terms of Service for information on our posting policy.
Mastodon