Romney's Libya gibes aimed to show contrasts with Obama

(CBS News) Conservatives have criticized Mitt Romney for a lot of things in this race, among them that he is running a timid campaign, that he pulls his punches and that he doesn't have the fire in his gut to win.

Today's press conference - in which he criticized the administration's response to the attacks in Egypt and Libya -- is the clearest indication yet those critics are missing something.

Instead of walking back the strong statement he issued last night, Romney held his ground--and offered even stronger criticism. Facing the media in an impromptu press conference, he deflected questions on whether his criticism was too soon -"I don't think that we ever hesitate when we see something which is a violation of our principles" - or that it was inappropriate, as Democrats, the Obama campaign and even some Republicans are arguing.

Romney doubles down on criticism of WH over attacks
Obama: Romney shoots first, aims later
U.S. launching apparent terrorist hunt in Libya

"We have a campaign for the presidency of the United States," Romney said. "The president and I have differences of opinion with regard to Israel and our policies there and with regards to Afghanistan and with regards to Syria. We have many places of distinction and difference."

Senior campaign advisers have told me for the past month that they expect the campaign to be combative, and that after the conventions Romney would begin drawing "sharp contrasts" with President Obama.

We've already seen that on economic and domestic policy - his position on the administration trying change federal welfare work requirements is one example. Today, we saw the swift remarks on foreign policy. Some Republican strategists were critical, but the campaign is standing firmly behind its response.

"We're not going to hesitate to call out the president for his failures on foreign policy," a senior adviser told me this afternoon. "There are areas where the president deserves credit, and we're going to give that. But this gets to his capacity and fitness to be president. We don't believe he's fit to be president, that his foreign policy is conducted in a way that makes him unfit to be president."

It's hard to get much tougher than that. The adviser told me Romney's comments were "meant to shine a light on the bigger world view we believe this president has an apologize-first mentality, that it's America's fault the world is burning."

"That's the basic notion we believe the president's foreign policy has been conducted under," the adviser said. "That sort of weakness explains why we're seeing in part some of the difficulties in the Middle East."

Romney expressed a similar sentiment in his press conference this morning.

"I think President Obama has demonstrated a lack of clarity as to the foreign policy," he said, adding, "the president has had some successes, he's had some failures, and it's a hit or miss approach, but it has not been based upon sound foreign policy."

Romney mentioned the Middle East and the Arab Spring. And after the media avail, he talked to supporters and referred to the latest clash between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the President.

"I stand with our friends in Israel. I stand with our allies," he told supporters. "I can't ever imagine - if the prime minister of Israel asked to meet with me - I can't imagine ever saying no. They're our friends, they're our closest allies in the Middle East."

For those who you who haven't followed Romney's response to the attacks in Egypt and Libya, here's the background.

Last night, Romney issued a tough statement expressing his outrage, and then added this:

"It's disgraceful that the Obama Administration's first response was not to condemn the attacks on our diplomatic missions, but to sympathize with those who waged the attacks."

Romney was referring to a statement by the U.S. Embassy in Cairo that touched off a political firestorm. Before the protesters hit the Embassy, it said on its website: "The Embassy ... condemns the continuing efforts by misguided individuals to hurt the religious feelings of Muslims."

The embassy then stood by its statement, issuing a series of Tweets, as its compound was under siege. Last night, the administration seemed to distance itself from the Embassy statement, with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton releasing her own statement, saying that "there is never any justification for violent acts of this kind," and a senior administration official telling Politico it wasn't vetted by Washington. The Tweets also were removed.

Then the tragic news broke overnight that four were killed in the Libyan attacks, including Ambassador Chris Stevens.

Some suggested Romney would regret his statement from the night before, although campaign sources told me before his morning press conference he had none. And when Romney took the podium, he made it clear himself.

In his opening remarks, Romney expressed sympathy for the victims and outrage at the attacks, and then referred to the embassy statement - "which, as I noted last night, was clearly at odds with the 1st Amendment."

"I think it's a terrible course for America to stand in apology for our values," Romney said, adding, "The statement that came from the administration - and the embassy is the administration - the statement that came from the administration was a statement which is akin to an apology, and I think it was a severe miscalculation."

Romney also hit the president hard for sending a "mixed message" and said he has demonstrated "a lack of clarity as to foreign policy."

The adviser said that tone won't change -and today's comments were putting down a marker.

"We're going to draw contrasts when there's an opportunity to draw contrasts, and we're not going to shy away from that opportunity."

[Aerostar700]

According to the public schedule of the president, the last time Obama attended his daily intelligence meeting was Sept. 5th. A week before Islamist radicals stormed our embassy in Cairo and terrorists killed our ambassador to Tripoli.

The president was scheduled to hold an intelligence meeting at 10:50 a.m. Wednesday, the day after the attacks, but it was canceled so that he could comfort grieving employees at the State Department. As well he should. But instead of rescheduling the intelligence briefing for later in the day, Obama apparently chose to skip it altogether to attend a Las Vegas fundraiser for his re-election campaign. One day after a terrorist attack.

http://cowboybyte.com/12458/unreal-on-day-following-libya-assassinations-obama-skips-another-intel-briefing/

Instead of acting like a PRESIDENT, Obama is using the attack as a campaign opportunity.

And you think the economy is important to Obama? Its been over 6 months since he met with his jobs Council.
http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2012/07/obamas_jobs_council_hasnt_met_for_6_months.html

And could it be that Obama's Secret message to Iran helped precipitate the issues in Libya?
"The Israeli newspaper Yediot Ahronot published a startling report Monday detailing a message it says was conveyed by the Obama administration via two European countries to Iranian officials. The request: if Israel decides to strike Iranian nuclear facilities, the U.S. will not support it and the Islamic Republic should refrain from retaliating on U.S. military installations in the Persian Gulf. "
http://www.theblaze.com/stories/paper-details-obama-admins-alleged-secret-note-sent-to-iran-if-israel-attacks-we-wont-get-involved/

At the very least this could explain why Obama refused to meet with the Israeli Prime Minister.

[wcia]

Jan since you intend to be a lap dog for Obama may I suggest you wear lipstick and heels and bury your face in my lap since that's what your good for....

[daylin505]

Nasty and uncalled for. You owe her an apology.

[wcia]

I'll apologize when she apologizes for conspiring to to manipulate the news rather than report it.... If your going to prostitute your trade as she has done [I've heard the open mic as they set Romney up], you may as well not pretend any longer.... no apology

[daylin505]

Mr. Romney did nothing wrong in this independents view. Immediate condemnation was appropriate given that it took the current administration some time to distance themselves from the placating tweets flying about and to make a strong public statement condemning the violence. Obama went to a fund raiser and continued to spew that filth "class warfare" rhetoric. Romney is accused of using this tragedy for politic gain yet Obama went to a campaign fundraiser and used THAT forum to publicly condemn the horrible murders of our fellow Americans (too little too late).

[gsrod]

Hey Jan turn off your microphone. We hear you plotting the next attack. Why don't you go and tackle O'Bumbles and get him to try and answer anything?? What journalism school did you go to? Walter Cronkite is rolling in his grave. You are so worried about diservice. Girl, you better look in that mirror. Too bad we have to look at you and your supposed journalism.

[jamesrgpb]

Jan Crawford has been proven to be a third-rate journo-hack. What credibility does any of her reporting have?

[RollotheNorman]

Yes Willard has successfully achieved contrast with the Obama Administration. He has shown himself to be a loud tool of the Neocon's, the same folks that brought the US Dubya's Mid East policies, who doesn't hesitate for even an instant to run his mouth on foreign policy before even taking time to learn all the facts. What a buffoon. Can 50% of Americans really want this clown as chief executive?? His election to the Presidency really would be the inmates taking over the asylum.

[westcoastvoter]

So, seems we now have an answer for why President Obama doesn't take questions during his press conferences. I have been watching live feeds of press conferences for as long as CSPAN has been in existence, and reporters have ALWAYS done this. it is one of the reasons our media is so one sided, and it is not in the best interest of the American public for the media to be so single minded in their efforts to produce a desired headline. I am confident Governor Romney knew the media was going to attempt to drive the conversation, because his press coordinators were listening to the same feed, and were doing their job to brief him. When President Carter locked himself in the White House during the Embassy hostage situation, Ronald Reagan was pounding on his incompetency through the media. Today, journalist learn about how they were used by Reagan to show Carter's weakness when they are in Journalism classes in college, and they have established a protocol to prevent any messenger from getting their message out.

[waldo-the-wonder-dog]

THis story was a one sided, slanted report, merely parotting Republican propoganda. She failed to mention that Romneys statement was based on the American embassy in Egypt's statement that was issued BEFORE the attacks.

[mechadave]

I just saw Jan Crawford's naive political report on Romney's 9/11-9-12 gaffes about the attacks on our embassies in Egypt and Libya. Her claim that Romney's team applauded Mitt's ill advised statements is not believable. Hasn't Jan ever heard of "damage control?" Crawford's piece would have been embarrassing for a competent reporter, but since she has been a Romney cheerleader for the last few months she hardly comes under that category. Fire Jan Crawford and let her work legitimately for the Romney campaign as a paid Republican employee.

[Mycroft-Today]

It is interesting how most of the posts eagerly resort to name calling. Are we as a society so far gone that an opinion cannot be civilly expressed? Yes, I respect your sentiments but would find them more relevant if you had respect for yourself and others by expressing them in respectful manner. And that goes for most of the media too.