Mitt Romney's blustering disaster Wednesday morning was both foul and predictable. When the underlying strategy of a campaign is to quickly twist, even lie about, statements and actions in order to fit its metapoints (see "build that," welfare, and Medicare), it was inevitable that it would jump over even the high bar of political tolerance.
Romney's statement, written while attacks were still ongoing Tuesday: "The Obama administration's first response was not to condemn attacks on our diplomatic missions, but to sympathize with those who waged the attacks."
The "first response?" Someone in the US Embassy in Egypt, seeing an escalating protest before the violence, condemned "the continuing efforts by misguided individuals to hurt the religious feelings of Muslims – as we condemn efforts to offend believers of all religions," a reference to a hateful video that succeeded in its goal of inciting Muslims. These words were from a (probably scared) diplomat trying to be diplomatic, were hardly apologetic, and were disavowed by the administration.
A campaign grounded in reality might have cut its losses and, as most Republicans did, simply abhor the violence and mourn the victims. But the fact-free Romney was in for an perfidy, in for a pound. "The embassy in Cairo put out a statement after their grounds had been breached," Romney misrepresented in a hastily-planned press conference. He argued that the president was responsible for sending "a statement which is akin to apology and I think was a severe miscalculation."
Severe miscalculation, indeed. Romney would not let the facts get in the way of a potshot directed at the president's "foreignness." Mitt's unseemly demagoguing of an international crisis fit neatly into the spurious narrative of The President Obama Perpetual Apology Tour. So the Romneyites dipped again into the concoction of half-truths and lies that they have poured down the throats of Americans that they depend on not to follow Mitt's hot shots of toxins with a cool chaser of checking.
Romney's doubling-down is not only inept and inaccurate, but now dangerous. The politicization of a terrorist attack evinces Romney's ignorance of what rash words can do to a world that keeps a keen ear to our leaders' proclamations. Formerly politicians, and even the press, could review a Romney/Ryan speech as "effective, if misleading." Now that Romney has crossed the Rubicon of his lies having real-world global consequences, he will find it severely convoluted to swim back.
And using the deaths of US diplomats and ex-Navy Seals for partisan points? Unforgiven.
Romney's statement, written while attacks were still ongoing Tuesday: "The Obama administration's first response was not to condemn attacks on our diplomatic missions, but to sympathize with those who waged the attacks."
The "first response?" Someone in the US Embassy in Egypt, seeing an escalating protest before the violence, condemned "the continuing efforts by misguided individuals to hurt the religious feelings of Muslims – as we condemn efforts to offend believers of all religions," a reference to a hateful video that succeeded in its goal of inciting Muslims. These words were from a (probably scared) diplomat trying to be diplomatic, were hardly apologetic, and were disavowed by the administration.
A campaign grounded in reality might have cut its losses and, as most Republicans did, simply abhor the violence and mourn the victims. But the fact-free Romney was in for an perfidy, in for a pound. "The embassy in Cairo put out a statement after their grounds had been breached," Romney misrepresented in a hastily-planned press conference. He argued that the president was responsible for sending "a statement which is akin to apology and I think was a severe miscalculation."
Severe miscalculation, indeed. Romney would not let the facts get in the way of a potshot directed at the president's "foreignness." Mitt's unseemly demagoguing of an international crisis fit neatly into the spurious narrative of The President Obama Perpetual Apology Tour. So the Romneyites dipped again into the concoction of half-truths and lies that they have poured down the throats of Americans that they depend on not to follow Mitt's hot shots of toxins with a cool chaser of checking.
Romney's doubling-down is not only inept and inaccurate, but now dangerous. The politicization of a terrorist attack evinces Romney's ignorance of what rash words can do to a world that keeps a keen ear to our leaders' proclamations. Formerly politicians, and even the press, could review a Romney/Ryan speech as "effective, if misleading." Now that Romney has crossed the Rubicon of his lies having real-world global consequences, he will find it severely convoluted to swim back.
And using the deaths of US diplomats and ex-Navy Seals for partisan points? Unforgiven.
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