Round 2: FIGHT! |
Romney outshined the president during most of the debate, despite Obama’s behaving like a spoiled teenager being scolded by an angry parent, despite his ludicrous accusations and playing loose with the facts, and his irritated raised voice Romney would have edged Obama out (though not in a blowout like he did in Denver) except he missed out on a major point, and not only missed out, he let himself look pretty damned foolish. When he tried to press the matter on Obama's tepid response to the assault on our ambassador in Bengasi the moderator pretty much threatened to fact check him on the spot, Obama then applauded her for doing so asking that she repeat what she had said louder, which she did of course. Romney unfortunately froze. I know what was going through his mind, “wait, that doesn’t match the reality that I saw… what the devil is this?” Romney, not wanting to shoot from the hip backed off and he shouldn't have.
Unfortunatly for us because this will be the moment that gets played
over the next several weeks, and it is this one moment in an otherwise stellar
performance that the media will use to declare Obama as the “comeback kid.” The
tragedy is how much of a stretch this is. I just read the
transcript, and all I saw was Obama promise to get to the bottom of it, and
blaming a You Tube Video followed by a vague, general and sweeping statement about how no act of terror will ever shake our resolve. He never called the Bengasi incident an act of terror, or even eluded to it. He just warned that no acts of terror (general statement) will shake our resolve. I know you libs out there will say “hey that’s a technicality,” but
that still means I am technically right, and therefore so was Romney. Technically
right is still right, Romney's point stands and if the moderator wasn't just another Obama shill she'd have allowed Romney to make his point and let the President challenge him rather than challenge Romney in a factually inept manner on the President's behalf.
Alright folks, seriously, why is it that only Democrats get to moderate? Especially Democrats well known to be supporters of Obama? When do I get to see the debate moderated by Glenn Beck? Sheesh... what a joke... but I digress...
Alright folks, seriously, why is it that only Democrats get to moderate? Especially Democrats well known to be supporters of Obama? When do I get to see the debate moderated by Glenn Beck? Sheesh... what a joke... but I digress...
But you don’t need to take my word for it! Watch Obama give the
speech himself and show me at what point he refers to the Bengasi attack as an
act of terror please? Who needs a transcript which can be edited ex-post-facto,
when you have the video unedited from the Whitehouse itself?
As you can see at about 4:20 Obama refers to “acts of terror” in a
broad and general sweeping statement and does not specifically refer to this
incident as such, a technicality, but a valid one nonetheless. Obama went on to
spend the next 14 days blaming a You Tube video.
But if you want to read the transcript, here it is in full with
emphasis, and one comment in parenthesis added but no other alterations by me.
Remarks by the President on
the Deaths of U.S. Embassy Staff in Libya
Rose Garden
10:43 A.M. EDT
THE PRESIDENT: Good morning. Every
day, all across the world, American diplomats and civilians work tirelessly to
advance the interests and values of our nation. Often, they are away from their
families. Sometimes, they brave great danger.
Yesterday, four of these
extraordinary Americans were killed in an attack on our diplomatic post in
Benghazi. Among those killed was our Ambassador, Chris Stevens, as well as
Foreign Service Officer Sean Smith. We are still notifying the families of the
others who were killed. And today, the American people stand united in holding
the families of the four Americans in our thoughts and in our prayers.
The United States condemns in the
strongest terms this outrageous and shocking attack. We're working with the
government of Libya to secure our diplomats. I've also directed my
administration to increase our security at diplomatic posts around the world.
And make no mistake, we will work with the Libyan government to bring to
justice the killers who attacked our people.
Since our founding, the United States
has been a nation that respects all faiths. We reject all efforts to denigrate
the religious beliefs of others. But there is absolutely no justification to
this type of senseless violence. None. The world must stand together to
unequivocally reject these brutal acts.
Already, many Libyans have joined us
in doing so, and this attack will not break the bonds between the United States
and Libya. Libyan security personnel fought back against the attackers
alongside Americans. Libyans helped some of our diplomats find safety, and they
carried Ambassador Stevens’s body to the hospital, where we tragically learned
that he had died.
It's especially tragic that Chris
Stevens died in Benghazi because it is a city that he helped to save. At the
height of the Libyan revolution, Chris led our diplomatic post in Benghazi.
With characteristic skill, courage, and resolve, he built partnerships with
Libyan revolutionaries, and helped them as they planned to build a new Libya.
When the Qaddafi regime came to an end, Chris was there to serve as our
ambassador to the new Libya, and he worked tirelessly to support this young
democracy, and I think both Secretary Clinton and I relied deeply on his
knowledge of the situation on the ground there. He was a role model to all who
worked with him and to the young diplomats who aspire to walk in his footsteps.
Along with his colleagues, Chris died
in a country that is still striving to emerge from the recent experience of
war. Today, the loss of these four Americans is fresh, but our memories of them
linger on. I have no doubt that their legacy will live on through the work that
they did far from our shores and in the hearts of those who love them back
home.
Of course, yesterday was already a painful
day for our nation as we marked the solemn memory of the 9/11 attacks. We
mourned with the families who were lost on that day. I visited the graves of
troops who made the ultimate sacrifice in Iraq and Afghanistan at the hallowed
grounds of Arlington Cemetery, and had the opportunity to say thank you and
visit some of our wounded warriors at Walter Reed. And then last night, we
learned the news of this attack in Benghazi.
As Americans, let us never, ever
forget that our freedom is only sustained because there are people who are
willing to fight for it, to stand up for it, and in some cases, lay down their
lives for it. Our country is only as strong as the character of our people and
the service of those both civilian and military who represent us around the
globe.
No acts of terror (NOTE: Note the general and sweeping use of
the term, and the failure to specifically link it to the Bengasi incident) will
ever shake the resolve of this great nation, alter that character, or eclipse
the light of the values that we stand for. Today we mourn four more Americans
who represent the very best of the United States of America. We will not waver
in our commitment to see that justice is done for this terrible act. And make
no mistake, justice will be done.
But we also know that the lives these
Americans led stand in stark contrast to those of their attackers. These four
Americans stood up for freedom and human dignity. They should give every
American great pride in the country that they served, and the hope that our
flag represents to people around the globe who also yearn to live in freedom
and with dignity.
We grieve with their families, but
let us carry on their memory, and let us continue their work of seeking a
stronger America and a better world for all of our children.
Thank you. May God bless the memory
of those we lost and may God bless the United States of America.
END
10:48 A.M. EDT
10:48 A.M. EDT
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