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Romney fails the 3 AM test
#1
"In short, when faced with a 3 a.m. test, he reacted immediately, rather than having the instinct to wait. And after he waited, he mistook this as a moment for partisanship rather than for at least the appearance of statesmanlike national unity. The irony, of course, is that resisting the partisan impulse today would have been the greatest possible boost to his horse-race prospects two months from now."

http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/arch...ll/262285/
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#2
That's actually quite telling and informative, and the difference between a Candidate whose primary mission is to defeat an oppponent, and an Executive and a Stateswoman whose primary missions are to run the nation and represent the nation in the world.

However.....

If the roles were reversed, would we see the same reaction ?

That's the thought experiment that is more important. And you'll need to draw your own conclusions.

My opinion ?

No. You would not see the same reaction. I've found the President to be thoughtful and cautious, the way a President should be. Even when he was a candidate in 2008.

Ed... there HAVE been issues .. the 'beer summit' and so forth. But President Obama has been seasoned by the last four years.
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#3
That's actually quite telling and informative, and the difference between a Candidate whose primary mission is to defeat an oppponent...

I'd say it is a fail even in that regard. While I'm generally abhorred by the political dialog of the last many years, I'm absolutely disgusted at the Romney campaign for trampling over the body of a courageous and respected diplomat when the US is being attacked abroad. Gall or sheer tone-deafness, I don't know, but clear evidence that this man should not be in the Presidential race. I wonder what the diplomatic corps thinks about his behavior.
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#4
A better question might be: Why has Obama attended less than half of his NSA briefings over the past year?

And where was Obama at 3:00 AM while the tweets coming out of the State Department (for 9 hours) were blaming Americans and American policies before he picks up on the theme.

More power to Romney for condemning attacks on our embassies, our rights to free speech, and standing strong in the defense of freedom.
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#5
I'll take another frame of mind and point out that Romney is commenting as a private citizen and candidate. The 'rules' are different, and everyone knows that.

Remember this joke ?

Q: "What's flat, black, and glows 30 seconds after Reagan takes office ?"
A: Tehran

Reagan's anti-Iran rhetoric was blistering.
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#6
swampy wrote:
More power to Romney for condemning attacks on our embassies, our rights to free speech, and standing strong in the defense of freedom.

Yes, it's clear that Gov. Romney is a beacon defending controversial postions in a time of international crisis. The overwhelming need to have someone brave enough to step forward "condemning attacks on our embassies, our rights to free speech, and standing strong in the defense of freedom" at this time no doubt strengthens us abroad and highlights the mission of our brave diplomats. It's a darn shame the rest of the Republicans are too cowardly to make political hay while our diplomats are in peril abroad.
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#7
cbelt wrote:
Reagan's anti-Iran rhetoric was blistering.

Was that same rhetoric present in his deals to supply weapons to the Iranians in exchange for hostage release?
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#8
I'm sure that Obama missing those meetings DID cause the attack on the embassies!

I'm sure that Obama missing those meetings caused these attacks, too! It's the ONLY explanation!!

U.S. Embassy in Sana’a, Yemen, Sept. 17, 2008
Nineteen people died and 16 were injured after a group of militants, dressed as police officers and armed with rocket-propelled grenades, rifles and car bombs, stormed the U.S. Embassy in the Yemeni capital.
Islamic Jihad of Yemen, an affiliate of al-Qaeda, claimed responsibility.

Indian Embassy bombing in Kabul, Afghanistan, July 7, 2008
Fifty-eight people were killed when a suicide bomber drove his explosives-laden vehicle up to the Indian Embassy and detonated. Most of the victims were locals, although two senior Indian officials were among the dead.
It is thought that the impetus for the attack was India’s support of the 2003 U.S. invasion of Afghanistan and India’s recognition of Hamid Karzai’s national government. The Taliban, however, denied responsibility for the attack.

Danish Embassy in Islamabad, Pakistan, June 2, 2008
A massive car bomb near the Danish Embassy in Islamabad killed six people and injured dozens more.
Al-Qaeda claimed responsibility for the bombing, citing anger over cartoons published in September 2005 by the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten that depicted the Prophet Muhammad. The cartoons had been reprinted in Danish papers in February 2008.
Pakistan had been the site of several large-scale protests against the cartoons. Al-Qaeda deputy leader Ayman al-Zawahri called for revenge attacks on Danish targets.

U.S. Embassy in Belgrade, Serbia, Feb. 21, 2008
Several hundred demonstrators attacked the U.S. Embassy compound in the Serbian capital of Belgrade. Hours later, a charred body was found inside a torched office at the embassy.
The swarm of rioters had broken away from a massive rally held earlier in the day to protest against Washington's recognition of Kosovo's declaration of independence.
Crowds of masked young men broke into the compound and used metal bars to smash into the first floor of the building. A few demonstrators climbed the building and set the U.S. flag on fire as others used a door to ram the metal-barred windows.

U.S. Embassy in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Dec. 6, 2004
Five consular employees were killed and four other local staff members were injured after militants stormed the U.S. consulate. Saudi police killed four of the assailants, who were members of al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP).
In an internet post claiming responsibility for the attack, AQAP wrote, “this operation comes as part of several operations that are organized and planned by al-Qaeda as part of the battle against the crusaders and the Jews, as well as part of the plan to force the unbelievers to leave the Arabian Peninsula.”

U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania, Aug. 7, 1998
In a co-ordinated operation, car bombs exploded outside the U.S. embassies in Nairobi, Kenya, and Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, on Aug. 7, 1998. The attacks killed 224 people, including 12 Americans. About 5,000 were injured.
Fazul Abdullah Mohammed, the leader of al-Qaeda in East Africa, had a $5 million US bounty on his head for allegedly planning the attacks. In June 2011, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton publicly confirmed his death in Somalia.

Israeli Embassy in Buenos Aires, Argentina, March 17, 1992
A suicide bomber driving a pickup truck filled with explosives breached the Israeli Embassy in downtown Buenos Aires and detonated, killing 29 people — mainly children in a nearby school building — and injuring 242.
The group Islamic Jihad took responsibility, claiming the attack was payback for Israel's assassination of Hezbollah official Abbas al-Musawi the month before.
Messages intercepted by the U.S. National Security Agency revealed that Iran had knowledge the attack was coming.

U.S. Embassy in Beirut, Lebanon, Apr. 18, 1983
A Hezbollah suicide bomber drove a van up to the U.S. Embassy in Beirut, killing 63 people, including at least 17 Americans. The act also destroyed the Middle East bureau of the CIA.
That same year, an attack on the Beirut headquarters of American and French forces killed 298 people. The United States withdrew all diplomats from Beirut in September 1989 and did not reopen its embassy until 1991.

U.S. Embassy in Tehran, Iran, Nov. 4, 1979
Islamic students and other militants stormed the U.S. Embassy in Tehran, taking hostages and launching a diplomatic crisis. They were demanding extradition of the Shah of Iran from the United States, where he had gone to seek medical treatment.
Fifty-two hostages were held for 444 days. A failed rescue attempt resulted in the deaths of eight U.S. soldiers. Thirteen hostages were released about two weeks after the crisis began, and another was freed months later.
After the signing of the Algiers Accord on Jan. 21, 1981, the day of Ronald Reagan's inauguration as U.S. president, the remaining hostages were released.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/story/2012/...tacks.html
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#9
Romney's response was in very poor form. Period. He is a candidate. Not the president. When an attack occurs on us, even on foreign soil, you do not jump in and start criticizing the response of the sitting president and in effect, this country. He did not wait for details. He obviously did not even understand the movie was the subject of the sympathy comment. As a candidate you stand down. He could have easily held off until this afternoon to release a statement.

Condemning attacks on our embassies, our rights to free speech, and standing strong in the defense of freedom is motherhood. Every candidate will spout motherhood. Someone with real credentials would not jeopardize this country's response with quick draw statements for political gain. Ultimately this will and should hurt him.

Why did Obama miss NSA briefings? How do you know he did? Briefings can occur anywhere and anytime. And do. Read your history. The White House is wherever the president is.

Where was he at 3am? Why did he wait so long? Gee, maybe because he's smart enough to wait until he has more information at his disposal as his response, as the sitting president of the United States, carries great weight and should not be doled out promiscuously. As Romney did.
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#10
$tevie how do you justify this administration's apology to terrorists who besiege our embassies and kill our citizens?
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