Associated Press
Protesters clash with police in front of the U.S. embassy in Cairo.
Mitt Romney has spent several days blasting U.S. officials who criticized the anti-Islam film that has provoked so many enraged demonstrations in the Middle East and North Africa. The U.S. Embassy in Egypt issued a statement -- six hours before protests in Cairo -- condemning "efforts to offend believers of all religions" and "firmly rejecting" the bigoted YouTube video.
This, if we're to believe Romney's own rhetoric, outraged the Republican candidate. Romney said the statement "sympathized" with protestors and issued an "apology for our values," which he considered "terrible." He added that the U.S. embassy "suggest[ed] that there's something wrong with the right of free speech."
For anyone who understands English, it's hard to know how Romney reached these conclusions, but as Benjy Sarlin noted, there's another problem -- in an interview with ABC's George Stephanopoulos, Romney echoed the same sentiment he condemned.
"Well, I haven't seen the film. I don't intend to see it. I you know, I think it's dispiriting sometimes to see some of the awful things people say. And the idea of using something that some people consider sacred and then parading that out a negative way is simply inappropriate and wrong. And I wish people wouldn't do it. Of course, we have a First Amendment. And under the First Amendment, people are allowed to do what they feel they want to do. They have the right to do that, but it's not right to do things that are of the nature of what was done by, apparently this film. [...]
"I think the whole film is a terrible idea. I think him making it, promoting it showing it is disrespectful to people of other faiths. I don't think that should happen. I think people should have the common courtesy and judgment -- the good judgment -- not to be -- not to offend other peoples' faiths. It's a very bad thing, I think, this guy's doing."
At this point, Stephanopoulos moved on, but I have a follow-up: what's the difference between Romney's condemnation of the bigoted video and the U.S. Embassy's?
By his own reasoning, is Romney sympathizing with Muslim protestors? Is he apologizing for our values and suggesting there's something wrong with the right of free speech?
If the Republican campaign can explain why Romney can denounce a bigoted film but the U.S. Embassy in Egypt can't, it'd certainly help advance the larger conversation.
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I have seen something similar play out over the years. Some are quick to shout first amendment rights as a justification for their position and condemn you if you disagree. However, first amendment rights gives me the right to disagree with something and to call it out for what it is. I don't understand why you are un-american for disagreeing with someone's position. I am not saying you can't say it or do it. That is your right. But, you should be equally understanding of my distaste for your ugliness.
Excellent point. Freedom of speech isn't just saying offensive things, it's being able to say that what someone else said is offensive.
What is shameful is that Romney is using the 1st Ammendment as a cudgel. He's saying that the apologetic nature of the Embassy's statement is going directly against free speech.
Well, I for one do NOT feel that Romney's statements denegrate American free speech. I fully support what he said and believe it keep with the spirit of the 1st ammendment.
But I still think he said makes him a complete a-hole.
Romney has a bully mentality. He wants to be right no matter the costs. In his first statements he may have been trying to support freedom of speech, but it sounded like he was defending the film, since he didn't directly condemn it. He also advicated that the US's first response should be overwhelming force. He sounded like an anti-Muslim bully. He may have been targeting an American audience, but that message gets broadcast around the world. The subtle points are lost to a foreign audience that doesn't understand the concept of free speech in the US. That a individual has the right to say something stupid, but it in no way, shape, or form, is that the views of the majority of Americans or the US government. I think Romney, for his personal political gain, has managed to make the global situation escalate. We do not need an immature president who is a bully who thinks he's right all the time and refuses to ever apologize.
I think that Romney makes it clear that he doesn't know what he is talking about and is just attempting to make complete sentences related to the issue. He fails on both accounts.
Agree. Problem is, his failure was the demarkation line between national security and risk.
Mitt pretty much made a public service announcement to the world that everyone beyond our borders were free to consider our sitting president weak.
Romney and Ryanocchio! Watch their noses grow and grow and grow.
I hope beyond the Willard jokes, folks realize how serious this is.
Obama's detractors are entrenching around some intensly hateful weakness memes. At least one conservative blog is reiterating Mitt's original statement with pictures of Ambassador Stevens body being carried through Benghazi streets. The comments on both that blog and on Yahoo are resounding echoes of the Obama-Is-Weak theme.
Mitt, for a political stunt, has driven deeper spikes of hate into the soul of his own country by not supporting his own president (yes, Mitt is a US citizen too) in a crisis. This isn't what the world needed, this isn't what our nation needed, this isn't what our president needed just as he was reclaiming the higher moral ground against a frighteningly bad nominee.
I am going to enter a period of silent prayer if Obama doesn't pull further ahead in Florida, Ohio, etc. If Romney wins a debate (unlikely) I swear I'll cry.
I have voted for both Republicans and Democrats... I have NEVER witnessed in my life a more dishonest man than Mitt Romney. The man makes up half of what he says out of thin air and has NO remorse at all. He will say ANYTHING to trick the public into making him President and the media has taken until only lately to push him a little on statements. What took so damn long?? You knew he was lying! Was Rachel the only one who noticed?!? No one at other networks picked up on her talking about this for months. Ya, right.... they chose to ignore.
Just watching Fox News cover Romney's stump speech in Ohio. He started talking about the four men killed in Benghazi, but had to stop and reach into his pocket for a folded-up piece of paper and then peer at it for a moment so he could read off their names. He couldn't remember them. Dear Lord in Heaven, don't let this man become President!
Actually it's the other way around. Obama was for the statement before he was against it. But all of which was entirely unnecessary you know. Because in 2007 Obama said, "They Day I'm Inaugurated Muslim hostilities will ease!" So......
http://macsmind.com/wordpress/2012/09/obama-in-2007-the-day-im-inaugurated-muslim-hostility-will-ease/
I listened to the clip and he doesn't say that.
I know you heard a candidate who was clueless about what it takes to be president spouting-off about how things were gonna be when he was elected. Sounds alot like Romney today.
Or as President Clinton would say: "it takes some brass" to condemn someone for expressing your own position!
Romney can't get the security clearance required to have access to secuirty briefings. Off shore accounts alone prohibit him from qualifying for even a minimum clearance, and no briefings means zero information because he is not to be trusted. Off-shore accounts expose people to blackmail and indicate the level of secrecy one is striving to maintain from authorities.
For Mitt to be disqualified on such a lovely technicality as his foreign dabblings.
"I can be President, but I can't know anything. Just gimme a pen."
Why bother yourself,the GOP folks can not accept the truth even when it is right before their eyes,God help them.Repubs are an abomination to the Government ,"and the Constitution. "Mitt's tax plan,"He Pays Less Hard Working Americans Pay more"
Just remember everybody, the Republican "base" is just that - the base. It's not the entire party, nor is it the total number of people who vote for Republican candidates. The more Romney "doubles down" with easily disprovable lies and crap such as he pulled Tuesday in order to "solidify" his base, the further away he pushes those Republicans who aren't the "base".
I think it's obvious that Romney and his campaign staff are getting nervous, but I give them another two weeks before panic really sets in. Polls are showing movement, but not in his favor; one reason, I think, for what happened Tuesday. Once panic does begin to set in, though, Romney will be toast.
He'll be seen lying about one thing, and before his campaign can try to spin that lie, he'll have told three or four more. They'll never be able to catch up. That's the impression will be left to any un-aligned observers, and possibly a few Republican enablers seeing him: Romney lies! He'll be seen to be lying, as he does now, continuously and without remorse or shame.
There's even a good chance the MSM won't try to pull the old "the other side does it, too" crap. I mean, think of the ratings!
Perhaps Mr. Benen should think about copywriting "Mitt's Mendacity" now?
Here's my explanation: The Rove-iavellian Election Manipulation Machine bankrolled the film and planned its release close enough to the election so that President Obama would have an international incident to deal with that could make him look bad. They figured the Muslim protests against the film would trigger what they could call an "apology for American values," which Romney could then criticize to good effect for his polling numbers. This might explain why his campaign was so quick to get his criticism out, since it may have been prepared days, if not weeks, before the incident as part of the master plan as to how this caper was calculated to come down. (If I really wanted to go full-bore on the conspiracy theory view of this, I'd even say that the Machine leaked the video to the Muslim radicals in Libya and Egypt and told the Libyans where Ambassador Stevens would be at the time of the video's release, though I would guess the Machine didn't anticipate his being killed, only that it would make him and the president look badly - but they really wouldn't care if he were killed, because that would make the president look even worse. And, after all, what's a life or four lost when it wins you an election? But, I won't go there, even if there's a chance it might be true.) In any case, the whole thing backfired on them, and it took the Republican establishment so much by surprise that some major figures among them ended up criticizing Romney, at least for a day, until the Machine took them to the woodshed, and they came out the next day properly chastised and, contradicting themselves from the day before, sided with Romney's ignorant-but-pre-programmed position. The statement from Romney quoted in this report is clearly NOT campaign boilerplate pre-scripted for Romney but his own personal reactions to the reports of the content of the video; but he is so highly capable of compartmentalizing his thoughts that he didn't realize his personal remarks would be seen as contradicting his initial, Rove-programmed reaction to the incident. He's like a Stepford Wife - spewing out the words he's programmed to speak in a mindless fashion; though, un-Stepford-like, also having occasions when he can say what he thinks, however infrequent those occasions may be.
maybe he doesn't realize he's saying these things out loud...
Oh, Planetary Fathers and Mothers Brothers and Sisters Of Islam
God Be with You
Peace Be with You
The Merciful Love of God Be with You
Africa, and the Middle East’s city streets are in Flames Flames of Anger and Violence
Shouts and Screams, Curses and Taunts, Threats and Obscenities, Sticks and Stones Broken Glass, Guns and Bullets, Land Missiles and Bombs
Of Frustration and Destruction
Bloody Murder and Mayhem All Tools and Instruments Of Anger and Violence
Oh, Planetary Fathers and Mothers Brothers and Sisters Of Islam
God Be with You
Peace Be with You
The Merciful Love of God Be with You
Generations of bitter history Drive a wedge between Islam and the West
We cannot in Good Conscience deny it
But for the Sake and Well-being of this Generation and it’s Children - Of Future Generations and Their Children We must Embrace One Another
Islam and the West
With God’s Love, Patience, Compassion and Understanding
We must Educate Ourselves and Our Children To One Another’s Cultures and Traditions In order to lessen the stresses and strains Of MisUnderstandings and MisSteps
Oh, Planetary Fathers and Mothers Brothers and Sisters Of Islam
God Be with You
Peace Be with You
The Merciful Love of God Be with You
We are All Children of God
We should Seek within One Another Our Sage-Fathers and Sage-Mothers
Sage-Brothers and Sage-Sisters
Oh, Planetary Fathers and Mothers Brothers and Sisters Of Islam
God Be with You
Peace Be with You
The Merciful Love of God Be with You
Freedom of Speech is a Value
Which called You toward Democratic Freedom
Freedom of Speech, in all of its forms, must be Protected And Tolerated by the Peoples embracing it
Even if the Free Speech is vile, despicable, blasphemous and obscene
Whether We like, approve of, accept or reject and hate What We Hear or See
All Free Speech must be Protected and Tolerated
In order for the True Value of Free Speech to Exist
Oh, Planetary Fathers and Mothers Brothers and Sisters Of Islam
God Be with You
Peace Be with You
The Merciful Love of God Be with You
In Giving so much Attention and Energy To the Vile Film made by Hate-filled, MisGuided and Distorted Souls
And Ancient and Present Personal and Societal Rages You are possibly undoing and damaging Your Growth and Opportunities as a Democracy
Democracies depend upon Peaceful and Reasonable Communication
And the Bridges made by Mutual Respect, Understanding
And haggling Compromise and Moderation
Democracy is an ever moving, ever evolving Balancing Act
Democracy takes Time and long suffering Patience to Create
Please, Stop, Think, Reflect and Pray
Before taking to the Streets in Anger and Violence
Anger and Violence which most certainly will be Manipulated, Misdirected and Misused By Others with differing, dangerously limiting
And highly combustible Agendas
Which Benefit the Few and not the Many
Oh, Planetary Fathers and Mothers Brothers and Sisters Of Islam
God Be with You
Peace Be with You
The Merciful Love of God Be with You
Please, Seek not to Scapegoat Outsiders
For Your Uncertainties and Fears
Your lack of Jobs
Your lack of Resources
Your Poverty and Hunger
Look to your Leaders
They are in Control of what happens within Your Countries
Not Outsiders
Outsiders can merely knock at Your Door And ask for Hospitality
Ask for a Business Deal
Offer a Helping Hand to help ease Your dilemmas and discomforts
Share the Benefits and Wealth that they And Your Resources bring to your Country And to other Countries with You
Offer Education in the ways and means of Democracy
Of Freedom and Justice for All
Look to Your elected Leaders
Please, remember
We are All flawed Human Beings
We are All Children of God
Oh, Planetary Fathers and Mothers Brothers and Sisters Of Islam
God Be with You
Peace Be with You
The Merciful Love of God Be with You
All around the World there are those Who would and will Benefit from Our Cultures Going for One Another’s Throats
Out of all consuming Fear, and all consuming Hatred
And trying to Destroy One Another
They Fear the Godly Peaceful Mind, Heart and Soul
They Fear those who Seek to Know and Understand Themselves -
Know and Understand the World around them -
Know and Understand the Great, Good Love of God And the Mysteries of the Cosmos
Because such Free Thinking Minds, Hearts and Souls Are difficult to seduce, manipulate and control
Oh, Planetary Fathers and Mothers Brothers and Sisters Of Islam
God Be with You
Peace Be with you
The Love of God Be with You
Please, Liberate Yourselves from this Path of Madness, Anger and Violence
As We, in the West Pray and Work Our Way From this same Path of Madness Anger and Violence
Toward a Path of Loving Grace and Wisdom
And Cooperative Sharing and Building of New Nations New Opportunities and Potentialities
And New Ties of Understanding and Friendship
Oh, Planetary Fathers and Mothers Brothers and Sisters Of Islam
God Be with You - and with Us All
Peace Be with You - and with Us All
The Love of God Be with you - and with Us All
Blessed Be
The extremist element in the US inciting the extremist element in the Middle East. Think about it. Not only do elections but also the direction of US society turn on such variables as character moments and the slopes of lines.
Think of how bad things were at the end of the Civil War. With Lincoln removed from the picture, the man who was perhaps best suited to put humpty dumpty back together again and move us forward flew under the radar.
"Not a sign about him suggested rank or reputation or power. He discussed the most ordinary themes with apparent interest, and turned from them in the same quiet tones, and without a shade of difference in his manner, to decisions that involved the fate of armies, as if great things and small were to him of equal moment. In battle, the sphinx awoke. The outward calm was even then not entirely broken; but the utterance was prompt, the ideas were rapid, the judgment was decisive, the words were those of command. The whole man became intense, as it were, with a white heat."
Funny but it seems the description was written for President Obama.
Read more at
http://lifeamongtheordinary.blogspot.com/2012/09/flying-under-radar-part-two.html
Why is the far right wing mind not capable of nuanced and complex thinking?
Do you honestly believe that the people the in Intelligence Agencies and the State Department don't recognize that there are several levels to what's going on over there? Do the simple minded goofballs honestly think you're actually ahead of the hundreds of Middle East and arabic analysts working in the American diplomatic and security establishment?
Here's what's going on over there.
1. Most of the people demonstrating are generally upset by this film.
2. A sizable minority are using the film to stir their base. You know, much like you radical Conservatives here do when that distort facts and spew hate to stir your base. Or like when Mitt Romney falsely accused the Obama administration of apologizing for the film while the Embassy was being breached.
3. Many of the demonstrators are not just anti-American, but are also anti-Moderate. Heck, some of them are even anti-Muslim Brotherhood, or at least using the demonstrations to unseat Egypt President Morsi because they feel he is not fundamentalist or radical enough and is cooperating too much with the West, especially America.
I find the wingers here much like the radical Islamists. They live in a rigid and profoundly ideological world where facts and truths are distorted to fit their world view, are intolerant, and become hostile when exposed to the truth or even complex thought.
But what is even more disheartening is that Conservative tend to react EXACTLY the way the radical Islamist fundamentalists want the West and especially America to. The radicals use violence not only to terrorize Americans and moderate Muslims, but they it use to provoke and encourage violent reactions against them.
The Conservative mindset has the simple minded notion that if American is "strong" enough and "reacts forcefully enough" the radical Arab world would stop all their violence. This is the exact opposite of what is true. There is no better example of this than the bone-headed invasion of Iraq. After the "shock and awe" of America's overwhelming military strength, the invasion and subsequent occupation did several things:
1. it served as a recruiting tool to increase the numbers of al-Qaeda and other terrorist groups.
2. it allowed fundamental Iraqi muslims to kill, displace, or exile over a million Christians.
3. it allowed Iraq to turn from being basically a secular state to that of fundamental Islamist state with closer ties to Iran.
4. help our economic competitors to get into a stronger position in extracting oil from Iraq.
Many of the organizers of the "protests" are counting on reactions from small minded Americans to radicalize the moderate Muslims and show them, that for all the talk about American "freedom" and "tolerance," American is actually aggressively intolerant. Far from "fearing" a violent reaction from America, they welcome it. There is nothing they would like better than a few drone or Blackhawk strikes right in the middle of Cairo to help build up resentment and further radicalize moderates Islamic world.
The statements by the President and the Secretary of State are designed for two things: condemn the attacks and to reinforce what the educated and moderate Arab world already knows, that one of American values include not only freedom of speech and the tolerance of religion. Correct me if I am wrong, but although Obama correctly denounced the film as being out of step with American values, at no time did I hear Obama say, "We will find whoever made this film and bring him to justice." What I heard him say, is that "We will find who responsible for killing Americans and bring them to justice."
Meanwhile, right on cue, as if they are puppets on a string, the right wingers fall right the hands of the radical Muslims and does their bidding. In this way, I consider the statements by Romney and the reactions of other conservatives as aiding and abetting the enemies of the United States.
Why is anyone even writing about this...we all know whatever Mitt Rob Me says will be changed according to the beliefs of the rich majority. NOT the majority, because that includes US... He's a flip-flopper, buttkissing loser that will get in office and cater to the elite and big businesses that put him in the White House....in the meantime, our kids will go to more wars and die.... I'm writing in RON PAUL!!! (Romney supporters will start calling me names in three...two...one...)
Ranchgs!
Ron Paul is not on the ballot as a 2012 candidate choice! President Obama continues to work to end our wars and bring our loved ones home! Rest and heal our nation.
President Obama is asking you for your vote. Will you support his work? You, your family, and friends:
Vote! A Full Democrat Ticket 2012. Change goes viral!
By the numbers: 'Are you better off?' (from CNN.com)
By Caitlin Stark, CNN Library - updated 3:57 PM EDT, Thu September 13, 2012
http://www.cnn.com/2012/09/13/politics/btn-are-you-better-off/index.html?hpt=po_t1
9.4 million -- Number of people unemployed in August 2008.
12.6 million -- Number of people unemployed in August 2012.
6.1% - U.S. unemployment rate in August 2008.
8.1% - U.S. unemployment rate in August 2012.
3.4 million -- Number of job openings in the U.S. as of July 31, 2008.
1.6 million -- Number of long-term unemployed (jobless for 27 weeks or more) as of August 2008.
5 million -- Number of long-term unemployed (jobless for 27 weeks or more) as of August 2012.
6.1% - U.S. unemployment rate in August 2008.
8.1% - U.S. unemployment rate in August 2012.
3.4 million -- Number of job openings in the U.S. as of July 31, 2008.
3.7 million -- Number of job openings in the U.S. as of July 31, 2012.
1.6 million -- Number of long-term unemployed (jobless for 27 weeks or more) as of August 2008.
5 million -- Number of long-term unemployed (jobless for 27 weeks or more) as of August 2012.
Federal Reserve plans more stimulus
Another round of Stimulus won't create jobs
Above data came from CNN? It can't be reliable, right? They're not FOX news.
As is usual someone has to follow...republicans around the blogs ironing out "wrinkles". Here are the straightened out implications:
So an angry crowd is gathering around the compound enraged about the film. What are they supposed to say? We support the right to make films like this and if you Muslims don't like it you can shove it? They were trying to save their lives. What would Mitt do if he was there? Oh, I forgot his magic underwear would have saved him.
I say again, Mitt and his campaign staff are idiots.
The problem with being a liar in the public eye is that you have to be able to keep track of what you've lied about. If you don't, the media will do it for you.
Hence the exposure of the 616 lies that Rhombus has told in the past eight months. (http://www.addictinginfo.org/2012/09/08/mitt-romney-616-lies-in-33-weeks/)