New York Times: “An extraordinary lack of presidential character”
Washington Post: “A discredit to his campaign”
Los Angeles Times: “An outrageous exercise in opportunism.”
Boston Globe: “His statement was offensive on many other levels…Romney’s actions raise more doubts about himself than Obama.”
Philadelphia Inquirer: “Mitt Romney didn’t wait for expert assessments to use the four diplomats’ deaths to launch his own verbal assault.”
Miami Herald: “Profoundly inappropriate”
Tampa Bay Times: “The Republican nominee continued to exploit the situation”
Ft. Lauderdale Sun Sentinel: “Irresponsible. And totally unwarranted.”
Sarasota Herald-Tribune: “Prematurely lobbed off-base criticism”
Cleveland Plain Dealer: “Mitt Romney’s trigger finger was so quick that he didn’t even get it right”
Akron Beacon Journal: “Unfortunately, Mitt Romney chose to ignore the distinction.”
Boulder Daily Camera: “For someone whose campaign has been studded with tone-deafness abroad, this was stunning, undiplomatic and undemocratic rhetoric.”
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: “Yes, it was sad and pathetic to see such callous and uninformed statements from politicians who couldn’t wait until they had the facts to use an international incident for political gain.”
But it sure was a big hit in Bizarroworld:
Ann Coulter: Obama’s Actions “Led To Our Ambassador Being Killed” In Libya
Fox’s Steve Doocy: The U.S. Embassy In Cairo Was Essentially “Apologizing To Al Qaeda”
Fox’s Ralph Peters On Libya Attack: “They Kill Four Of Ours, You Kill 400 Of Theirs”
Bolling Hypes Myth To Politicize Embassy Violence, Claiming Obama “Apologized For Our Reaction To 9/11”
Limbaugh’s Conspiracy Theory: Al Qaeda “Gave Up Osama Bin Laden” To Make “Obama Look Good”
Rush Limbaugh: “Obama Gave Us The Arab Spring, Which Has Turned Into What Happened Yesterday”
Pat Robertson On Embassy Attack: “You Wonder What It Is In These Muslims That Causes Them To Go Crazy”
If you watched Fox at all today you would have learned that we are under attack and that Obama is ignoring the fact that “the Arab street” is enflamed and ready to come kill us all in our beds, replete with endless loops of American flags being burned and tinny, constantly interrupted dispatches from reporters in the field. None of the other networks were doing this, not even CNN whose bread and butter is just such reporting.
I suppose it’s possible that FOX is way out ahead on this story, but let’s just say it’s doubtful. Certainly the commentary that accompanies their images on the screen bears no relationship to reality. Anyone who watched Fox News is under the impression that America is under siege and that we should expect another terrorist attack imminently. It’s kind of like those fundamentalist preachers who are always predicting Armageddon.