Posted on 09/12/2012 4:00:50 PM PDT by Red Steel
The Wall Street Journal’s Peggy Noonan is criticizing Mitt Romney’s response to the death of a U.S. diplomat in Libya, telling Fox News today she doesn’t feel that the Republican presidential nominee “has been doing himself any favors” in the past few hours.
“I was thinking as he spoke, I think I belong to the old school of thinking that in times of great drama and heightened crisis, and in times when something violent has happened to your people, I always think discretion is the better way to go,” Noonan said. “When you step forward in the midst of a political environment and start giving statements on something dramatic and violent that has happened, you're always leaving yourself open to accusations that you are trying to exploit things politically.”
In a statement last night, Romney slammed the Obama administration for sympathizing "with those who waged the attacks" rather than condemning the attacks outright. Romney doubled-down on that attack today during a press conference, telling reporters the statement was “akin to apology" and that it was “disgraceful to apologize for American values.”
But Romney's effort to politicize the violence in Libya was met with blowback not just from the Obama administration but from the media. "[Romney's] doubling down on criticism... is likely to be seen as one of the most craven and ill-advised tactical moves in this entire campaign," Time magazine's Mark Halperin wrote on his blog.
Noonan's criticism delivers a harder blow, however, coming as it does from high within the ranks of the conservative establishment. Indeed, it is just the latest in a string of criticisms Romney has faced from the right's most influential media outlets in recent days, including The Wall Street Journal editorial page and the Weekly Standard.
“I don't feel that Mr. Romney has been doing himself any favors, say in the past few hours, perhaps since last night,” Noonan told Fox News. “Sometimes when really bad things happen, when hot things happen, cool words or no words is the way to go.”
Shut the hell up, Peggy. No one listens to you any longer.
What the hell are you talking about?
Hey, Noonan - Think Reagan would have been cautious about condemning this act of war?
If Reagan were alive today - he’d tell YOU where the bear does his doody - and sit you down in it
But he’s been screwed by the timing.
If I’ve got it straight, here’s the actual order of events: 1) U.S. diplomats in Cairo shamefully apologize more or less preemptively for private U.S. citizens exercising their First Amendment rights in a way that “hurts the religious feelings” of Muslims. 2) “Protests” intensify into attacks on embassy in Cairo and consulate in Benghazi. 3) Romney calls Cairo embassy response disgraceful. 4) Reports of murders of Americans in Benghazi confirmed. 5) Obama administration disavows Cairo embassy line. 6) Obama campaign flack LaBolt shames Romney for politicizing murders.
But the instant narrative from the media is that Romney “jumped the gun,” that he has used the death of Americans as a campaign prop and broken the sacred rule that “politics stops at the water’s edge.” Except that’s not what happened at all. Cairo jumped the gun on its controllers in Washington, and by the time Cairo’s disgraceful response filtered out into the media ether it was being rendered more disgraceful still by the violent turn the protests took, and Romney rightly condemned it as disgraceful. The Obama administration then caught up to Romney and muzzled Cairo. So how is Romney the one with the bad messaging here?”
www.hillaryis44.com
and he did get a fair trial and executed within hours. I love a happy ending to True Romance Real Life situations <;
I can’t agree. Romney said what needed to be said.
America is CRYING for leadership.
That old bat Peggy Noonan should just dry up and blow away, with the autumn leaves.
FOX is really scraping the bottom of the barrel these days.
Old, fat and comfortable. Hasn’t had to work a day in years.
I would like to say to Miss Noonan what my grandfather once said to Eleanor Roosevelt: “Go sh*t in your hat!”
Noonan is correct (hate to write that).
RINOmney is supposed to be in a campaign against OBAMA, not the Middle East. His critique of OBAMA was lame.
He had the opportunity to tie current events to OBAMA and beat the tar out of him. He had the opportunity to
show show how events unfolding today are a direct consequence of OBAMA’S actions in bowing and groveling before
our enemies.
He needs to watch the film of Reagan beating the tar out of Carter by showing the reality of events and tying
them to Carter.
Wake up, Noonan. I have no more time to waste on your beltway induced coma.
I hope that in future statements he dumps all over the insanity of the Arab Spring
It has had the same results as Carter dumping the Shah
Noonan IS a dunce.
So Peggy, we have a choice between a three point plan or a “seat of the pants” no plan. I’ll take 3!!!
The thousand points of light have gone out on Peggy No-one.
Noonan is another Liberal PhonyCon. She might as well join the DNC
She’s about as heavy as that Brit cousin of hers Peter Noone!
There you go again Peggy... Abusing the First Amendment again.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.