CNN’s Candy Crowley: Mitt Romney ‘right in the main’ about Libya
The most dramatic moment in Tuesday night’s debate between President Barack Obama and Republican challenger Mitt Romney came during a heated discussion of Libya, when moderator Candy Crowley of CNN intervened and became a third voice in the contest.
Here’s the transcript, courtesy of Politico.com:
ROMNEY: I — I think interesting the president just said something which — which is that on the day after the attack he went into the Rose Garden and said that this was an act of terror.
OBAMA: That’s what I said.
ROMNEY: You said in the Rose Garden the day after the attack, it was an act of terror.
It was not a spontaneous demonstration, is that what you’re saying?
OBAMA: Please proceed governor.
ROMNEY: I want to make sure we get that for the record because it took the president 14 days before he called the attack in Benghazi an act of terror.
OBAMA: Get the transcript.
CROWLEY: It — it — it — he did in fact, sir. So let me — let me call it an act of terror…
OBAMA: Can you say that a little louder, Candy?
CROWLEY: He — he did call it an act of terror. It did as well take — it did as well take two weeks or so for the whole idea there being a riot out there about this tape to come out. You are correct about that.
Soon after the debate was over, Crowley’s colleagues at CNN questioned her about the exchange:
Said Crowley:
”I knew the president had said ‘These acts of terror won’t stand,’ or whatever the whole quote was. Right after that, I did turn around and said [to Romney], ‘But you were totally correct that they spent two weeks telling us that this was about a tape, and that there was a riot outside the Benghazi complex, which there wasn’t.’
“So [Romney] was right in the main. I just think he picked the wrong word.”
Republicans this morning are pointing to these paragraphs from a Sept. 20 report on the CNN website:
The White House, for the first time Thursday, declared the attack that killed Stevens and three other people a terrorist attack.
“It is, I think, self-evident that what happened in Benghazi was a terrorist attack,” said White House spokesman Jay Carney, speaking to reporters on Air Force One.
Here’s what Obama said in the Rose Garden the day after he learned that J. Christopher Stevens, the U.S. ambassador to Libya, and three other diplomatic personnel had been killed:
“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 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.”
- By Jim Galloway, Political Insider
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536 comments Add your comment
JL
October 17th, 2012
10:37 am
Huh??? In the Rose Garden the day after the attack, did the president say it was an act of terror? Did he say No acts of terror will ever shake the resolve of this great nation, alter that character, or eclipse the light of the values that we stand for?
Are you that blind????
HUH?????
October 17th, 2012
10:37 am
“Yes your boy , Mitt Romney , is so indecisive , unprincipled , & wishy washy that he is going to lose to the black sheriff from Blazing Saddles .”
If you believe that then I have some swamp land at the North Pole to sell you.
Liberal BS
October 17th, 2012
10:37 am
Tim what you smoking..more lies?
Tim
October 17th, 2012
10:38 am
mittens and his side kick bat boy have stated they want to cut the VA by thirty percent.Mittens went to France while I went to Vietnam with the Marines.
HUH?????
October 17th, 2012
10:38 am
“n the Rose Garden the day after the attack, did the president say it was an act of terror? ”
No he didn’t. He did not call it a terrorist attack. He blamed the video.
“No acts of terror will ever shake the resolve of this great nation, alter that character, or eclipse the light of the values that we stand for?”
He did not call it a terrorist attack.
“Are you that blind????
No, I’m just informed, ma’am.
Tim
October 17th, 2012
10:39 am
no just serving our country while republicans like yoiu decide to cut VA by thirty percent
HUH?????
October 17th, 2012
10:39 am
“mittens and his side kick bat boy have stated they want to cut the VA by thirty percent.”
Prove it.
HUH?????
October 17th, 2012
10:39 am
“no just serving our country while republicans like yoiu decide to cut VA by thirty percent”
Please quit while you’re behind.
ajc blogger
October 17th, 2012
10:40 am
just admit Mittens lost this round and move on, that is what President Obama did. Regroup and be better prepared next time. Mittens bullying routine did not work and everyone is mad because he was called to the carpet for one of his lies.
JeffyX
October 17th, 2012
10:40 am
This entire conversation string is an embarrassment – especially to the AJC, but also to the people here demonstrating how small their lives really are. Grow up, people. Learn to moderate your blogs, AJC.
HUH?????
October 17th, 2012
10:40 am
Speaking at the opening of the United Nations General Assembly Tuesday, President Obama portrayed the deaths of four Americans in Libya as a result of inflamed tensions over an anti-Islam movie produced in the U.S., rather than a terrorist attack.
Read more: http://times247.com/articles/obama-again-pins-libya-blame-on-video-at-u-n#ixzz29ZFV7Q6V
Alberto Dent
October 17th, 2012
10:41 am
Everyone knows it was an “act of terror.” The key question is whether the President of the US understood that it was caused by an organized effort or a spontaneous reaction to a film. Based on context and subsequent communications, it is reasonable to conclude that Obama and his reps felt it was caused by reaction to a film for weeks. Crowley’s naive confirmation masked the point that the Obama admin either doesn’t understand the nature of our enemy or purposely tried to downplay it.
I feel Crowley showed that she was naive or in the pocket of Obama.
HUH?????
October 17th, 2012
10:41 am
“This entire conversation string is an embarrassment – especially to the AJC”
They do a great job at embarrassing themselves.
“Learn to moderate your blogs, AJC.”
Poor baby.
HUH?????
October 17th, 2012
10:42 am
Tim
Why do you support baby killing?
Abc
October 17th, 2012
10:42 am
Crowley is biased. We knew that going in.
Tim
October 17th, 2012
10:42 am
you republicans like to deride our servicemen don’t you? It doesnt matter to you what happens to our servicemen after they come home .The republican party and their greed is on display .They would rather give tax cuts to millionaires and their private jets than help Vets that have been fighting for the country
HUH?????
October 17th, 2012
10:43 am
Stay classy libs.
Threats to Assassinate Romney Explode After Debate
http://www.infowars.com/threats-to-assassinate-romney-explode-after-debate/
HUH?????
October 17th, 2012
10:43 am
Tim
Why does Obama want to keep vets from voting?
Partisay
October 17th, 2012
10:44 am
That’s what I thought. More lies. This what you said
“The average unemployment rate under Bush was 4.6%.”
The statement above is a copy and paste of what you posted. You did not say in 2006. And then you want to make comments like “I don’t and never said that. You should take remedial english. All I said was unemployment was at 4.6% under Bush which it was in 2006. If you can read and do simple math then you’d know that that is lower than 8%
So let’s see. You say “all I said was unemployment was at 4.6% under Bush which it was in 2006”. And you also say “I did and you can’t read” with regards to me saying you didn’t state that was the average for JUST 2006. Give me the time of the post when you said the 4.6 was JUST for 2006.
Waiting….
Lisa D
October 17th, 2012
10:44 am
“When you turn 65, promise us that you won’t use Medicare or Social Security. ” – I’m 54 right now and I highly doubt that Social Security will be around in 11 years. But if it is, yes I will collect it because I PAID INTO IT through every job I’ve held. I’m not depending on it and I’m trying to put away for my own retirement but the economy is so bad it is difficult. Obama was not qualified to be president and has done a poor job the last 4 years and we can’t afford 4 more of the same. We need Congress to get off their fat rears and cut spending and show leadership on both sides of the aisle. This election is not about social issues, it is about who can lead our country out of the mess we are in and I’m sorry but Obama is not the one to do that. I am an independent and I’m voting for Romney.
Tim
October 17th, 2012
10:46 am
I do not support baby killing but you don’t support our servicemen who went overseas and fought for this country.You don’t support them by cutting the Va budget by thirty percent .
HUH?????
October 17th, 2012
10:47 am
“The statement above is a copy and paste of what you posted. You did not say in 2006. And then you want to make comments like “I don’t and never said that. You should take remedial english. All I said was unemployment was at 4.6% under Bush which it was in 2006. If you can read and do simple math then you’d know that that is lower than 8%”
Not my fault if you have reading comprehension issues.
HUH?????
October 17th, 2012
10:48 am
“I do not support baby killing”
You voted for Obama, yes? Obama and the democrats support abortion which is baby killing so you support baby killing.
“you don’t support our servicemen who went overseas and fought for this country.”
And you know this how?
“You don’t support them by cutting the Va budget by thirty percent .
Huh, I had no idea I had the power to cut funding.
HUH?????
October 17th, 2012
10:48 am
So the Democrat talking point is that this is not a terrorist attack in spite of the fact that subsequently several Democrats including the president eventually called it a “terrorist attack” after having lied about it for three weeks calling it a spontaneous demonstration that got out of hand. Now Jay is saying it was really an act of war to which we have not responded! I am confused. The Democrats still to this day nearly a month later have no clue as to what happened and they had a representive of their State Department on the phone during the attack getting a live report that it was not repeat no a spontaneous demonstration that go out of control. The Administration “COVER UP” began immediately. Too bad their response to preventing it wasn’t nearly as swift as their lying spin. It is clear one of two things happened. Either this administration is still lying or it is incompetent. For goodness sakes this was not the first attack on our embassy in Libya. There were two attacks on our embassy in June and our ambassador was so concerned he asked for additional security which was turned down by the Obama administration. Meanwhile, the “COVER UP” continues. Part of their “COVER UP” is manifested in their appointing a commission to study what happened! Can anyone remember a government commission who ever accomplished anything except waste our money. If Obama were in charge of the Atlanta Police Department, every time a murder happened he would appoint a commission to study it. Comeon people, wake up. Four of our fellow citizens are dead as a direct result of the inaction of this administration no matter what word the left would prefer to use to describe it, terrorist, war, riot, or stupidity. The administation was caught with its pants down and it and its friends in the media are doing everything they can to hide the truth from we the american people.
JL
October 17th, 2012
10:49 am
OK, Huh. Point out where in that Rose Garden speech the president ever mentioned the video. Go ahead, Mr. Informed. You just made a statement, so back it up. Where did he mention anything about the video in that speech???
ANGRY AS HELL
October 17th, 2012
10:49 am
HUH????? Your hero, Mitt, managed to get himself a draft deferment then went out and protested that the War in Vietnam was a GOOD thing. He sat out the war in Paris, while the rest of us suckers served during that time. A Real brave guy. Looks like Daddy took care of Mitt so he wouldn’t have to get down with the lower classes of Americans who got killed and wounded. And of course we all know how much the service men and women serving in Afghanistan meant to him at the RNC when not one word was mentioned by him or the rest of your Republican heroes about them. Does that make you proud? HUH??????
Tim
October 17th, 2012
10:50 am
if you vote for mittens then you can count on your social security and medicare to go away.Medicare/medicad will be unsolvent by 2016 if mittens has his way.ACA reinvested seven hundred billion in medicrae and it will be solvent thru 2026.If your boy mittens gets in it wlil be gone by 2016.
HUH?????
October 17th, 2012
10:51 am
” Point out where in that Rose Garden speech the president ever mentioned the video. ”
LOL!!!!! How about Letterman Show, UN speech, eulogy…
“Where did he mention anything about the video in that speech???”
He mentioned it for an entire month, ma’am.
Vet
October 17th, 2012
10:51 am
I’m a 68 year old vet Tim and Romney’s party will not cut vet benefits..another lie Tim. Obama’s Senate did spend 350 million on liberal Arts and snake reseach. Only 20 million on Wounded Warrior Projects. There will be no 30% cut by Romney..bet on it.
HUH?????
October 17th, 2012
10:52 am
ANGRY AS HELL
Go cry a river to your psychiatrist.
Tim
October 17th, 2012
10:52 am
hey huh go f*&^ your self and while your at it go do something for the country like joining the service and doing something besides running your mouth.You are a coward.
HUH?????
October 17th, 2012
10:53 am
“if you vote for mittens then you can count on your social security and medicare to go away.”
Since I won’t be on either for another 30 years, I DON”T REALLY CARE. They won’t be there when I retire.
“Medicare/medicad will be unsolvent by 2016 if mittens has his way.”
You can thank Obamacare for that one.
HUH?????
October 17th, 2012
10:54 am
“hey huh go f*&^ your self”
Awe, tiny tim is upset.
“You are a coward.”
Poor baby.
Hey, I’m still waiting for you to post ANY evidence of your lies, ma’am.
JL
October 17th, 2012
10:54 am
In the Rose Garden speech, Mt. Informed. Stay on point, if you can. Where in the Rose Garden speech did Obama mention the video??? I do know where he called the attack an act of terror. Now show me where, in that speech, he mentions the video. Focus, please. Focus.
Tim
October 17th, 2012
10:55 am
Go look it up. I did and you will see that its part of their platform.You republicans are so out of touch its pathetic.They are going to cut VA by seventy six billion dollars.Get off you butt and do some research.
HUH?????
October 17th, 2012
10:56 am
JL
It’s hilarious that you’re focused on the Rose Garden yet you totally ignore an entire month of Obozo and his administrations speeches about it being about the video.
Obama blames the video in his UN speech
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BfiUQASpVdc
Tim
October 17th, 2012
10:56 am
No HUH you are a coward and all you can do is hide behind your internet
HUH?????
October 17th, 2012
10:56 am
“Where in the Rose Garden speech did Obama mention the video???”
HAHAHAHAHA!!!!! You aren’t smart are you?
HUH?????
October 17th, 2012
10:57 am
“Go look it up.”
Nope, you made the claim so back it up, tiny tim.
“They are going to cut VA by seventy six billion dollars.Get off you butt and do some research.
How about you stop making stuff up, ma’am.
“No HUH you are a coward and all you can do is hide behind your internet”
Pot meet kettle.
ANGRY AS HELL
October 17th, 2012
10:58 am
HUH???? No response to the history of Mitt’s military service? What branch of the service did you serve in? What years? Or are you just another tough talking “Chicken Hawk” ? HUH?????
HUH?????
October 17th, 2012
10:58 am
JL
The fact that you keep talking about that Rose Garden speech is hilarious. He said “act of terrorism” but never called it a terrorist attack. He blamed the video for an entire month.
Do you really want to argue that, ma’am?
JL
October 17th, 2012
11:00 am
Huh, the exchange between the two last night was entirely about the Rose Garden speech, Romney saying the president did not call it an act of terror until two weeks later, Obama saying he called it that the next day. The Rose Garden speech does, in fact, call it an act of terror. So, Romney was either lying or badly misinformed. There is no third option.
HUH?????
October 17th, 2012
11:00 am
“No response to the history of Mitt’s military service?
Nope, because it doesn’t matter. I’m not voting for a guy because of his lack of military service.
“What branch of the service did you serve in? ”
Why, so you can attack me? No thanks, ma’am.
” Or are you just another tough talking “Chicken Hawk” ?”
Looks like we have ourselves another angry left wing baby.
BTW, someones military service isn’t the debate topic. If so, Biden and Obozo would be ridiculed. As would Clinton.
CrowleySupportsObama
October 17th, 2012
11:00 am
The worst part about Crowley jumping in and siding with Obama is that by doing so she ignited a flurry of clapping, as if she was putting Romney in his place. And the audience clapped twice during that exchange..and the clapping was clearly for Obama and against Romney. A moderator’s job is not to jump in and fact-check candidates’ statements on-the-spot, particularly when he or she cannot do so equally. And it turns out Crowley was just as wrong as Obama! Crowley very clearly participated in misinforming the public. Even though she did say something to the effect of, “Yes, you’re right about that…” to Romney, it was muttered as an afterthought, and the room was in the process of clapping at the time, so the main result of that exchange (that Romney was correct and Obama was wrong) was not conveyed. Perhaps Romney should have asked Crowley to speak up and to repeat what she had said about Romney being correct after the room had settled.
Vet
October 17th, 2012
11:01 am
I was in Nam but you must have been shot in the head..where you getting all these lies. Thank God you made it home and stop watching the liberal media.
USA
October 17th, 2012
11:01 am
Crowley was completely in her rights to correct Romney, since clearly she was at the Rose Garden speech and Romney was not. If the candidates can continually push her, she can damn well speak up herself.
People like Huh need to reach out, grab something stable and get a firm grip on reality. Obama called it an act of terrorism at the Rose Garden, and then for weeks the State Department tried to get the facts right. This is no more grand conspiracy than Romney getting it wrong the first night of the attack. It is sad to watch the GOP flail around like this instead of talking about points of actual merit.
Romney lied several times during the debate. Especially his favorite stump line about Obama’s apology tour – which never actually happened. Many of his numbers are orders of magnitude wrong, and several of his arguments supported by nothing by straw men. But the GOP will spend all their energy today beating their chest angrily because their guy got upstaged at a moment they thought was theirs for the debate.
HUH?????
October 17th, 2012
11:02 am
“the exchange between the two last night was entirely about the Rose Garden speech, Romney saying the president did not call it an act of terror until two weeks later, Obama saying he called it that the next day.
The entire debate was not about the speech, ma’am.
“call it an act of terror.”
He didn’t call it terrorism. He then went on to give speeches blaming a video.
“So, Romney was either lying or badly misinformed. ”
Neither because the facts speak for themselves. Not my problem if you can’t handle the truth.
jconservative
October 17th, 2012
11:02 am
I had thought that with the worse economy in 80 years, the highest unemployment in decades, the largest deficits in history, that the Obama presidency would end on 1/20/2013. But 20 days from election day the race is essentially tied (Real Clear Politics Poll Averages gives Romney a 0.3 point edge). I find it astounding that Romney does not enjoy a double digit lead at this point.
HUH?????
October 17th, 2012
11:03 am
“Crowley was completely in her rights to correct Romney”
WROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONG!!!!!! The job of the moderator is not to play fact checker and carry the water for a candidate. She admitted that Romney was right…after the debate was over.
Tim
October 17th, 2012
11:03 am
For anyone reading this HuH is a coward who thinks Marines are little girls.Huh is a person who likes to take things but they think its OK not to give back.Huh is a person who hides behind his internet persona and as usual is probably just some young person who hasn’t a clue about life as most folks know it.Huh probably had parents who coddled him as he grew up and always bailed him or her out whenever they got in trouble.Huh was handed the keys to the car and has never had to do real work in his life.He would never join the service as that would be against his morals.His morals being that he does nothing for anyone except himself .Greed is his monicker.