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
Ellen
October 17th, 2012
2:03 pm
Maybe if Mitt Romney wasn’t so keen on splitting hairs over semantics and more interested in seniors, women, students, veterans, teachers, policemen and regular people, then this wouldn’t be an issue.
But Mitt wanted to pick a fight instead of crafting a real policy. So he deserves to look like an a**.
Kim
October 17th, 2012
2:03 pm
Stop ALL the hating on President Obama!!! Just admitted that he wore Mitt (MItten) Romney out!!! The only thing the Mitt could do was to be rude and butt into conservation and use most of his time talking about previous comments!!!! Mitt is NOT going to do anything better to help this economy either, please don’t forget that this started in the Bush Administration, he being President Obama had to come in a do his best to fix a lot of mess that was left for him!!!! Now Huh that!
MUSTANG100
October 17th, 2012
2:04 pm
It’s all about the economy and 5+ trillion in new debt since 1/20/2009. Good luck with that Liberal adolescent high school personality contest.
Kim
October 17th, 2012
2:04 pm
the word should be ADMIT he wore Mitt out
Butter Butt
October 17th, 2012
2:04 pm
Odumba for class clown.
ItsGumbyD**nIt
October 17th, 2012
2:05 pm
UGA89
October 17th, 2012
1:28 pm
OBAMA 2012!!!
When did Georgia become a State of rich people? In four years, all of you will be complaining Romney isn’t helping the middle class and that you are in worse shape.
I don’t know where I’ll be in four years if Romney is president, but I do know the last four under Obama has been horrible…and that’s a fact for millions of people.
mike
October 17th, 2012
2:05 pm
Funny how the President gets blamed for a lack of security in Libya. As a vet, I know and understand who is responsible and it is not the office of the President. Heck Bush should be held responsible for all the deaths and injuries of American soldiers he sent into combat based solely on a big fat lie. And the Vet is right. I like watching folks try to make this race into something other than what the President looks like.
Enough Already
October 17th, 2012
2:06 pm
I kind of want Romney to win so that,after four years of him royally screwing up even worse (as is likely to be the case), it may finally shut up the extreme right……but I guess you can’t shut up stupid. Clinton said it best…”no President can fix in four years what damage was done the prior 8″.
HUH?????
October 17th, 2012
2:06 pm
“Stop ALL the hating on President Obama!!! ”
Make us.
Gail
October 17th, 2012
2:06 pm
HUH??????????, you must not have a job, you have too much time on your hands.
HUH?????
October 17th, 2012
2:07 pm
“Funny how the President gets blamed for a lack of security in Libya. ”
He gets blamed for lying. Lack of security is just icing on the cake.
“I like watching folks try to make this race into something other than what the President looks like.”
Yeah, that’s it.
HUH?????
October 17th, 2012
2:08 pm
“you must not have a job, you have too much time on your hands.”
Pot meet kettle.
HUH?????
October 17th, 2012
2:10 pm
HAHAHAHA
From Yahoonews: Obama wins the second debate. Too bad it’s not the one that mattered.
dave
October 17th, 2012
2:10 pm
Every piece written in the AJC or on the web site must go through conservative censors before it gets published I guess. What a bunch of BS to turn this into a big deal. Candy Crowley was just doing her job and I’m glad someone had the guts to call Romney out on all his lies and BS.
Romney got away with murder in that first debate, changing all of his positions to suddenly and magically appear as a moderate and it’s a shame that most people just ate it up without questioning why Romney was suddenly pandering to Americans to appear as a moderate instead of the extremist that he is.
Romney needs to be held accountable for all his lies. It’s clear by his answer that he was swayed by the conservative propaganda on FOX Noise instead of actually being up to date on the facts. Pretty scary for someone to be that ignorant running for president. He has no business running for president. What an epic embarrassment.
HUH?????
October 17th, 2012
2:11 pm
“Romney got away with murder”
And I stopped reading that mindless rant. Hey, if you want murder look at FAST AND FURIOUS.
filtered78
October 17th, 2012
2:13 pm
Candy Crowley was a blatantly biased moderator. Anyone who suggests otherwise is either uneducated or an Obama surrogate. She really earned those VIP passes to next year’s WH Correspondents Dinner.
UPGRAYEDD
October 17th, 2012
2:13 pm
Cast my vote for Obama today. Could care less what the rest of you do.
Chris White
October 17th, 2012
2:14 pm
Ford didn’t take the bailout and is performing better than GM…
Solyndra is bankrupt after receiving stimulus money…
A123 Systems filed for bankruptcy after receiving stimulus money…
We want to re-elect a president who can’t do enough due diligence to prevent this? I will not be voting for Mr. Obama, he never had to balance a budget at any level, personal or professional, period. Mr. Romney grew how many companies by his own private capital and management. nuff said!!!!!!!!!
UPGRAYEDD
October 17th, 2012
2:14 pm
Couldn’t care less, that is.
HUH?????
October 17th, 2012
2:16 pm
“Cast my vote for Obama today. Could care less what the rest of you do.”
Thanks for wanting to ruin the country even more, ma’am.
SBinF
October 17th, 2012
2:16 pm
GOP folk complaining about the moderator. I guess that’s the closest we’ll get to a concession that Mitt sucked last night. Not that he was great in the first debate, he simply spouted his lies with more conviction.
ItsGumbyD**nIt
October 17th, 2012
2:17 pm
Kim
October 17th, 2012
2:03 pm
Stop ALL the hating on President Obama!!! Just admitted that he wore Mitt (MItten) Romney out!!! The only thing the Mitt could do was to be rude and butt into conservation and use most of his time talking about previous comments!!!! Mitt is NOT going to do anything better to help this economy either, please don’t forget that this started in the Bush Administration, he being President Obama had to come in a do his best to fix a lot of mess that was left for him!!!! Now Huh that!
Hahahahahahahahahahahahaha!!!!!!!! Leaders don’t blame…leaders lead! This president has lacked leadership from day one. So much proof of that, where to begin?
aerinjl
October 17th, 2012
2:18 pm
So much trolling. Such a lack of intelligent, thoughtful, or reasoned debate. Isn’t the lack of ‘truth’ and ‘facts’ coupled with the excess of personal attacks during the debate and the entire campaigning process enough? Why do we have to continue it here? We’re doing exactly what we complain about the candidate doing!
Conservatives Fire Back on Obama Debate Claim | Washington Free Beacon
October 17th, 2012
2:20 pm
[...] Gov. Mitt Romney pressed Obama on the matter before being interrupted by moderator Candy Crowley—who later admitted that she was wrong to affirm Obama’s claim, saying that Romney was “right in the main.” [...]
HUH?????
October 17th, 2012
2:20 pm
“GOP folk complaining about the moderator.”
If fatty scolded Obozo or told him that he was wrong then you’d be crying like a little baby.
Vote4Mitt
October 17th, 2012
2:20 pm
Another Romney win last night simply because the President cannot defend a failed record of tax and spend big government policies that have lead to $5 trillion deficits, 23 million people struggling for work, 48 million people on food stamps (that’s about 16 million more than when he took office), the largest tax increase in American history, harmful regulations that strangle the American economy, and policies that don’t make America the most attractive place to do business.
@ HUH????? If you can’t speak with out such ignorancy. Please shut up!!!!!!!!!!!!
Partisay
October 17th, 2012
2:22 pm
Which is why I keep calling out your lies.
BTW, you never answered one single question that I asked you. I wonder why?
_________________________________________________________________________
Since you didn’t respond the first time I asked you, I’ll ask you again. What ‘lies” have you called out on me? And what question did you ask me that i failed to answer?
sean
October 17th, 2012
2:22 pm
I find it laughable that the media gave Romney a win in that first debate. Romney came off as a huge bully and a raving lunatic that tried to bully both Jim Lehrer and Obama. It’s pathetic that the media didn’t call Romney out on his bullying tactics or that fact he magically changed all of his positions to suddenly appear as a moderate Republican.
But I expect nothing less from the media which is either controlled by or bullied by Republicans. All the networks are running scared from the Republicans instead of calling out Romney for the bullying, Etch A Sketch person he actually is.
HUH?????
October 17th, 2012
2:23 pm
“If you can’t speak with out such ignorancy. Please shut up!!!!!!!!!!!!”
Please speak english and make me shut up.
Adam
October 17th, 2012
2:25 pm
ByteMe
October 17th, 2012
8:43 am
“It wasn’t an act of terror. It was an assassination attempt. An act of terror requires that people be afraid. I’m not afraid of a bunch of dead-enders on the other side of the world.”
So I guess the request for tightened security and a heightened military presence in and around the embassy in Benghazi doesn’t count as Ambassador Stevens having a legitimate fear for his own life and the lives of his staff members? SMH…
DONNAN OF A NEW ERA
October 17th, 2012
2:25 pm
@Partisay
STHU. Your ramblings are getting old and its been going on all day. Just drop it and grow up.
As far as Crowley goes, she’s an Obama supporter. The fact that libs won’t even acknowledge this fact is laughable. Obama can not defend his record and that is why Romney is winning with voters. People are sick and tired of Obama and his lying. The economy is in the crapper and Obama is still blaming everyone else for his own record.
UPGRAYEDD
October 17th, 2012
2:25 pm
HUH????
What an apt name.
Ruin the country more? Sorry, chump, but unlike the hordes of conservative trolls on this blog, I remember the years 2000-2008 vividly. America couldn’t WAIT to oust Republicans from office after that debacle. Why would we want to return to the same, failed policies?
Obama has done the most he could with the hand he was dealt. I shudder to imagine what this country would look like today had Palin’s crew taken over.
ramblingbuzz
October 17th, 2012
2:26 pm
The amazing thing to me is how people can get so fired up over 2 guys when it’s not going to make a doggone bit of difference which one of them gets elected. Depending on your preference in the candidates, you may feel better with one or the other in office, but you might as well flip a coin when it comes to either one of them really making a difference.
DONNAN OF A NEW ERA
October 17th, 2012
2:27 pm
BTW, even Jay Bookman, the AJC Thomas Friedman wannabe, admits that Obama is way down in the polls. He’s hoping that last night will propel Obama over the top like it did with Romney but the problem is Obama didn’t say or do anything to make voters want to vote for him.
DONNAN OF A NEW ERA
October 17th, 2012
2:28 pm
UPGRAYEDD
Hate to break it to you but most folks would gladly welcome Bush back. Obama has a record and it will be his downfall.
Remember, it’s the economy stupid. Not calling you stupid.
Partisay
October 17th, 2012
2:28 pm
DONNAN – If you don’t like my rambllings then don’t read them. Just skip right over them. AndHUH???’’s ramblings and little comments are OK with you?
Still waiting….
DONNAN OF A NEW ERA
October 17th, 2012
2:29 pm
“If you don’t like my rambllings then don’t read them. Just skip right over them. AndHUH???’’s ramblings and little comments are OK with you?”
Grow up.
cc
October 17th, 2012
2:30 pm
I find it ironic that so many people say that criticism of Obama is racist when many of those people voted for Obama solely based on his race. To my thinking, that fact makes them truly the racists.
I’m also having a problem defining “hate on”? I know that hate exists, and that it is possible to “hate” something or someone but I don’t understand “hate on”! It must be a cultural thing.
pb
October 17th, 2012
2:30 pm
It was obvious that Candy Crowley was trying to cover for Obama. Like a true CNN liberal, just sticking to what she knew best. A horrible moderator. Obama did not really “win” the second debate; just held his own. My Obama supporter friends say Romney was rude to “their” President last night. NO, just confidant and aggressive. Nothing wrong with that.
Partisay
October 17th, 2012
2:31 pm
Speaking of ramblings…….
“Hate to break it to you but most folks would gladly welcome Bush back.”
Funny stuff….why didn’t he speak at the RNC? He’s SO popular!!
nick
October 17th, 2012
2:33 pm
I’m sorry but to me senseless violence is an act of TERROR!! I’m neither a republican nor democrat and don’t like either candidates but unfortunately Obama will have my vote. He is more for women’s rights. THE LESSER OF 2 EVILS
DONNAN OF A NEW ERA
October 17th, 2012
2:34 pm
“Funny stuff….why didn’t he speak at the RNC?”
Because most presidents with any shred of dignity and common sense usually stay out of the limelight. Reagan never spoke at any after he left office. Clinton still speaks because he’s still trying to get the stink off of his presidency that is Lewinski. Jimmy Carter didn’t speak in 08, 04 or 2000.
Vote4Mitt
October 17th, 2012
2:34 pm
@HUH????? Thanks!!!! I see my point was well taken.
HUH?????
October 17th, 2012
2:36 pm
“thanks!!!! I see my point was well taken.”
You think wrong.
ItsGumbyD**nIt
October 17th, 2012
2:37 pm
UPGRAYEDD
October 17th, 2012
2:13 pm
Cast my vote for Obama today. Could care less what the rest of you do
As we could careless what you do. But our country is suffering for what you did four years ago.
HUH?????
October 17th, 2012
2:37 pm
“Why would we want to return to the same, failed policies?”
Put Obozo’s term up against Bush’s term.
Check. Mate.
Get Real
October 17th, 2012
2:37 pm
Romney missed a great opportunity as he should have said OK, if you did call the attack on the consulate an act of terror in the Rose garden , why the hell did your UN ambassador go on no less than 5 Sunday broadcasts 5 days later and swear it was a spontaneous response to a friggin video….oh what a tangled web we weave
Butter Butt
October 17th, 2012
2:38 pm
Please tell all what Obama has done to better the economy.
DONNAN OF A NEW ERA
October 17th, 2012
2:38 pm
Why can’t libs defend Obama’s record? All you clowns do is attack Romney yet you can’t even defend Obama. Someone asked if libs could explain Obama’s economic policy and no one did.
YOU CLOWNS ARE PATHETIC!
Partisay
October 17th, 2012
2:39 pm
DONNAN tells another poster to STHU, then tells them to “Grow Up”
Nice….