Team Obama to Romney: Speak positively about Libya, or not at all

Washington Examiner ^ | 10/11/12 | Byron York

[markomalley]

Obama deputy campaign manager Stephanie Cutter stirred a lot of controversy Thursday when she blamed Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan for injecting the Libyan consulate attack into the presidential campaign. “The entire reason that this has become the political topic it is, is because of Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan,” Cutter told CNN. “It’s a big part of their stump speech and it’s reckless and irresponsible.”

Cutter’s remark angered Team Romney aides, who noted that — with the exception of Romney’s statement condemning the administration on the night of September 11 — Romney and Ryan have not, in fact emphasized Libya in their campaigning. One campaign aide called Cutter’s words “outrageous” and said the candidates might soon respond.

At the media center here in Danville before the vice presidential debate, I asked Cutter whether the Libyan attack, which left Ambassador Christopher Stevens and three other Americans dead, should be part of the campaign. Yes, she said, but only if it takes the form of a solution-oriented discussion. “I think that if candidates have legitimate points to make and constructive policies to put on the table of what they would do differently, it’s a legitimate topic,” Cutter said. “But to come out the night of an attack and accuse the administration of something and politicizing it from the beginning is not right, and I think that Mitt Romney was fairly criticized for that.”

“If Mitt Romney has some serious things that he’d like to put on the table about how he would handle Libya, or if Mr. Ryan wants to do that tonight, it’s a legitimate discussion to have, and we look forward to that,” Cutter continued.

There’s a debate going on inside the Romney campaign over how much to emphasize the Libyan attack on the campaign trail. (See my column tomorrow for more details.) The short version is that some Romney aides believe the Libya story is moving forward on its own and does not need a push from the Romney campaign. Others believe the story is so important and compelling that Romney should make it part of his campaign presentation. So far, the cautious camp has prevailed.

But now there is real anger, or perhaps real irritation, over Cutter’s remarks. She of course knows that. But the Obama campaign is sticking to the tried-and-true strategy of deferring real questions over the issue until its investigation is over — which would not happen, of course, until long after the election. “I think that in situations like this, when there is an attack on Americans, it is an attack on all of us,” Cutter says. “And the most responsible thing that we can do is to get to the bottom of what happened. And that’s what the administration has been doing, conducting an investigation with all of our resources to get to the bottom of why it happened and how we prevent it from happening again. It’s not a worthwhile discussion to accuse the administration of cover-up, when it’s just not true.”

[hummingbird]

""Is Stephanie Cutter, who speaks for the president, still unaware that US intel had intercepts between jihadists "hours" after Libya attack?"

And, there was sufficient info from the Ambassador weeks ahead that more security was needed.

Plus, she had to know the "film" was a scam.

[don-o]

The regime has lost all credibility from having the lie exposed and that toothpaste is not going back in the tube.

I kind of understand how Romney needs to be careful - but Miz Cutter really did him a favor with that panic filled attack.

I am rusty on my Shakespeare, but, “methinks the lady doest protest too much”

[DanMiller]

Here's a link to Ms. Clinton's calmly voiced words.

[Condor 63]

No issue in this campaign says more about Obama and others of his lefty ilk than Libya. None.

It should be one of the biggest discussion points in this election but it shines the light so brightly you can see why the LSM tries to cover it up as much as they can.

The less this is talked about the better it is for Obama and liberals of the past, present and future.

[Jenny217]

They can go to h*ll. Thank you.

[HiTech RedNeck]

LIBYA WAS A POSITIVE ADMINISTRATION SCREW UP! IS THAT POSITIVE ENOUGH FOR YOU, LADY?

[Bon mots]

The MSM has done its part to sweep this entire monumental failure, subsequent lies, coverup and whitewash under the rug in a vast left-wing conspiracy to withhold facts , lie to America and shamelessly kill and bury this story in a joint effort to help the current failed, corrupt regime in any way possible..

---

Will be fun to watch this saga play out... It started with sheer incompetence, progressed to lies and coverup and is rapidly moving into the realm of conspiracy, finger-pointing and firings...