Political Animal
Blog
I guess the aforementioned threats from leading conservative gabbers to blow up the GOP if Obama wins on November 6 could escalate now that it’s plain the party is not exactly rushing to echo Mitt Romney’s attacks on the president in connection to the assassinations in Benghazi. I mean, listen to these RINO wimps, as quoted by WaPo’s Ed O’Keefe:
[N]o Republican leader criticized President Obama on Wednesday morning, and called instead for stronger security at U.S. diplomatic facilities, the swift capture and punishment of the perpetrators and a renewed commitment to pro-democracy efforts in the Arab world.
“We mourn for the families of our countrymen in Benghazi, and condemn this horrific attack,” House Speaker John A. Boehner (R-Ohio) said in a statement….
In the Senate, Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) usually reserves his morning Senate floor remarks to sharply criticize Obama administration policy. But Wednesday he struck a more somber tone and expressed support for “employing every available tool at our disposal to ensure the safety of Americans overseas and to hunt down those responsible for these attacks….
Even Sens. John McCain (R-Ariz.), Joseph I. Lieberman (I-Conn.) and Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) — a troika that regularly critiques the Obama administration’s foreign policy — urged Obama to continue supporting democracy efforts in Libya and Egypt.
Doubt that will go over well with Sarah Palin and others who have long viewed the “Arab Spring” as an Islamist hoax.
RNC chairman Reince Preibus, however, seems to understand who butters his bread, providing this tweet last night:
Obama sympathizes with attackers in Egypt. Sad and pathetic.
The Atlantic’s Jeffrey Goldberg, who is hardly a lefty, offered this tart response to Preibus:
Really? The president who is waging war against Islamist extremists in six or seven countries “sympathizes” with their fellow travelers in Egypt? Please provide proof, Mr. Priebus. Otherwise this is slander. And also, a question: Will Reince Priebus say anything in order to gain a moment’s political advantage?
Good question, but Preibus is just following his party’s nominee and the strongest desires of his party’s activist “base.”
Facebook
Twitter
boatboy_srq on September 12, 2012 12:50 PM:
Dear Mr. Priebus:
[I think] Obama sympathizes with attackers in Egypt. [I am s]ad and pathetic.
FIFY.
Mimikatz on September 12, 2012 12:55 PM:
Reince Priebus is what would have happened if Richard Nixon had installed Donald Segretti as head of the RNC. Even Nixon realized he needed a real pro in that job.
Romney has failed both the Commander-in-Chief teat and the 3am phone call test all in one night.
More evidence this is 2004 not 1980, as foreign policy types inexplicably believed that Kerry would not be strong on national security and backed Bush. Here the fear is that Romney would have the erratic, impulsive qualities of McCain with the hubris of Bush. Bush on steroids indeed.
Snarki, child of Loki on September 12, 2012 12:55 PM:
Dear Republicans,
go ahead and take your ball and go home.
Losers.
sjw on September 12, 2012 12:56 PM:
I'm really enjoying the spectacle of the Republican Party fighting amongst themselves about this. Keep it up, guys!
Of course the real plus here is that it undermines Romney's already much-deserved low foreign policy grade.
Leopold Von Ranke on September 12, 2012 12:57 PM:
You lefties had to close down the asylums in the sixties and seventies out of an excess of sympathy, and now, you are reaping what you sowed. This all could have been prevented, you know.
c u n d gulag on September 12, 2012 1:04 PM:
Rinseus Enrepeatus suffers from footus in mouthus.
But then, so do most Republicans, once they stray from their carefully scripted Luntz talking points.
And to echo Bill Clinton, it takes some real "brass" to talk about foreign policy when all you're done in that realm is piss-off the British, and kiss Bibi's Likud ass.
Lev @ LibraryGrape.com on September 12, 2012 1:07 PM:
I submit Reince Priebus is the most annoying man in politics.
Proof:
1. Annoying name.
2. Is constantly in news, like his failed predecessor Michael Steele but unlike 95% of party chairmen.
3. What he says on any given day.
Spiny Norman on September 12, 2012 1:07 PM:
Jeffrey Goldberg is one opinion writer who gets exactly the crowd in his comment threads that he deserves.
OKDem on September 12, 2012 1:16 PM:
I fear there may be even more behind the scene maneuvers. Do not lose sight that Netanyahu is pushing to attack Iran now, before the election.
The situation had become dire enough the Russians gave on condemning the Iranian program. As of yesterday Netanyahu insiders were claiming snubs from Obama, trying to box the USA into giving them a green light for air strikes.
The Israeli government, I fear with Romney assurances like GHW Bush gave Iran in 1980, assumes their leverage will grow up to the election and then evaporate.
Romney may have jumped at this anticipating it would play into a scenario where the Israelis humiliate Obama and Mitt negates his foreign policy weakness.
boatboy_srq on September 12, 2012 1:22 PM:
Romney has failed both the Commander-in-Chief test and the 3am phone call test all in one night.
Mimikatz FTW.
Kathryn on September 12, 2012 1:56 PM:
@okDem... Wouln't be surprised if Romney/Netanyahu/Seņor cooked up this showdown about Iran when Romney was in Israel. Still believe Romney's lying attack on comment from embassy before attacks even happened should cost him, but the bugger gets away with way too much. We need a new word to describe Romney, no hideous adjective is adequate to the job.
T2 on September 12, 2012 2:21 PM:
Andrea MItchell had a Romney spokesman on....he just repeated the newly released Romney talking points - Obama is an apologist and a Foreign Policy weakling......naturally Mitchell just sputtered while the guy basically just told her to STFU when she tried to counter. Seems to happen a lot with her. GOP spokesmen come on, speak the Party Line, and get away with lie after lie. Maybe that's what her show is for?
murphro2 on September 12, 2012 2:34 PM:
While other GOP leaders might be smarter about the immediate aftermath, you can bet they will be all on board the "Obama-is-not-keeping-us-safe" bandwagon by tonight or tomorrow at the latest. They will not so much approve Mitt's clumsy statement as shift it to "why weren't we prepared, etc." Is this Mitt's I-am-suspending-my-campaign moment or just another example of his litany of ill-thought out statements? We will see. I just think the rest of the Party not jumping on board, at this minute, does not prove they actually abhor his statement.
sick-n-effin-tired on September 12, 2012 2:54 PM:
Andrea MItchell aka Mrs Allen Greenspan is very wealthy and if she doesn't throw softballs she won't get invited to the "right " cocktail parties. She is also afraid she will lose access to her favorite Republican talkers , who will shun her if she gets tough.
also see: Gregory,David
Don't you know how the NOOZE works?
sick-n-effin-tired on September 12, 2012 2:56 PM:
The above was to T2
Don't you love the MaddowBlog comments with the edit feature and no craptcha
Theodore Wirth on September 12, 2012 3:49 PM:
Prience Jeibus is a joke when compared to Michael Steele, and that is saying something.
sick-n-effin-tired on September 12, 2012 3:54 PM:
Theodore
I have to say I actually like Steele now he is on the outside.
See him on Stewart a while back.
He is now persona non Grata.
No invite to the convention , no mention .
Thanks, boy .
We are sorry that negro thing didn't work out for the RNC
Now move along.
Epicurus on September 12, 2012 4:50 PM:
Dear Mr. Goldberg: The answer to your question is undeniably "yes." However, it would be just as true if asked of Mitt Romney. He will lie, cheat and steal to get what he wants. Say/do ANYTHING that he thinks will vault him into the White House. It's beyond despicable at this point, but I'm pretty sure his goose has been well-cooked. I certainly hope that is the case.
John on September 12, 2012 9:05 PM:
Liked what I heard on Stephanie Miller the other day:
Look what you get when you remove the vowels from Reince Preibus:
RNC PR BS