Mitt Romney photo

Romney Campaign Press Release - What They're Saying About President Obama's "Weak Leadership"

September 13, 2012

"Perceived American Weakness" ... "Lack Of Judgment" ... "Debacle" ... "Feckless Foreign Policy"

Former Secretary Of State Henry Kissinger: "Against Our Basic Values And We Cannot — As A Government — Apologize For What These People Construe As A Provocation If Our Government Was In No Way Involved." "'I think that an attack on an American embassy is always a grave matter,' Kissinger said in a telephone interview. 'When the attacks take place as a result of an event that's totally out of the control of the United States government, then it is an outrage against our basic values and we cannot — as a government — apologize for what these people construe as a provocation if our government was in no way involved.'" (ABC News, 9/12/12)

Former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld: "The Attacks On Our Embassies & Diplomats Are A Result Of Perceived American Weakness. Mitt Romney Is Right To Point That Out." (Twitter.com, 9/12/12)

Senator John McCain: "Mitt Romney Is Talking About Weak Leadership. I Agree With Him."(CNN's "Anderson Cooper 360," 9/12/12)

  • Senator McCain: "A Feckless Foreign Policy..." "Sen. John McCain is accusing President Barack Obama of pursuing 'a feckless foreign policy' that has compromised American influence around the world." (The Associated Press, 9/13/12)

Senator Rob Portman: "At A Time When We Have This Kind Of Violence Against American Territory, The Thing To Do Is Condemn It." PORTMAN: "That that statement was inappropriate. And I think for Governor Romney having seen that statement to react as he did is the reaction that most Americans would have, which is that, at a time when we have this kind of violence against American territory, the thing to do is condemn it. And not to begin by issues an apology, again, about video that you had nothing to do with." (CBS's "This Morning," 9/13/12)

Representative Frank Wolf: "Governor Romney's Response To The Initial Events In Cairo ... Was Appropriate And, In Fact, In Keeping With America's Most Cherished Ideals..." "Governor Romney's response to the initial events in Cairo, specifically his critique of the public statement that the U.S. embassy released prior to the attack in Libya, was appropriate and, in fact, in keeping with America's most cherished ideals: among them freedom of speech and freedom of religion—hallmarks of any vibrant democracy." (Rep. Frank Wolf, Press Release, 9/12/12)

Governor Bobby Jindal: "First Statement By This Administration Was Pathetic & Reveals A Lack Of Judgment." "That statement, the 1st first statement by this Administration was pathetic & reveals a lack of judgment. Very troubling." (Twitter.com, 9/12/12)

Governor Rick Perry: Mitt Romney "Shoots Straight, Shows Bold Leadership In Time Of Chaos." "We need foreign policy where our people are secure & enemies afraid @MittRomney shoots straight, shows bold leadership in time of chaos." (Twitter.com, 9/12/12)

Former State Department Official Liz Cheney: "The Administration's Performance In The Crisis Was Appalling ... It Is The Logical Outcome Of Three-And-A-Half Years Of Obama Foreign Policy." "Though the administration's performance in the crisis was appalling, it wasn't surprising—it is the logical outcome of three-and-a-half years of Obama foreign policy." (The Wall Street Journal, 9/12/12)

The Wall Street Journal: Mitt Romney's "Political Faux Pax Was To Offend A Pundit Class That Wants To Cede The Foreign Policy Debate To Mr. Obama Without Thinking Seriously About The Trouble For America..." "The broader point is that the attacks on the embassies do raise questions about how America has fared in the world in the last four years. ... His political faux pax was to offend a pundit class that wants to cede the foreign policy debate to Mr. Obama without thinking seriously about the trouble for America that is building in the world." (The Wall Street Journal, 9/12/12)

The Washington Examiner:"Explains Why Obama Has Accomplished So Little." "The lesson from that small (and unlike in Libya, bloodless) incident applies to Obama's entire foreign policy vision: Whatever foreign policy you want to adopt, groveling is no way to bring it about. And that explains why Obama has accomplished so little." (The Washington Examiner, 9/12/12)

The New Hampshire Union Leader: "Why Are So Many In The Media More Concerned About Mitt Romney's Criticism ... Than About The President's Actual Handling Of This Crisis?" "Why are so many in the media more concerned about Mitt Romney's criticism of a statement issued by the Cairo embassy on Tuesday than about the President's actual handling of this crisis? Well, we know the answer to the last question. As for the others, maybe the national media will stop piling on Romney long enough to find the answers." (New Hampshire Union Leader, 9/13/12)

The Washington Post's Charles Krauthammer:"I Think What The Substance Of What Romney Said At The Time Was Absolutely Right."(Fox News' "Special Report," 9/12/12)

Former White House Press Secretary Ari Fleischer: Mitt Romney "Has Every Right To Criticize That Horrendous Statement Made By Our Embassy In Egypt." "'Mitt Romney's a challenger, and he has every right to criticize that horrendous statement made by our embassy in Egypt. In fact, failure to criticize it would be an omission,' Ari Fleischer, a former White House press secretary for President George W. Bush, said in a phone interview with The Huffington Post." (The Huffington Post, 9/12/12)

Weekly Standard'sStephen Hayes:"I Think, On The Substance, Mitt Romney's Critique Is The Right Critique."(Fox News' "Special Report," 9/12/12)

Fox News' Sean Hannity: "This Was Romney At His Best."(Fox News' "Hannity," 9/12/12)

National Review's Rich Lowry: "Romney Is Right: Libya Debacle Belongs In Debate"(Politico, 9/12/12)

Mitt Romney, Romney Campaign Press Release - What They're Saying About President Obama's "Weak Leadership" Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/node/303253

Simple Search of Our Archives