Criticism of Romney defies logic

Criticism of Romney defies logic

Apparently, Mitt Romney is not qualified to be president because of his response to the US Egyptian embassy’s statements prior to and just after the 9/11 attack on the embassy or so said a Sept. 18 letter to the editor. I miss the logic. If anything, recent events demonstrate President Obama’s foreign policy failures.

According to the time line published in the New York Times, our Egyptian embassy issued it’s original statement condemning a US citizen’s First Amendment free speech rights, “We firmly reject the actions by those who abuse the universal rights of free speech to hurt the religious beliefs of others,” prior to the attack on the embassy. Approximately 12 hours later and after the attack on the Libyan embassy, the embassy tweeted “This morning’s condemnation (issued before protest began) still stands. As does our condemnation of unjustified breach of the Embassy.” This tweet was later deleted.

Four hours later Secretary of State Clinton issued a statement condemning the embassy attacks and the video allegedly responsible for the attacks. The 9/11 connection eluded the Secretary I suppose even though the video in question was released in July 2012.

Within minutes of the Secretary’s statement Politico reported the Obama administration disavowed the embassy statements. Gov. Romney issued his statement after the disavowal. “It’s disgraceful that the Obama administration’s first response was not to condemn attacks on our diplomatic missions, but to sympathize with those who waged the attacks.”

Our Egyptian embassy represents us and the administration and the embassy did stand by their original statement. Secretary Clinton did condemn the attacks but only after deploring an “effort to denigrate the religious beliefs of others.”

Gov. Romney wasn’t off base with his comments. The administration’s responses to the attacks in Libya and Egypt should have condemned the attackers exclusively and forcefully. There are no excuses for the attacks.

Gov. Romney is criticized for his comment while the president is embroiled in the crisis, but what does the president do? He jets off to Las Vegas for a fund raising event. Gotta keep things in perspective you know.

Robert Voytilla, Hubbard