Mitt Romney has not exactly distinguished himself in the foreign policy arena: his disastrous trip abroad and misplaced comments, his failure to even mention the troops and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan in his convention speech, and now his crass attempt to politicize the deaths and demonstrations overseas.
Instead of ready, aim, fire, with Romney it is fire, ready, aim. When he should wait and get the facts, he fires off a political attack that is designed to boost his candidacy. Sadly for him and for America's foreign policy his statements had devastating consequences.
[Read the U.S. News debate: Can Mitt Romney best Barack Obama on national security?]
He called the Obama administration "disgraceful" and accused them of "sympathiz[ing] with those who waged the attacks." He put out an early release of that statement in an attempt to get news coverage, after initially embargoing it until midnight.
He threw an incendiary bomb in the middle of a horrible and life -hreatening international situation. This is not the mark of a leader but rather the mark of a desperate candidate who puts his political survival above those who serve this country. In short, it is his actions and words that are "disgraceful."
[See a collection of political cartoons on the turmoil in the Middle East.]
At a time when the rhetoric should be ramped down, Romney ramps it up. At a time when the activities of a mob should be condemned by those of all political stripes and the activity of a deranged individual ridiculing Mohammed should be universally rejected, Romney plays politics.
Chuck Todd called it on Morning Joe today "a bad mistake they made last night….an irresponsible thing to do."
I couldn't agree more.
- See a collection of political cartoons on Iran.
- See a collection of political cartoons on the 2012 campaign.
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