memeorandum: Romney criticizes Obama response to Libya, Egypt attacks (Steve Holland/Reuters)

8:40 PM ET, September 12, 2012

Top Items:

Foreign Policy Hands Voice Disbelief At Romney Cairo Statement — “Bungle... utter disaster...not ready for prime time... not presidential... Lehman moment.” And that's just the Republicans. — Image by Jim Young / Reuters — Mitt Romney's sharply-worded attack on President Obama …

The Right Scoop:

EXCLUSIVE: Open mic captures press coordinating questions for Romney “no matter who he calls on we're covered” — Before Romney issued his statement today, an open mic capture the press coordinating questions to ask Romney, with one saying “no matter who he calls on we're covered on the one question”.

Discussion: Power Line, NewsBusters.org, “The Lid”, Weekly Standard, Mediaite, The Gateway Pundit, National Review, Doug Ross, The Daily Caller, The Lonely Conservative and The PJ Tatler

CNN:

FIRST ON CNN: Romney camp tries to manage fallout from Libya response — De Pere, Wisconsin (CNN) - Facing criticism for its aggressive and politically-charged response to Tuesday's violent attacks on the American embassies in Egypt and Libya, Mitt Romney's presidential campaign …

Discussion: ABCNEWS, Politico, Weekly Standard, Daily Kos, Foreign Policy, The Atlantic Online, Outside the Beltway, Towleroad News #gay, Politicker, Booman Tribune, American Prospect, First Read, Mediaite, Little Green Footballs, The Moderate Voice and LifeNews.com

Brian Montopoli / CBS News:

Obama: Romney shoots first, aims later — (CBS News) In response to Mitt Romney's criticism of the Obama administration for its handling of recent violence in Egypt and Libya, President Obama told CBS News on Wednesday that Romney “seems to have a tendency to shoot first and aim later.”

Discussion: CNN, ABCNEWS, Pat Dollard and Weasel Zippers

New York Times:

Deadly Embassy Assault May Have Been Planned, U.S. Suspects — WASHINGTON —The Obama administration suspects that the fiery attack in Libya that killed the American ambassador and three other diplomats may have been planned rather than a spontaneous mob getting out of control, American officials said Wednesday.

First Read:

First Thoughts: Over the top — Romney issues over-the-top attack on embassy attacks... And his statement looks worse and worse as new information comes out, including the death of the U.S. ambassador to Libya... Romney camp stands by its attack saying embassy statement came after the u nrest began …

Discussion: Jerusalem Post, New York Times, Weekly Standard, Salon, The Atlantic Online, Washington Post, Liberal Values, The New Republic, Reuters, Firedoglake, Talking Points Memo, The Hill, Mother Jones, americanthinker.com, The Week and IHT Rendezvous

Washington Post:

Mr. Romney's rhetoric on embassy attacks is a discredit to his campaign — J.CHRISTOPHER STEVENS, the U.S. ambassador to Libya, was a skilled and courageous diplomat who repeatedly placed himself at risk in order to support the cause of a democratic Libya. His death, along with those of three …

Discussion: Foreign Policy, Little Green Footballs, democracyarsenal.org, Mediaite and The American Conservative

Katrina Trinko / National Review:

The Insane MSM Questions Romney Faced at Presser — So if a presidential candidate gives remarks about a foreign policy crisis, you'd be forgiven for thinking that in the q & a held immediately afterward, reporters would ask him about ... foreign policy. But when Mitt Romney took questions today …

Discussion: Wonkette, JOSHUAPUNDIT, NewsBusters.org blogs, US Politics, Hot Air and Weasel Zippers

Josh Marshall / Talking Points Memo:
When You Learn They're Not Ready

Discussion: The Daily Beast, Washington Post, CBS News, The Atlantic Online, Salon, The Caucus and Daily Kos

Walter Russell Mead / Via Meadia:
The Day The Roof Fell In — Sometimes trouble blows up out of a clear blue sky.

Discussion: Power Line, Hot Air and CNSNews

William Kristol / Weekly Standard:
Romney Is Right — One can question the timing and tone …

Discussion: ABCNEWS, msnbc.com, The Daily Caller, The Page, The Daily Dish and Daily Kos

Justin Sink / The Hill:
Obama slams Romney, says GOP rival 'didn't have his facts right'

Discussion: Ballot Box and Politico

Politico:
Noonan: Romney not helping himself

Discussion: The Raw Story

Jennifer Rubin / Washington Post:
Conservatives rally on embassy attacks

Discussion: WTOP.com, Politico, Wizbang, Washington Monthly, Pat Dollard and Wonkette

Benjy Sarlin / Talking Points Memo:
Romney Camp's New Explanation Of Libya Reaction: W.H. Actions Prove We're Right

Discussion: First Read, The Atlantic Online, Politico and Daily Kos

Brian Beutler / Talking Points Memo:
A Timeline Of The Attacks In Libya And Egypt — And The Responses

Discussion: rightwingwatch.org, The Lede, Bob Cesca's Awesome Blog! and Politico

William A. Jacobson / Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion:
Dead Ambassador dragged through streets, MSM furious at Romney criticism of Obama

Discussion: Washington Post, Power Line, Lawyers, Guns & Money and Althouse

Daniel Foster / National Review:
Romney's Awkward Spot

Discussion: Politico, Reuters and BREITBART.COM

Washington Post:
U.S. ambassador to Libya, 3 other Americans killed in Benghazi

Discussion: BuzzFeed, National Review, Weekly Standard, The Belgravia Dispatch, Talking Points Memo, NewsBusters.org blogs, Election 2012, The Fix, The Daily Beast, Firedoglake and The American Conservative

Molly Ball / The Atlantic Online:
Will Romney's Foreign-Policy Fumble Doom His Campaign?

Discussion: ABCNEWS and Daily Kos

Mark Halperin / The Page: Romney and Foreign Policy

Steve Holland / Reuters:
Romney criticizes Obama response to Libya, Egypt attacks

Discussion: Washington Wire and Wall Street Journal

Jeffrey Goldberg / The Atlantic Online:

Muhammad-Film Consultant: ‘Sam Bacile’ Is Not Israeli, and Not a Real Name — Revelations about the alleged producer of the now-infamous trailer for “The Innocence of Muslims.” — Actors portray the Prophet Mohammed and other historial figures in the controversial film, Innocence of Muslims.

Discussion: Associated Press, The Atlantic Wire, Guardian, The Raw Story, Hit & Run, FP Passport, No More Mister Nice Blog, Religion Dispatches, The Informer, L.A. NOW, NationalJournal.com, The Hinterland Gazette and Blazing Cat Fur, more at Mediagazer »

Associated Press:

Filmmaker Sam Bacile in hiding after anti-Muslim film sparks violence in which American diplomat was killed — An Israeli filmmaker based in California went into hiding Tuesday after his movie attacking Islam's Prophet Muhammad sparked angry assaults by ultra-conservative Muslims on U.S. missions …

Discussion: The Back Channel, Guardian, Religion Dispatches, Boing Boing, Gawker, CNN and Weasel Zippers, more at Mediagazer »

BuzzFeed:

Inflammatory Anti-Muslim “Movie” May Not Be A Real Movie — The clumsy dubbing suggests that the footage comes from different films entirely. And there's no way that it cost $5 million to make. — View Video › — Image by — The anti-Muslim “movie” that served as the spark …

Discussion: New York Times, Weekly Standard, Guardian, The Daily Beast and The Week, more at Mediagazer »

Adrian Chen / Gawker:
‘It Makes Me Sick’: Actress in Muhammed Movie Says She Was Deceived, Had No Idea It Was About Islam

Discussion: Alan Colmes' Liberaland, Talking Points Memo, Guardian and Associated Press, more at Mediagazer »

Twitchy:
UPenn professor Anthea Butler calls for imprisonment of filmmaker Sam Bacile; Update: Butler locks her Twitter account

Discussion: Belmont Club and Pat Dollard

Harriet Sherwood / Guardian:
Muhammad film: reaction around the Middle East

Discussion: The Gateway Pundit, Weasel Zippers and The Daily Dish

Jim Hoft / The Gateway Pundit:
PROTESTS BREAK OUT IN SUDAN, KUWAIT, GAZA AND MOROCCO (Photos)

Discussion: Pat Dollard

Politico:

Ambassador Stevens killed at site with no Marines — The consulate where the American ambassador to Libya was killed on Tuesday is an “interim facility” not protected by the contingent of Marines that safeguards embassies, POLITICO has learned. — Ambassador Chris Stevens was killed …

Discussion: Hot Air, Wired, The Right Scoop, Weekly Standard and neo-neocon

Reuters:

U.S. ambassador to Libya killed in Benghazi attack — (Reuters) - The U.S. ambassador to Libya and three other embassy staff were killed in a rocket attack on their car, a Libyan official said, as they were rushed from a consular building stormed by militants denouncing a U.S.-made film insulting the Prophet Mohammad.

Jim Hoft / The Gateway Pundit:

ISLAMISTS DRAG DEAD BODY OF US AMBASSADOR THROUGH THE STREETS OF BENGHAZI! (Updated) ...Another Photo! — Islamists dragged the dead body of US Ambassador Christopher Stevens from the embassy after he was murdered last night. — The radical Islamists attacked the embassy with rocket propelled grenades and machine gun fire.

Discussion: The White House, American Power, Riehl World News, Israel Matzav, Fox News Insider, National Review and The Daily Caller

Meredith Shiner / TwitLonger:

TwitLonger — The difference between the Jon Kyl and John McCain gaggles just now on Egypt/Libya: — Jon Kyl: It's like the judge telling the woman who got raped, ‘You asked for it because of the way you dressed.’ OK? That's the same thing. 'Well America, you should be the ones to apologize …

Discussion: Balloon Juice and New York Magazine

Scott Wong / Politico:

Kyl: Embassy statement like blaming rape victim [Updated] — The No. 2 Senate Republican slammed the Obama administration for “apologizing” to protesters who were threatening the U.S. Embassy in Egypt, comparing the situation to a judge blaming a rape victim for the way she dressed.

Discussion: Truthdig and Valley Fever

Sam Baker / The Hill:

Probe: HHS's Sebelius illegally campaigned for Obama on the job — Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius violated federal law by using her Cabinet position to campaign for President Obama, federal investigators said Wednesday. — The Office of Special Counsel (OSC) …

Discussion: CNN and American Spectator

Jake Tapper / ABCNEWS:
Office of Special Counsel Says HHS Secretary Violated Hatch Act

Discussion: LifeNews.com

Dana Blanton / Fox News:

Fox News poll: Obama has lead over Romney in post-convention poll — An increase in support from women as well as independents gives Barack Obama a post-convention advantage over challenger Mitt Romney. The president receives a five percentage-point bounce among women and a 12-point bounce …

Discussion: Politico, The Political Carnival and Taegan Goddard's …

U.S. Census Bureau News:

Income, Poverty and Health Insurance Coverage in the United States: 2011 — The U.S. Census Bureau announced today that in 2011, median household income declined, the poverty rate was not statistically different from the previous year and the percentage of people without health insurance coverage decreased.

Discussion: Slate, Mother Jones, Economix, New York Times, Firedoglake, The Daily Beast, Guardian and BBC

Jonathan Cohn / The New Republic: Obamacare Is Working, Cont'd

Kevin Robillard / Politico:

Sarah Palin to Mitt Romney: Make attacks ‘personal’ — Sarah Palin says Mitt Romney's presidential campaign should be “severely aggressive” in attacking President Barack Obama as “incompetent” and a “socialist.” — Fox News's Bill O'Reilly asked the former Alaska governor on Tuesday …

Rebecca Schoenkopf / Wonkette: Sarah Palin Wishes Barack Obama Had A Bigger Penis

Travis Waldron / ThinkProgress:

New Study Finds High-Income Tax Cuts Don't Stimulate Economic Growth — Congressional Republicans and their party's presidential nominee have both pushed plans to cut taxes on the wealthiest Americans in hopes that such a move would stimulate the economy and aid the recovery from the Great Recession.

Discussion: Alan Colmes' Liberaland