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10:15 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 …

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: CBS San Francisco, Newsy, CNN, ABCNEWS, Pat Dollard, Weasel Zippers, Mediaite and Truthdig

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, Daily Kos, Booman Tribune, American Prospect, Talking Points Memo, Politicker, Mediaite, The Atlantic Online, Foreign Policy, LifeNews.com and Outside the Beltway

Walter Russell Mead / Via Meadia:

The Day The Roof Fell In — Sometimes trouble blows up out of a clear blue sky. That's what happened to the White House yesterday. — Coming out of the Democratic Convention, despite an uninspiring speech, President Obama had a united party and a comfortable bounce.

Discussion: Power Line, CNSNews and Hot Air

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

Discussion: Washington Post, The Daily Beast, PERRspectives, The Atlantic Online, Salon, The Caucus, Daily Kos and Election 2012

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

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

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

Discussion: Ballot Box and Politico

BuzzFeed:
Obama On Romney: He Has “A Tendency To Shoot First And Aim Later”

Discussion: The Political Carnival

Politico:
Noonan: Romney not helping himself

Discussion: The Raw Story

Jennifer Rubin / Washington Post:
Conservatives rally on embassy attacks

Discussion: WTOP.com, Washington Monthly, Wizbang, 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: Foreign Policy, Washington Wire, First Read and Daily Kos

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

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

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, The Right Scoop, Newsy and Wired

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

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.

Associated Press:

Nakoula Basseley Nakoula Claims Role In ‘Innocence Of Muslims’ … FOLLOW: — Nakoula Basseley Nakoula, Nakoula Basseley Nakoula Anti Islam Film, Nakoula Basseley Nakoula Libya, Nakoula Basseley Nakoula Prophet Muhammad, Prophet Muhammad, Anti Islam Film, Libya Attacks, Libya Attacks Film, Libya Film, World News

Discussion: BuzzFeed, Weekly Standard, The Back Channel, The PJ Tatler, CANNONFIRE, Guardian, Truthdig, Wired, The Raw Story, CNN, The Daily Beast, The Lede and BuzzFeed, more at Mediagazer »

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, ABCNEWS, National Review, Balloon Juice, The Belgravia Dispatch, Weekly Standard, Little Green Footballs, democracyarsenal.org and Mediaite

BuzzFeed:

15 Photos Of Libyans Apologizing To Americans — A peaceful demonstration from Benghazi, the Libyan city where a U.S. ambassador was killed in a consulate attack Tuesday. “Chris Stevens was a friend to all Libyans.” (via facebook.com) — Jessica Testa — a half hour ago — 49 responses

Discussion: New York Times and ABCNEWS

Adrian Chen / Gawker:

‘It Makes Me Sick’: Actress in Muhammed Movie Says She Was Deceived, Had No Idea It Was About Islam — The story of the Muhammed movie which sparked deadly protests in Libya and Egypt gets weirder. The actors who appeared in it had no idea they were starring in anti-Islam propaganda …

Discussion: BuzzFeed, Alan Colmes' Liberaland, Pat Dollard, Talking Points Memo, Mediaite and Guardian, more at Mediagazer »

John Aravosis / US Politics:

Romney gets capital of Libya wrong in press conf criticizing Obama on foreign policy — Mitt Romney got the capital of Libya wrong in his opportunistic statement this morning criticizing the President about his handling of the attacks against the US embassy in Cairo and the US consulate in Benghazi, Libya.

Discussion: DownWithTyranny!, The Political Carnival and PoliticusUSA

BuzzFeed:
Inflammatory Anti-Muslim “Movie” May Not Be A Real Movie

Discussion: Guardian, The Week, Religion Dispatches and The Daily Beast

Jim Hoft / The Gateway Pundit:
ISLAMISTS DRAG DEAD BODY OF US AMBASSADOR THROUGH THE STREETS OF BENGHAZI! (Updated) ...Another Photo!

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

First Read:
First Thoughts: Over the top — Romney issues over-the-top attack …

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

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

Discussion: Belmont Club and Pat Dollard

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

Discussion: rightwingwatch.org, The Atlantic Online, CBS News, Weekly Standard and Bob Cesca's Awesome Blog!

Reuters:
U.S. ambassador to Libya killed in Benghazi attack

Discussion: The Huffington Post, Telegraph, This Just In, Eurogamer.net • …, Weasel Zippers, Commentary Magazine, The Gateway Pundit, Wired, The Daily Beast, Associated Press, Mother Jones, NewsBusters.org blogs, Atlas Shrugs, The Week, The Hill, JOSHUAPUNDIT and The American Conservative, more at Mediagazer »

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

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, Weasel Zippers, US Politics and Hot Air

ABCNEWS:
Putin Thanks Romney for Calling Russia No. 1 Foe

Discussion: Campaign Stops, Crooks and Liars, Daily Kos and Angry Black Lady Chronicles

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]

Discussion: Truthdig and Valley Fever

Julian Pecquet / The Hill: Violence in Middle East irrupts into tight 2012 race for White House

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 …

Rebecca Schoenkopf / Wonkette:

Sarah Palin Wishes Barack Obama Had A Bigger Penis — There seems to have been a small amount of tsuris in the Middle East yesterday, as a large lot of Libyans decided to kill some Americans. This makes most people show proper somberness and gravity. But not Sarah Palin!

Kevin Robillard / Politico:
Sarah Palin to Mitt Romney: Make attacks ‘personal’

Discussion: Washington Monthly

Sam Fellman / Navy Times:

DNC apology for backdrop of Russian ships — Democratic officials apologized Wednesday for mistakenly displaying an image of the Russian Navy during a tribute to America's veterans at last week's Democratic National Convention. But they also used their response to take a swipe at Republican rival Mitt Romney.

Discussion: Politico and ABCNEWS

Reid J. Epstein / Politico:

Bill Clinton: Blame me, not Obama — ORLANDO, Fla. - President Bill Clinton said to blame him for the economy, if you want, but absolve President Obama from any fault. — Speaking to 2,000 people in a crowded and loud hotel ballroom here on the second night of his Florida campaign swing …