Ruth Marcus — Not Shrill Yet, but Mighty Peeved

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Even Ruth Marcus is dropping her usual “both sides do it” position and says Mittens is out of line and owes somebody an apology.

After all, the Republican presidential nominee wrote a book in 2010 premised on, and titled with, the false notion that Barack Obama has been going around the world apologizing for America….

…Romney repeated this falsehood in his acceptance speech in Tampa, claiming that Obama launched his presidency “with an apology tour.”

Oddly enough, Romney’s evidence for Obama’s alleged apologizing is bereft of certain words — like apology, or sorry, or regret. To Romney, apologizing means never actually having to say you’re sorry.

Oh, snap, Ruth.

So when the U.S. Embassy in Cairo released a statement condemning “the continuing efforts by misguided individuals to hurt the religious feelings of Muslims,” Romney was predisposed to see it through the distorted, if politically convenient, lens of apology.

Ruth Marcus goes on to explain what had actually happened and why Mitt’s interpretation of events held no water. Then she said,

As irresponsible as Romney’s behavior Tuesday night, even worse was his move to double down at a Wednesday morning news conference, following word of the deaths of the U.S. ambassador and three other American diplomats in Libya. Tuesday night, before the killings were known, was amateurish. Wednesday morning was unconscionable.

“It’s never too early for the United States government to condemn attacks on Americans and to defend our values,” Romney said, apparently believing that the embassy should have been able to foretell the attack before it occurred. In the space of three sentences, he criticized the administration for standing by the embassy statement and accused it of sending “mixed signals” by disavowing it.

The question and answer session was even worse. “Simply put, having an embassy which . . . has been breached and has protesters on its grounds, having violated the sovereignty of the United States, having that embassy reiterate a statement effectively apologizing for the right of free speech is not the right course for an administration,” Romney said.

Leaving aside his flawed timeline — later tweets from the embassy combined criticism of anti-Muslim bigotry with condemnation of the attacks — Romney’s interpretation of what constitutes an apology is once again far off-base. …

… There is something disgraceful happening here, but it doesn’t involve a comment by an obscure embassy spokesman. It is Romney’s cynical, dishonest effort to take advantage of this national tragedy for his own political ends.

I read through the whole thing looking for the “both sides do it” shoe to drop, and it didn’t drop. Of course, Ruth probably will follow this up with a column criticizing Obama for something and conceding that Romney has a point, somehow.

But, Mitt, when not even Ruth Marcus will cover your ass, you are in big trouble. David Broder must be spinning in his grave.

Update: Mitt issues a statement nearly identical to the one issued by the White House that was supposed to be an “apology.” Spine of marshmallow, or what?

13 thoughts on “Ruth Marcus — Not Shrill Yet, but Mighty Peeved”

  1. The other day, bootlickers Halperin and Noonan.
    Today, the Queen of ‘he-said/she-said.’

    It’s ok though, Jennifer Rubin still has a liplock on Mitt’s “big (ahem…) stick!”

    If she, his biggest groupie decides to bail, then we’ll know the ENTIRE MSM will be done with Mitt, and the only ones hanging on, will be the true dead-enders.
    Paging Mr. Kristol.
    Mr. Bill Kristol.
    Mr. Kristol to the lack of courtesy phone.
    Mr. Kristol?

  2. Well, if Money Boo Boo is tired of catching flak over his Middle East idiocies, he can start defending the crap he said in an interview that aired today on Good Morning America. Mittens is so worried about the debates with Obama! He’s worried that he’s going to be spending most of his time rebutting Obama’s lies.

    Yup, he said that. Hideously truth-challenged Mittens said that. In public.

    I am going to spend the rest of my lunch hour imagining the enraged ghost of George Romney hovering over Boo Boo’s bed at midnight, thundering, “You’re no son of miiiine!”

  3. maha,
    “Romney on Debates: Obama Will ‘Say Things That Aren’t True’

    This is the headline on ABC’s blog. Talk about an absolute complete lack of self-awareness!

    And, to top it off, Mitt defined “the middle class” as people making $200,000 to $250,000 or less.

    I hope the real middle class people learn what Mitt just said.
    Talk about clue-free!!!
    Mitt makes Inspector Clouseau look like Sherlock Holmes.

    http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2012/09/exclusive-romney-on-debates-obama-will-say-things-that-arent-true/

  4. Oh yeah, that ABC blog summarized Mitt’s interview with George Vowel-a-lotalous.

    How do some of the interviewers not openly laugh in his face?
    Or in other Conservatives faces.
    I guess that’s why “they get paid the big bucks.”

  6. Ruth Marcus is on the PBS NEWSHOUR tonight. You can watch it on line anytime at PBS.org .. she actually raised her voice. She is with David Brooks.

  7. Speaking of Noonan..I hear her latest critcism of Romney is: “He slipped the surly bounds of reality,and kissed the ass of Satan.”

  10. Whoa, hey now, what happened here?!

    MADISON, Wis. — A Wisconsin judge on Friday struck down nearly all of the state law championed by Gov. Scott Walker that effectively ended collective bargaining rights for most public workers.

    Walker’s administration immediately vowed to appeal, while unions, which have vigorously fought the law, declared victory. But what the ruling meant for existing public contracts was murky: Unions claimed the ruling meant they could negotiate again, but Walker could seek to keep the law in effect while the legal drama plays out.

    The law, a crowning achievement for Walker that made him a national conservative star, took away nearly all collective bargaining rights from most workers and has been in effect for more than a year.

    Dane County Circuit Judge Juan Colas ruled that the law violates both the state and U.S. Constitution and is null and void.

    (From HuffPo.)

    Buckyblue, you around this weekend? Any details to report? Any chance the law really is done for?

    (And whut the heck kinda Murrican name is “Juan Colas,” huh?!)

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