MS. CROWLEY: It — he did in fact, sir…
PRESIDENT OBAMA:Can you say that a little louder, Candy?
(Laughter, applause.)
MS. CROWLEY: He did call it an act of terror. It did as well
take — it did as well take two weeks or so for the whole
idea of there being a riot out there about this tape to come
out. You are correct about that.
MR. ROMNEY: This — the administration — the administration
— (applause) — indicated that this was a — a reaction to a
— to a video and was a spontaneous reaction.
MS. CROWLEY: They did.
MR. ROMNEY: It took them a long time to say this was a
terrorist act by a terrorist group and — and to suggest —
am I incorrect in that regard? On Sunday the — your — your
secretary or…
MR. ROMNEY: Excuse me. The ambassador to the United Nations
went on the Sunday television shows and — and spoke about
how this was a spontaneous reaction.
Romney was essentially accusing the president of lying about
his Rose Garden statement. Here’s the critical passage from
his remarks that day:
Of course, yesterday was already a painful day for our nation
as we marked the solemn memory of the 9/11 attacks. We
mourned with the families who were lost on that day. I
visited the graves of troops who made the ultimate sacrifice
in Iraq and Afghanistan at the hallowed grounds of Arlington
Cemetery, and had the opportunity to say thank you and visit
some of our wounded warriors at Walter Reed. And then last
night, we learned the news of this attack in Benghazi.
