It’s one thing to be fact-checked by your opponent.
But if the moderator has to reign you in…
Candy Crowley interrupted Romney last night when Romney accused Obama of waiting two full weeks before formally acknowledging that the attacks in Benghazi on Sept 11th were an “act of terror.”
Crowley fired back:
It — he did in fact, sir…. 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..
Crowley is being scrutinized for her spontaneous fact-checking – since the administration was skittish about describing who they perceived the attackers to be while the events unfolded. Crowley acknowledges (almost exclusively) that Obama did 1) label the attacks as terrorism and 2) waffle for two weeks or so to really solidify that point.
But Obama did – as it turns out – label the attacks an “act of terror” in the Rose Garden the day after American Ambassador Chris Stevens was killed. Both Crowley’s fact-checking and Romney’s contention that the President waited two weeks stand to be corrected. Although it’s worth nothing that Obama did make the connection somewhat implicitly:
No acts of terror will ever shake the resolve of this great nation, alter that character, or eclipse the light of the values that we stand for. Today we mourn four more Americans who represent the very best of the United States of America. We will not waver in our commitment to see that justice is done for this terrible act. And make no mistake, justice will be done.
Footage from the Sept 12th Rose Garden address:
