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From the Washington Examiner:Obama deputy campaign manager Stephanie Cutter stirred a lot of controversy Thursday when she blamed Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan for injecting the Libyan consulate attack into the presidential campaign. “The entire reason that this has become the political topic it is, is because of Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan,” Cutter told CNN. “It’s a big part of their stump speech and it’s reckless and irresponsible.”
Cutter’s remark angered Team Romney aides, who noted that — with the exception of Romney’s statement condemning the administration on the night of September 11 — Romney and Ryan have not, in fact emphasized Libya in their campaigning. One campaign aide called Cutter’s words “outrageous” and said the candidates might soon respond.
At the media center here in Danville before the vice presidential debate, I asked Cutter whether the Libyan attack, which left Ambassador Christopher Stevens and three other Americans dead, should be part of the campaign. Yes, she said, but only if it takes the form of a solution-oriented discussion. “I think that if candidates have legitimate points to make and constructive policies to put on the table of what they would do differently, it’s a legitimate topic,” Cutter said. “But to come out the night of an attack and accuse the administration of something and politicizing it from the beginning is not right, and I think that Mitt Romney was fairly criticized for that.”
In the words of the Secretary of State: “I am sick and tired of people who say that if you debate and you disagree with this administration somehow you’re not patriotic. We should stand up and say we are Americans and we have a right to debate and disagree with any administration.”
For more:
Politico, The Hill, Talking Points Memo, and so on.
Cutter’s remark angered Team Romney aides, who noted that — with the exception of Romney’s statement condemning the administration on the night of September 11 — Romney and Ryan have not, in fact emphasized Libya in their campaigning. One campaign aide called Cutter’s words “outrageous” and said the candidates might soon respond.
At the media center here in Danville before the vice presidential debate, I asked Cutter whether the Libyan attack, which left Ambassador Christopher Stevens and three other Americans dead, should be part of the campaign. Yes, she said, but only if it takes the form of a solution-oriented discussion. “I think that if candidates have legitimate points to make and constructive policies to put on the table of what they would do differently, it’s a legitimate topic,” Cutter said. “But to come out the night of an attack and accuse the administration of something and politicizing it from the beginning is not right, and I think that Mitt Romney was fairly criticized for that.”
In the words of the Secretary of State: “I am sick and tired of people who say that if you debate and you disagree with this administration somehow you’re not patriotic. We should stand up and say we are Americans and we have a right to debate and disagree with any administration.”
For more:
Politico, The Hill, Talking Points Memo, and so on.