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Subscribe to RSSAsked on a rope line if he would have "gone after" Osama bin Laden, if he would have "given the order," presumptive Republican nominee Mitt Romney responded, "Of course, of course. Even Jimmy Carter would have given that order."
The former President Carter, of course, did undertake a risky hostage rescue attempt in Iran in 1980 that failed -- and cost Carter dearly politically. It sealed an image of a weak president. That coupled with a weak economy, ultimately led to Ronald Reagan's landslide victory.
If the bin Laden raid had failed in similar fashion, Republicans would have surely portrayed President Obama in the same way.
Romney and the GOP have tried to paint Obama as a Jimmy Carter caricature, anyway, weak and inept. Reports have indicated, however, that the call to undertake the raid was not with 100 percent certainty. Intelligence, White House officials said, was thought to be about 50-50 that bin Laden was in the compound.
"At the end of the day, the president assessed that it was a circumstantial case, and it was probably a 50-50 chance that Osama bin Laden was there," said Tom Donilon, National Security Adviser, last year following the raid.
Vice President Joe Biden has said he advised Obama against going through with the raid.
The Obama campaign has questioned whether Romney would have given the order. In a video released Friday, a graphic asks, "Which path would Mitt Romney have taken?” the ad asks. It highlights this Romney quote: “It’s not worth moving heaven and earth spending billions of dollars just trying to catch one person.”
Obama campaign adviser Robert Gibbs defended the video on Meet the Press on Sunday, saying, "I don’t think it’s clear that he would" have ordered the raid.
Ed Gillespie, an adviser to the Romney campaign and former Bush adviser, though, said: “This is one of the reasons President Obama has become one of the most divisive presidents in American history. He took something that was a unifying event … and he’s managed to turn it into a divisive, partisan, political attack. … I think most Americans will see it as a sign of a desperate campaign.”
The Obama campaign posted a video called, "Forward," that highlights his record in the past three years, including again touting the killing of bin Laden. The video will be played ahead of the president's first "official" campaign events -- in Virginia and Ohio.
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"Even Jimmy C. would have given that order"
There is no doubt Carter would have as he did in Iran. Just goes to show you how out of touch with reality Mittwit is and how twisted the repubs are when it comes to facts and history. They and the corporate media painted Carter with the weakness brush while making treasonous back room deals for weapons with the enemy in order to put their movie actor/puppet Reagan in power. Vote republican if you like treason.
This is the lying repukes plan.
IF anyone listens to me speak I can tell a lie and hope voters are listing to me for the first time. Which they will think I am telling the truth and the dems are lying and if they listen to FIX NEWS, Rush pill popper, and the conservative media they will take my lie as the truth, thus I have just gained a solid vote.
Continue the same process on every issue to create the greatest confusion on planet earth, insuring the voters will be discussed - not vote or vote for the wrong person with the most lies because you heard them 200 billion times.
It's up to the responsible media to want to get the facts out there and not present a lie like "WMD's" ever again.
Besides the repuke party hopes you can't remember what you ate for breakfast but you can retain a 30 lie ad.
Thing is, Jimmy Carter served in the U.S. Military. He volunteered for the submarine service and was selected by Admiral Hyman Rickover (a notoriously tough man, famous in the Navy for hand picking the officers who could serve in the submarine service) as one of the officers to help develop the first nuclear power plant for American Subs.
Mitt Romney used three years of school deferments while in school and then 2.5 years of deferments as a Morman missionary in France. On December 1st of 1969 the first Selective Service lottery was held for everyone born between the years of 1944 and 1950. The highest number taken that year was 195. If the number for your birth date was higher than that you weren't going to be drafted. Mitt's number (March 12th) came up as 300. In December of 1970, he dropped his deferments and became eligible for the draft.
Mitt Romney would have wet his pants were he faced with decisions made by any of the presidents.
It appears that Romney's avoidance of participating in the Viet Nam era came not from conviction but from cowardice. He represents everything America should be ashamed of. It amazes one to realize that such a worm could have gotten to the top of one of our major political parties until you look at the bottom of that party.
Ah, the Marines took care of Bin Ladin with help from intelligence agencies. That intelligence didn't come from the White House. They just sat back in leather chairs looking concerned as it was going down and took the credit for it. What a pathetic president. Give the credit to those who deserve it.
Right. And Harry Truman didn't drop the bomb, Major Tibbets did. Similarly, US soldiers invaded Iraq, not George Bush.
One of the most lame arguments I've ever heard.
Please give references to any time that Obama did not credit the team that actually followed his orders. Are you really stupid enough to think the POTUS should lead the squad? How many Secret Service officers would have to go with him?
PS - it was not marines, it was a Seal squad. IDIOT!
I vote Allegro for the position of stupidest poster on the vine. Hey, I know it is a hard choice, but take a look at what he types.
Every time morons like him post something, 100 votes swing toward the left! LOL
Have to agree. I give Allegro the vote for stupidest comment. Anyone who was ever in the military knows things like this are done at the highest levels. The Seals executed the order the the President gave the order. Having been a marine I know we like to take credit for being the toughest and bravest but dude this was a Seal/Navy op.
Romney shows his true colors...Grey. He has no opinion, no idea, just throw any blame or insult out there and see what sticks. Nice job taking a national tragedy and politicisingit. This was the worst thing that had happend to our nation, this was pre 9/11 and everybody was counting days that the hostages were held. Carter was not a good president in my opinion, but he made a tough decision and it went terribly wrong. He also had the disadvantage of a military that had trained to fight in Siberia thinking our next war would be with the soviets. At the time, we did not do sand or Arab intelligence very well. Obama made a tough decision, and it went almost perfect. Romney would still be waffling and looking for someone else to make it for him. Obama has gotten more of a backbone this last year, and is still better than Romney would be. I don't agree with them making a big deal about the anniversary for political reasons, its dangerous. We did a good job, he's gone, now just move on.
Carter was painted into a corner by the new and upcoming Neo-Conservative propaganda machine that had realized that if a president goes down, the whole team goes down. Remember the Nixon era?
So they did everything they could to make Carter look bad (including making a guns for hostages deal with the religious fanatics in Iran to keep the hostages until the puppet, Reagan, was sworn in).
If they had not been so hell bent on getting into control to make short term profit for their supporters, we would be a long way toward energy self sufficiency. Alternative energy research was a major push by Carter, but it did not fit with the Texas oil industry's vision of how they should continue to reap huge piles of money out of the American pocket.
Guess where that led us? Now it is recognized by everyone that the biggest threat to our way of life stems from dependency on Arab oil.
Carter was so far ahead of the idiots duped into joining the right wing they could not see him down the road in front of them.
Get it?
Wasn't it just an amazing coincidence that the day after Reagan was sworn in the hostages were suddenly released? Makes me wonder what deals the Republs made with Iran.
Agree, made almost the same post a couple days ago.
Carter was a bad president. Not because his decision to try and free the hostages in Iran through military force, but because he did not delegate well. He tried to run everything himself and couldn't.
Carter has made a much better diplomat since leaving office than he was ever as a president. He is genuinely an honest and nice guy and people like working with him to solve problems.
People check under the table for concealed weapons when dealing with Romney.
Flip Romney President Jimmy Cater did give that order. But the rescue failed.
The difference is you said "Quote: Why waste billions looking for one person. End Quote. Are you lying? Or our eyes is lying based on your caught on tape quote. What's more disturbing is your quote suggest you would never make the call President Obama or President Jimmy Cater made. You Flip Romney Noodle are a failure and you will say anything to be President and the American people can see right through your billions. You will never be President. Never.
But you right wing fools can keep hope alive.
President Obama picked the phone up at 3:00am and made one of the bravest call in US History and I want him to pick up the phone for the next four years.
Just because I like the President. He is a good man, father and husband.
Thank you President Obama I trust you to continue to keep us safe.
Careful, M.T. Suit -- you're going to lose President Carter's endorsement, and since you're still trying to negotiate with Newt and Santorum for their endorsements, you can use all the friends you can get. Of course, you could always buy another dog.
JFK proved with his assassination attempt on Castro what your "commander in chiefs" are capable of......Carter was probably your only President with the moral integrity not to approve assassinations .....what he would or would have not done about Bin Laden is surely not a campaign issue.....Mitt keeps proving that he's an even worse alternative than Obama........
Romney is an idiot, why would anyone vote for this buffoon? I guess just a deep hatred for a minority in the "White" house would be enough for some conservatives.
Romney is nothing but a jerk. He is an attack dog with absolutely no good ideas and constantly repeats himself. I sure don't want him leading this country.
And lately, he is mimmicking or copycating everything President Obama says! Guess, he doesn't have any ideas of his own that would appeal to us since he is a flip-flopping, lying, inept, robot puppet of the GOP/teabaggers/Koch Bros. Those are the gods he believes in! Obama 2012
Now he's even trying to take credit for GM's survival. He says, President Obama took HIS advice and took GM through managed bankruptcy.
What he actually said was, "Let them go bankrupt." In his plan (if he had one, he didn't elaborate until later when it was obvious GM had been saved) GM's bankruptcy would lead to a reorganization funded by PRIVATE investors. Except, of course, at that time there weren't any.
And Romney still fumes about the deal that funded the retired GM workers health care (inadequately funded by GM) with new GM stock.
And if this GM's retired workers health care fund had been "abandoned" as Romney suggested, what would have happened to it? It would have been taken over by the government, and we taxpayers would be stuck with the bill.
No thank you, Gov. Romney. And please: try to tell the whole story, not just the part you want.
Mr. Romney's comment about President Carter was mindless. A person who wants to be President should be above that sort of thing. Mr. Romney is empty.
Jimmy Carter??
He was a Naval Academy Grad, and a commissioned officer in the US Navy.
willard dodged the draft, and ran to.... France.
I like grits !!!
K1200: You said it brother. The favorite whipping boy of the GOP, Jimmy Carter served this nation with vastly more distinction that Willard ever has or will.
But accoreding to Mittens he "wishes he had had the chance to serve in Viet Nam". Wonder what stopped him? Perhaps the military would not allow him to keep his magic underwear??? LOL
WHY SOOOOOOOO JEALOUS REPUBLICANS ?????? ; i mean , even ya'll should appreciate the fact that we are not wondering in those WMD DESERTS ANYMORE !!!!!!!
OBAMA TOOK OUT '' USAMA BIN LADIN '' IN ONLY 36 MONTHS !!!!!!!! ; but it's apparent the republican conservatives liked wondering in the WMD deserts. they seem to have grown accustomed to BANKRUPTING AMERICA ON THEIR WAR OF LIES. 8 YEARS , AND ALL BUSH LEFT AMERICA WITH IS A FLAG THAT READ '' MISSION ACCOMPLISHED '' !!!!!!!!!!! haaaaaaaa haaaaaaaaaaaaaa heeeeeeeee heeeeeeeeeeee waaaaa waaaaaaaaaaaa did president obama catch bin ladin ??? waaaaaaaaa waaaaaaaaaaaaa !!!!!!!!!!!! BUNCH OF DITTO ZOMBIE '' CRY BABIES '' !!!!!!!!!!!!
ROMNEY IS NOT A LIKABLE GUY , that filthy rich crook has no personality !!!!! ; he is just a pair of dirty jeans , filled with jealousy for president Obama. no matter how much money he has , he cannot buy class. which is something he doesn't possess at 65 yrs. old , and never will !!!!!!! WONDER WHAT THE CLOSET KLANSMAN , THINK ABOUT THE CLOSET POLYGAMIST ????
Under Reagan and Bush: $3.4 Trillion increase in the debt.
But wait, there's interest on that debt ... GO HOME YOU TRICKLED DOWN ECONOMIC REPUBLICAN CONSERVATIVE STEAL FROM THE DIRT POOR AND GIVE TO THE FILTHY RICH 1%ers '' H I P O C R I T !!!!!!!!!
Just like a mortgage, the debt earns interest, and so the Reagan-Bush-I debt grew during the Clinton years. The average debt interest rate in those years was about 6.5%, which would increase it over 50% without compounding, but with compound interest the total debt – including interest – increased by $2.2 trillion.
If the Republicans had not run up this $12 Trillion debt, we could easily have pulled out of the Great Recession.
MARK MY WORDS ; as soon as the lincoln party takes full control of congress , PROGRESS WILL REIGN IN !!!!!!! and we will all live happily ever after
The party of Lincoln???? Today's GOP bears zero resemblence to the party of 1860. People like Lincoln would have been tossed out of the party for being too "Liberal" The Republican Party of that era actually cared about all Americans, not just the rich and influential.
Oh, and BTW, this very same "Party of Lincoln" did control the White House, the Senate, the House not to mention the Supreme Court for the better part of the last decade and just as in 1929, they brought us one of the worst economic downturns in the history of this nation. Why the hell would anyone want to go back to that disasterous era???
YOU ARE RIGHT OZZIE ; people with common sense can see that the obama adm. is closere to lincoln then the republicans. THEY ARE SOOOOO JEALOUS OF THIS MAN !!!!!!!!!!
Someone needs to confront Willard "I wish I had served in Nam but didn't" Romney that Jimmy Carter served in the navy as a high ranking officer for a decade, unlike Chickenhawks such as Romney, his 5 sons and for that matter Cheney & Bush. And no, being in the Air National Guard at the peak of Viet Nam era and never bothering to show up for training does not count.
The Right just loves to thump their chests and strut around like tough guys but when you look at their records, it's amazing how so few GOP politicians have actually served.
I sure hope that once the campaign really gets going that the Obama team as well as the DNC expose Romeny for the total fraud and empty suit that he is.
Mitt just keeps changing his stance on major issues. No surprise here then. Won't be the last time he's forced to own up to what he's said previously. And Ed, how can this be the act of a desperate campaign when all polls averaged show him up by 5%?? Nice try. I know, I know, reality is tough for you guys.
Funny and I agree. Any president would have given the order after being advised by the military and intelligence agencies about probable sucess. This is Obama using the military for political gain, just like Bush did.
Really?? Obama said he'd get him and he did. That's using the military for political gain? Bin Laden was public enemy #1 and killed 3,000+ Americans. The President did what needed to be done. After the fact, he didn't parade around on an aircraft carrier with a banner proclaiming victory.
The military, foreign policy and the economy have been used in every presidential campaign, by every candidate, in every election, since day one. Where the hell have you been??
This guy Romney is a condescending a$$. Does he not get that he talks above everyone, the snooty plastic wanna be. Poor republicans.
Right... Carter served 10 years in the military; Romney 0. Carter took the chance to get our people back; Romney, given his "he won't have gone after Bin laden"*, wouldn't have done anything. Romney just put down our finest military people who put their lives on the line for this country.
* but now, in true Romney fashion "of course he would have given the order." New GOP symbol should change from an Elephant to a dolphin ("Fipper")
Romney himself has previously answered the question of whether or not he would have given the order. He has stated a number of times that he would listen to his advisors on military matters. We know that President Obama went against the advice he received. By his own admission, Romney would not have.
Unfortunately for you, Obama was right and you are just right wing. LOL
Mitt Romney is Awsome!
Bill Clinton failed to take bin laden out when he had the opportunity in the '90's, he cowarded out.
Obama's advisers are the ones who made the final decision to take out bin laden.
Just some facts.
God Bless!
Tomo, You were close, Mitt Romney is Awful, but Republiclones don't spell too well.
How come you didn't mention George Woeful Bush? Did you forget that he was our last president for 8 years? If so, I can understand. He was a true Wiener! A president who at time of war was a DESERTER... great example!
"I don't know where bin Laden is. I have no idea and really don't care. It's not that important. It's not our priority." George Worst Bush 3/13/02 Wash.
Yes, anyone, including Willard, would have given the order to kill Osama Bin Laden but would he have succeeded? His buddy Dubya, tried unsuccessfully for 7 yrs. to get him and didn't succeed. President Obama "got er done" 2 1/2 yrs. into his Presidency!! And that's just one of his many accomplishments in 3.5 yrs. and the best is yet to come!
Obama 2012!
Sharong, Good honest try, but George Wimp Bush never tried to get bin Laden. He was too busy giving tax breaks to the rich and screwing the middle class and poor, which is typical of Republican presidents.
I've asked this question, literally hundreds of times on internet, and have never received a reply from any staunch Republican. So I'll try again.
President G.W.Bush was president of our Great Nation for 8 years. Can someone tell me 8 good things he did for ALL Americans during that time? OK, how about 4? I'll make it easy for you Republiclones... Just give me ONE?
Romney, again, is in error.
Carter did give the order. The mission failed. Carter knew the risk and was willing to accept that risk for the greater good.
The question is this. How many politicians would take a "risk" for the greater good with the full knowledge that failure could easily destroy thier careers, or their lives.
Carter was the president and acted as one.
Would Romney risk his reputation or his wealth for you? Does his track record indicate in any way, that he would put himself on "the line?"
You're wrong, Barry - Carter knew that the Iranian-held hostages were the death of his hopes for re-election, so he approved a hare-brained "rescue attempt" which had almost no chance of success (and which failed spectacularly, harming our prestige and costing American lives) in a desperate attempt to salvage his floundering political career. How you can turn that into an act of "moral courage" is beyond me. Worse, the main reason we even had the mess to deal with in the first place was because Carter had utterly gutted our intel capacities (incl. in Iran) and had compounded that error by waivering on his support for the Shah (thereby insuring not only that the Shah would get kicked out but that we would get no credit from the incoming, Khomeni regime). I watched it happen, up close and from inside, and I find myself so enraged by your revisionist history that I am practically moved to violence. Calling you foul names isn't adequate to the contempt I feel for you and your lying opinions.
@olde: Wow!