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DUBLIN, OH – Former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright said her impression after attending a recent Mitt Romney speech is that "there's just nothing going on" with the Republican presidential nominee. She said his understanding of foreign policy not only lacks depth but diminishes U.S. standing abroad.
Fmr. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright joins Morning Joe to discuss the lingering war in Afghanistan, Romney's criticism of President Obama's foreign policy record, the latest in Syria and why Romney didn't mention Afghanistan in his RNC speech.
"He is so two-dimensional. I mean, up close and personal, there's just nothing going on," she said.
Speaking at a Women for Obama rally here just outside of Columbus, OH on Sunday, Albright told the crowd that she had recently been on hand when Romney delivered his address at the Clinton Global Initiative in New York.
"It's the sense that I've had throughout the campaign that it's unclear what [Romney] really believes in," Albright told reporters after the event. "I think when you contrast him with President Obama, who also gave a speech later there, and President Clinton, who spoke several times there, there is not, kind of, a sense of depth."
Albright also mentioned the video of Romney suggesting that 47 percent of Americans view themselves as victims, arguing that the comments "diminish us in many different ways" and that the former Massachusetts governor's rhetoric sounds like he wants to start another war.
Albright, who in 1996 was appointed by President Bill Clinton to become the first female secretary of state, has been an active surrogate for President Barack Obama's re-election campaign. She has traveled to swing states across the country, often reaching out to women voters. Sunday's event came just two days before Ohio begins early voting -- and while she did mention women's issues -- most of her speech was aimed at discrediting Romney's foreign policy views.
While speaking at the Clinton Global Initiative, GOP presidential hopeful Mitt Romney offered his take on why current US foreign aid practices are generally ineffective, saying that building a strong nation through free enterprise is the best assistance America can provide to developing and impoverished nations.
The former top diplomat also defended the Obama administration’s handling of the recent attack on a U.S. Consulate in Libya, telling reporters, "I think they said what they knew, when they knew it."
The attack, which U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice originally said was spontaneous, has since been deemed by the administration as a coordinated and planned effort. The Romney campaign pounced on what they described as mixed messages.
White House senior adviser David Plouffe said on NBC's "Meet The Press" that it was not initially clear if the attack in Benghazi was an act of terror, while Obama campaign senior adviser David Axelrod said on CNN's "State of the Union" that, "The president called it an act of terror the day after it happened."
“The Obama White House and the Obama campaign can’t seem to get their stories straight on the attack on our consulate in Libya,” Romney spokesperson Ryan Williams said in press release.
“These inconsistencies raise even more questions about the confusion and mixed messages that have marked the White House’s response from the very beginning.”
Albright accused Republicans of politicizing the death of four Americans.
"It takes a while to know what all the facts are. So I believe that the administration is telling us what they know and they are being very careful not to get ahead of the whole investigative process," she said. "We also support the president's re-election because we want a chief executive who actually understands foreign policy."
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As Sec. of State, Madeline Albright could run circles around Willard when it comes to foreign policy. She knows an empty suit when she sees one!
Albright was probably the worst Sec. State this country ever had... her incompetence knows no bounds. On his worst day Mitt Romney shows more competence than that crazy old biddy.
So she is supporting an empty chair over Romney.
Ambassador Stevens trusted obama. WE see how well that worked for him.
Your first statement is obviously speculative and without supportive evidence. Your second statement is an insult that is illogical and one that is impossible for you to know.
Personally, I feel sorry for those few Americans that didn't gather together to mourn this tragedy, choosing instead to politicize it. The rest of us are putting aside politics during a time of tragedy.
Martha honey... It's bedtime, and you've got school tomorrow!
Martha, Martha, Martha
Never have I heard so many opinions and statements backed with so little knowledge or actual facts. Well, with the exception of Kingsnake. However, that does make Romney the perfect candidate for you. He'll be sure to fill your heads with empty talk and small words that are easy to follow and repeat to others.
Too bad the majority of America isn't buying it...
Obama can NOT run on his sorry record!!
[I]f you don't have any fresh ideas, then you use stale tactics to scare the voters. If you don't have a record to run on, then you paint your opponent as someone people should run from." That is what Barack Obama said when he accepted his party's presidential nomination in 2008. Four years later, it reads like a prophetic description of his re-election campaign.
See story in washingtonexaminer.com
Then why does he talk about his record in every stump speech Einstein? What is it like within your delusional fantasy world where down is up and up is down?
So it is okay to insult Israel and our greatest ally and thinking that there is still a Soviet Union controlling Poland....that is smart as any foreign policy expert would tell you right? If you believe that I have a bridge for sale, a pretty orange bridge spanning the Golden Gate. Madeline Albright didn't go around insulting UK nor Poland nor Israel. She knew that there was no more USSR. Mit, on the other hand.....well, he just "mispoke" on his foreign trip. Riiiight!!!
ROTFLMAO,
Who is madeline Albright? That is what the World would say. As SOS she was so insignificant no one gave her mind. Now PMSNBC parades her as an authority. With Afghanistan in shambles, the Middle East in open Jihad, Japan ignored as China lays claims to southern islands. Taiwan on alert, Israel prepping to go into Iran. Muslim Riots in Bangladesh. Protesting and rioting in France, Spain, Poland and Greece.
Yep we see the great policy of the obama administration. Took them two weeks to figure out what Romney said the first day. It was an act of terrorism.
Who are they going to parade out next to support obam? Castro, Chavez, Putin?
Willard would have trouble debating himself on all of the issues. After-all he's taken both sides on everyone of them. Maybe he's looking for 50% of the undecided vote?
"Madeleine Albright: 'There's just nothing going on' with Romney"
This has been dingbat should know.
I wasted valuable time reading NBCNEWS. When will I ever learn?
Your right you should go back to Fox Entertainment, the Enquirer for TV.
Albright was a disgrace as Secretary of State. Her condemnation of Romney is an endorsement for anyone familiar with her tenure as Sec. State.
What foreign policy do you want President Obama to implement ?
USA be the bully of the world ? Maybe the beast of the middle east ? The dominator of east asia ?
Foreign policy is a balancing act. What is good for one region or nation may not be applicable to another.
Well since we have gone from Arab Spring to Jihad Fall I would say stop funding every pissant country in the world would be a start.
Its real simple. I have friends, Neighbors and enemies. I love my friends, help my neighbors and laugh my ass off when my enemies fail.
As we speak, protesters in Okinawa are attacking personnel trying to enter and leave the base at MCAS Futenema. The government wants us there as a buffer for China, locals, understandably do not.
What is obama doing about anything other than his golf handicap?
... aandd here's Secretary Albright, a relic from the Clinton Administration; a shameful era of full employment, plummeting deficits, balanced budgets, alert intelligence and high American prestige throghout the world. (Anybody here remember the picture of Rabin and Arafat shaking hands, while the much- derided and despised President Bubba beamed at them? I'll never forget it.)
George Shrub campaigned on a promise to "restore dignity and honor to the White House." He didn't add, "and also naked aggression, blatant and habitual lying, cronyism on a scale that would have sickened Harding or Grant, war crimes, legendary incompetence, and scaring the sawdust out of our allies." If he'd actually spelled out his- excuse me, Dick's- vision for governing America, Gore would have won the election. Oh- waitaminnit...
We've already had a preview of RoMoney's foreign policy chops up close, which is more of a fair warning than we got with the Son of a Bush. My guess is that the Far Right doesn't worry overmuch about offending or scaring our allies, because who cares what a bunch of dang furriners think anyway?
At least Dubya had some experienced hands surrounding him; his corporate masters had observed his performance as Governor of Texas (a job so easy it's almost impossible to screw up, even if you're trying to) and concluded that he couldn't be left without adult supervision for an instant. So he got Darth Cheney, Colin Powell, Condi Rice, and a raft of others, and still managed to screw the Iraqi pooch in a way that won't be fixed during the lifetime of anybody reading this. Y'all remember- we started a war on the basis of stupid, transparent lies, squandered all the goodwill and respect built up overseas during the Clinton and Bush 41 administrations, in order to get control of their oil- and then didn't get the oil?!? (I know , the RWNJ's will have a ready- made excuse as to why that's Obama's fault too.)
How quickly, and determinedly, they forget. During the Bush 43 years, American prestige plummeted to the lowest level it's seen ever, during the whole history of our great Republic. Even the Soviet Union was admired and respected; even Nazi Germany was held up as an example of the govenment of the future. Bush's America was simply an international schoolyard bully, a Hell's Angel with aircraft carriers and nukes. RoMoney promises a return to those days, except without the competence or the economic strength to back it up. The heart quails at the thought.
Guess you have not kept up with current affairs. Obama has brought America's prestige to an even lower level. Check PEW Research for results.
>>>> PEW SURVEY <<<<
Obama 53 Romney 39
PEW Survey
Amican Prestige Abroad
Middel East George Bush 39 Obam 15
Europe Bush 62 percent obama 38 percent
Asia Bush 40 percetn obam 12
Yeah obam has really helped our prestige abroad. I guess Putin likes him. He probably refers to obam as "my bitch"
and Martha, please provide your sources that Susan Rice or the POTUS knew within 24 hours that it was a terrorist attack.
kati, don't feed the troll, she cuts and pastes the same rant on a daily basis. regurgitating limbaugh's fantasy.
Obama 2012
Well Mitt Romney Did. So I guess we have a clear choice in November.
You have to remember. It was obama that called the Ft. Hood attack a case of "work place violence." Guess the Allah Akabar means nothing to him. Ir is obama who has delayed or stopped the prosecution of all U.S.S. Cole conspirators. In fact, what Muslim has the Muslim prosecuted.
Thank Goodness for Hillary Clinton. The only American in the obama Administration.
BTW, according to NSA ,obam was warned three days in advance about trouble in Benghazi prepping for September 11. Guess he was to busy working on his golf swing to alert anyone.
Proud -
How do you square Romoney being a military service avoider by going to France? My dad was badly injured in WW2 and was never the same - when a guy like Willard takes off rather than serving - it makes me sick.
Suzq. Interesting question indeed. How come obam never registered for selective service. Because he was a foreign exchange student then. Apparently he did not become an American until he became a Senator.
Of course obam did claim his father fought in WWII. Odd because he would have been 10 then.
Any more interesting questions you have?
@ katinseatt, Statement of Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on September 13th.
Martha, for the last time, get to BED!
Proudamericanvet-
Pres Obama would have been 18 in 1979. What WAR would you have wanted him to serve in? While Mitt was Viet Nam era and "walked rather than serve." Still how do you as a vet, square that?
I do not believe that he would have been able to be a senator without being a citizen - maybe check that fact.
The other mis-information you have is that Pres Obama didn't claim his father fought in WW2 - it was his maternal GRANDFATHER. This is a well-known fact.
Thanks for you military service!
Romney's understanding of foreign policy "lacks depth."
Bingo
Romney is to foreign policy as roaches are to Raid
Obama is to the economy as money is to pockets.. As a taxpayer mine are getting pretty bare..
Romney himself "lacks depth." The man is a walking cardboard cut-out ad for Grecian formula.
Madeline Albright, an extraordinarily astute woman, saw right through romney, smart and very capable, respected here and abroad. Right wingers, grouse and gripe all you want, doesn't alter the fact romney is unfit for the Presidency, domestically or internationally.
Obama 2012
And less going on with Obama- 2 US Credit down grades, 1.3% GNP, 23 million unemployed, 16 trillion in debt., pushed Fed. Res. to print 40 billion a year to stimulate economy,failed foreign policy, gas /food prices rising,40% increase on welfare rolls, more poor in US since 1960's,largest tax ever Obamacare - tax working Americans to death,bailedout a foreign auto company 55 billion -unions made out ,tax payers still owed 23 billion as GM opens plants in China and Mexico,Delphi ,Ohio-agreed with unions and 70,000 non union workers lost their pension and jobs, coal industry- shutting down 12 coal fired plants in Ohio-cost of energy will go up,the list goes on......Romney 2012!
nice try, but the distraction attempt fails. your talking points are worn-out bull@!$%#, and irrelevant to Romney's lack of depth (e.g., the Teapublicans caused the downgrade, not Obama)
The economy is a distraction? Yeah its a heck of a distraction for obam because he has completely failed.
America wanted jobs..we have gay marriage
America wanted secure borders, obam opened the borders.
America wanted budget control and restrained sending. obama gave us a down grade, 6 trillion in debt and no budget
Yep.. the economy is a helluva a distraction for nobama
simply parroting talking points is not discussion
Madeleine Albright was, and still is an embarrassment to the US. I wonder if George Soros is paying her to say these stupid things or whether she is going to get a free cellphone from BOZO for trying to get him elected.
ahh! the debunked 'obama-phone' scandal, how ill-informed of you to still tout that bull@!$%#
It's actually the Reagan Phone, since he began the program. It was expanded to include cel phones in 2008, under George W. Bush. Having said that, it's not a government run program. It's run by the Universal Service Administrative Company, a private corporation.
http://www.fcc.gov/lifeline
The program is called Lifeline, established in 1984 was originally created to subsidize landline phone service for low income Americans, funded by government-collected telecommunication fees, paid by consumers.
In 2008, the program was expanded to support cell phones which quickly escalated the cost of the program. In 2008 the program cost $772 million, but by 2011 it cost $1.6 billion.
Check out obamaphone.net
Okay Martha, I'm taking away your Iphone, Ipad and all access to the internet!
reg...
You have to stop pointing out the truth because you are embarrassing the liberals on here.
Saint's comment is empty of genuine content.
bush program, google it. You can apply again. Madeline Albright never an embarrassment, not like W rubbing Angela Merkel shoulders at a G2 summit.
Obama 2012
Sky -
You nailed it!
Obama 2012
Albright was not just an embarrassment she harmed America's vital interests... she was a terrible Sec. State.
Who knows? Obama's 'Socialism' may have a slight edge over Romney's 'Plutocracy', but either way they both support 'Corporate Fascism'.
Would you rather come face-to-face with a barracuda or a shark?
The American people must take control of their government before we are completely castrasted.
Too late. Americans should prepare for the inevitable and hope that future generations ( if America has a future) will learn from our mistakes,
I agree that the shallow man's defeat is inevitable.
Benji you are being too generous describing Obama as a shallow man... shallow suggests that there is at least some depth... wherein Obama there is none.
He's not totally inept on foreign matters...he definitely knows which countries to dump his tax evas...er, excuse me...tax AVOIDANCE money!
I have seen Hussein's foreign policy. Americans being killed in America, because he sells guns to Mexican terrorists. Americans being killed in Afghanistan and Libya, because he does not care. Oops, he had a busy campaign appearance in Nevada, followed by Letterman, Jay-Z, Beyonce, and of course those stellar know-nothings, like Joy, Whoopi, and Barbara on the View.
Does anybody have what she said about Obama in 2008 with him having no foreign policy experience?
Secretary Albright is VERY intelligent and wise, She was a very good Secretary of State. We had no serious wars except for the Bosnia/Kosovo situation. I respect her.
and the USS Cole, Khobar Towers, the Bin Laden Fiasco times 2, Iran, North Korea. The attacks in Kenya on the Embassies. In all of these Albright prevent the FBI from investigating on scene. Guess obam got that from her. Of course you should go back and look at Albright's comments about Saddam Hussein and WMD.
Guess she lied.
Well, we all see how well Obama's foreign policy is working in the middle east. Instability, terrorist organizations taking over Egypt, Iran developing nuclear weapons, many countries burning, widespread rioting, dead American ambassador and embassy staff, Isreal on it's own. How could Romney or anyone else for that matter, do any worse?
NBC had to dig DEEP to find someone that would agree with their agenda.
Really? She's the first person to say that Romney has no foreign policy expertise? Yeah sure...
Mitt has no depth and no foreign policy expertise. He disguises his lack of expertise with false bravado that pleases his big-money donors. The rest of us see right through him...
Neither does the empty chair in the White House. Of course everyone agrees that no one apologizes like obama.
However the one country obam should apologize to is THIS ONE.
Obama never apologized for anything. I defy you to give me even one quote.
That's BS and you know it.
I never thought I would ever see the day that I would prefer the Presidency of George W Bush over another Republican but; by God Romney takes the cake. His campaign persons and spokespersons speak like they just smoked a joint and George W Bush on the drunkest day of his Presidency had and still has more sense about how foreign and domestic relations work than poor Romney. I believe that Romney was behind the door when they were passing out brains and he thought they said trains so he said, just let it go on by. Paul Ryan should quit politics and work as a missionary to the Canadian Northeast, freeze his tail off a little and maybe a brain cell might work that people in community should try and look out for one another.
If your vision of foreign policy is to apologize and send money to those who attack us, for certain obam is your lady.
The request for Willard is: please submit to the American people the list of companies that you are investing now and the ones you dropped in order to run for president, like the ones with Iran, China, etc.