E-mail updates
Follow on Twitter
Subscribe to RSS
VAN METER, Iowa -- Mitt Romney said Tuesday that he had actually met one of the Navy SEALs to have been killed in the Sept. 11 attacks on the American consulate in Benghazi, Libya.
Evan Vucci / AP
Republican presidential candidate, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney shakes hands during a campaign rally, Tuesday, Oct. 9, 2012, in Van Meter, Iowa.
A day after delivering a major foreign policy speech -- which included sharp criticism of President Barack Obama's response to the terrorist attack -- Romney acknowledged having met the SEAL, Glen Doherty, during a past holiday party.
"This is kind of a strange story so bear with me here," Romney told an audience on a farm outside of Des Moines. He went on to say that he and his wife, Ann Romney, had been invited to a neighborhood Christmas party a few years ago, but they inadvertently went to the wrong party.
"We were a little embarrassed, but they treated us well nonetheless. And I got to meet some really interesting people," Romney continued.
One of them, Romney said, was a former Navy SEAL from Romney's home state of Massachusetts.
"He told me that he keeps going back to the Middle East," Romney recalled.
"He cares very deeply about the people there. He served in the military there, went back from time to time to offer security services and so forth to people there. You can imagine how I felt when I found out that he was one of the two former Navy SEALS killed in Benghazi on September 11th."
The events in Benghazi have become a charged issue in the campaign, as Obama defends himself against charges that the consulate was poorly protected.
The attack resulted in the death of U.S. Ambassador Christopher Stevens, the first ambassador killed in the line duty in three decades. Three other Americans were killed, including two former U.S. Navy SEALs working as security contractors.
The Romney campaign later confirmed to reporters that the man Romney met at that party in La Jolla, CA, several years ago was Doherty, of Winchester, Mass.
A neighbor of Romney's reached out to the candidate last week to notify Romney of the coincidence. Doherty's sister said the campaign had notified her family that Romney would speak about the late SEAL, and the family set up a foundation in his honor in anticipation of the mention.
Leave a Comment:
How low can Romney go? Bring out the hankies.
The Obama campaign goes down in flames tomorrow. The truth will set us free.
The U.S. mission in Libya recorded 230 "security incidents" over a one-year period between 2011 and 2012, according to a State Department document that provides the most expansive view yet of the concerns on the ground in the run-up to the deadly Sept. 11 consulate attack.
The document was obtained by the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, which is preparing to hold a high-profile hearing on Wednesday featuring security officers who served in Libya.
socsillizem
Only if the media actually reports it, CanYouSpell. These sheep only believe what they hear and read on MSNBC. They wouldn't know a news story unless it was told by Chris Tingle Up My Leg Mathews or Rachel the Wicked Witch Maddow.
Isn't it interesting thet there is absolutely no mention by MSNBC of the hearing taking place today? This isn't a news agency, it's a propoganda machine.
The man just can't be trusted to tell the truth.
Or maybe he just can't remember which "truth" he has told is factual.
Today's truth is different from yesterdays truth? Who knows.
The producers of Sesame Street have asked Obama to take down his "Big Bird" commercial as even they were embarassed by how dumb it is.
Big Bird rakes in a cool 45 M per year on merchandise sales - he has a very successful business it appears. Let's ask him what he thinks of Obama's tax hike plans.....
Big Bird one of the 1% - who'd a thought it? Clearly, he must be evil too.
The whole PBS gets $444 million from tax payers.
they filed net worth of $350 million
Think of how many people could be helped by this money...job training, healthcare, etc...
So what does that mean: "I met seal who was killed in Libya." Another Romney merit badge??? With all due respect to the seal's family, friends and loved ones; it is outrageous to use a chance meeting as a campaign bragging/talking point. This is public sector sacrilege at its worst.
Want to talk Mitt? Deny you and Paul are lying when you are called liars instead of responding with broad-brush, gray area answers to everything real Americans want to know about you, your intentions and your plans for "fixing" everything you guys think is wrong in America.
America, you know how we can tell Mitt and Paul are lying - when they move their lips. Sort of like used car salesmen!
Another example of how low the Republicans will go too USE the Service members for personal gain...
Dude we know you and "Ayn Rand" lover Paul Lyan are saying and doing anything too get elected and using the death of a former seal for personal gain is nothing new too Republican Politicians..
Don't forget too pin that American flag on the suit and walk around telling everyone just how proud you are too be an American all the while you hide your money in foreign country banks and send American jobs overseas...
Military personel favor Romney over Obama by a 2:1 margin. How's that for endorsing the Commander-In-Chief?
SORRY MR PRESIDENT.. I AM JUMPING SHIP with the rest of my Asian relatives
and friends. The true YOU really come out during and after the debate.
Due to your 4 years of empty promises, empty transparent, and empty performance, fool us once is ENOUGH...it is time to change again after last 4 years of the worst of mismanagement of our country.
How does these little stories keep coming up does he feel that every thing in his life is something that is supposed to make him the anointed one? Most of his stories are something most people would mention if at all to a small group of friends.
Feisty, I know you believe that your insensitive, unscrupulous and rude comments helps your chosen candidate, but trust me when I say that it does the contrary. The killing of Navy Seals is not anything that should be trivialized or turned into a joke.
The Americans who have had their eyes and ears opened for the past four years can understand the truth, and all your levity and rudeness will not blind us.
Romney/Ryan 2012
Leave it to Willard Mitt Romney to make this about himself.
Amy,
Yep, he sure made that all about himself, didn't he, setting up a foundation for Mr. Dougherty.
Every anecdote out of him needs to be fact checked...
I can just see Obama now, in the Oval Office, pacing, saying he stole that out of my playbook, he stole that out of my playbook!
HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA, Mitt's at it again!
He and Ann end up at a party by mistake, and meet Paul Ryan telling everyone how he ran a marathon in under 3 hours.
How does Mitt's meeting a dead Navy Seal gain him credibility?
If Mitt would have gave this Navy Seal a good paying job in the U.S., then maybe he wouldn't have been killed!
See, people can spin things anyway they wish.
Just not quite as well as you just did. You must be a Democrat.
What is a "Disabled Voter"? Somebody living off Social Security Disability? Are you one of those takers who never gives?
Wow James! Do you believe that bullying a disabled person is o.k. I really wonder how a person develops a personality such as yours which is totally devoid of empathy for others. Then again I can understand when I consider that the people in your life probably never treated you with the respect or empathy you deserved or needed. But James, attacking other people will only build on the hate you already have in your heart. Is that how you want to live? On the Vine attacking people you don't know because it makes your lonely life seem less out of control. Next time you want to attack a disabled person please remember their life is hard enough without having to contend with people who believe their disability makes them less deserving of humane treatment. Develop empathy James and you won't have such a need to attack others just because you don't feel loved. Good Luck James.
If Romney doesn't even know who his neighbors are, how is going to be in touch with the people? Sappy story as far as I'm concerned.
Only because you didn't read the article. It tells how he found out and who he was.
I just love it when we toy with REPTARDS !!!
They get so upset.
Then the Polls through them a bone.
Then they get all cocky.
Then when Obama takes that bone away…next debate.
We can toy with them all over again.
It like having our own puppets on a string.
Just like last elections, yo yo time.
WHAT A GREAT TIME TO BE A DEMOCRAT !!!!!!!!!!!!!
Atta boy mitt, typical chickenhawk, use the death of a military person, and a SEAL at that, to booster the creds ya ain't got, son!!! But ya do have five sons who follow in daddies wake!!
USN All Shore '67-'71 GMG3 Vietnam In Country '70-'71
Next time your boy obama does anything with a military theme...remember...he was a COMMUNITY ORGANIZER
And you can bet he would have dodged the draft if he had to.
Could have went the Cassius Clay route...conscientious objector...religion: MUSLIM
Spoken like a true blue racist.
Wait, you forgot nazi and homophobe.
Debate don't name call.
Spoken like a true lib/socialist.
@Jim S ...since you're flying Old Glory upside down, you obviously know the country is in distress....Do you really think Obama is the one to help us?
And the liberal know nothings continue "forward" while the obama team melts down
The news ( only carried on that big, bad Fox news ) keeps getting worse...
While they talk about Big Bird, the news from Libya keeps getting worse.
231 attacks on the embassy in the last year....no demonstration the night of the murders....no reinforcing the security.
Only covered by Fox news.
People will and should go to jail.
All the while obama takes illegal contributions and talks about big bird.
Don't expect to see it here.
I just love it when we toy with REPTARDS !!!
They get so upset.
Then the Polls through them a bone.
Then they get all cocky.
Then when Obama takes that bone away…next debate.
We can toy with them all over again.
It like having our own puppets on a string.
Just like last elections, yo yo time.
WHAT A GREAT TIME TO BE A DEMOCRAT !!!!!!!!!!!!!
Whistling past the graveyard.
Feisty Redhead from Illinois. You need to go spew you paid by the posting trash somewhere else. In case you haven't noticed people are less tolerant of Chicago politics these days.
Flip…Mitt Romney said…The Middle East will "remain an unsolved problem... and we will kick that ball down the field". He dismissed Israel's concerns about Iran as mere "noise" that he prefers to "block out." And at a time when Israel needs America to stand with it, he declined to meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Flop…At the Fox News Google debate in September of 2011, Governor Romney was asked how he would address the middle east given the new realities in the region. He answered that the first action should be to ensure that everyone knows that the US will stand shoulder to shoulder with Israel and not let any light be shown between the two of you.
Flip…Mitt Romney said…"There are 47% who are with him(Obama)” (lower income families, elderly, veterans, disabled Americans) who are dependent upon government,” Mr Romney said in the video that his role "is not to worry about those people”.
Flop…“It’s not those at the low end and it’s certainly not for those at the very high end. It’s for the great middle class, the 80 to 90 percent of us in this country.”
Flip…Mitt Romney said…”I believe that abortion should be safe and legal in this country, and you will never see me wavering on that”.
Flop…"I believe people understand that I'm firmly pro-life.
Flipity-Flop…“When I am asked if I am pro-choice or pro-life, I say I refuse to accept either label.
Flip/Flop/Flip…On stem cell research…‘Look, you don’t have to think about this stem cell research as a moral issue, because we kill the embryos after 14 days.’
Flip…Mitt Romney said…“The middle class should not be expecting a cut in taxes because I'm also going to lower deductions and exemptions,”
Flop…“My own view with regards to tax policy is that we ought to provide help to the people that have been hurt most by the Obama economy, and that’s the middle class.”
Flip…Mitt Romney said… Millionaire Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney said Wednesday that he was seeking better tax policies for people in the middle class like himself.
Fact…The former Massachusetts governor has a net worth estimated at 250 million dollars.
Flip…“I think I’m best off to describe my own positions. And my positions, I think I’ve just described for you – secure the border, employment verification and no special pathway to citizenship.”
Flop…Mitt Romney said illegal immigrants should have a chance to obtain citizenship.”
Flipity Flop…Mitt actually employed a contractor, of whom had 5 illegal immigrants working at his site, on his own ranch.
Flip…Gov. Mitt Romney (R) signed a bill Wednesday (4-12-06) requiring all Massachusetts residents to purchase health insurance.
Flop…He’s now a critic of his own biggest achievement.
Worth Repeating…
Flip…Mitt Romney said… Millionaire Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney said Wednesday that he was seeking better tax policies for people in the middle class like himself.
Fact…The former Massachusetts governor has a net worth estimated at 250 million dollars.
Mitt’s last words before killing of Osama Bin Laden…”It’s not worth moving heaven and earth just trying to catch one man.”
Mitt’s first words after killing of Osama Bin Laden…”Of course I would have given that order, even Jimmy Carter would’ve given that order.”
Reptards really love this one:)
Doesn't matter, your boy is going down.
He meet the Seal that was killed. But, he didn't know that he did, until someone told him that he did. And, then use it like a talking point. Shame Shame.
Some of you people are the ugliest people on this planet with the way you speak of the Romneys. You are embarrassing parasites on this planet with this ugly way you speak and hopefully you reap what you sow in the future by having to say "Romney is my President". I'm not going to say who I support, but I will say you that say ugly things deserve to say these three words because of your attitudes and behaviors.
I also saw my father march with Martin Luther King Jr., but not with my own eyes!
Your father was a religious conservative?
Odumbo killed the former Navy Seal with his idiotic foreign policy.
Ohhhh, stop kidding yourself, leftsux, you don't even begin to know what President Obama's foreign policy is. Here's a clue: It's not anything that you will say in response. It just makes me laugh how you Republicans pretend to know what you are talking about. As if you know anything about foreign policy, period, or any other policy by this president or any other president.
Obama/Biden 2012
Obama doesn't know what his foreign policy is.
We know it's not to protect the Libyan embassy.
Pretend IS the key word here.
OT. This guy went back often because he loved the people. Misguided? Bad judge of character? Or did he know they aren't ALL terrorists who want to skin your babies in their cribs?
I don't get the significance of this story. I have met soldiers with missing limbs. I knew one that died. Am I a celebrity via those people? NO! So what is the big deal about W.M. Everyman accidentally meeting this person? This coincidence doesn't exactly qualify him to hold office. Obvious stunt reporting.
Hillary's been hiding and Barack Bin Lying.
The Kenyan Kalamity sinking like a stone. LOL
If there's one thing the New Republican Party can be consistent in it is their racist rantings. Well, at least you are consistent. Pat yourself on the back and go grab you some new white sheets!
Your guy is a failure...nothing racist about it
If that's your only defense, he's lost the election.
Think of something new, or just think of something.
You must be young....the democrats were the KKK up until Sen. Byrds death. Some people think they still are.