Democratic Presidential Candidate Barack Obama continues to soft pedal our government’s reaction to the atrocious attacks on our embassies and our personnel.
Fox News reports that in a call Tuesday to Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi, Obama had this to say:
…he rejects efforts to denigrate Islam…there is never any justification for violence against innocents.
Still caveating, still being squishy. Still more concerned with the hurt feelings of thugs than with the safety, the honor of Americans and America.
And this, in a who-cares statement (indeed, throughout his entire prepared statement, Obama merely recited his lines, consulting his note cards more than the faces of his audience, with no emotion other than evident boredom, no outrage fueling his statement):
While the United States rejects efforts to denigrate the religious beliefs of others, we must all unequivocally oppose the kind of senseless violence that took the lives of these public servants.
No. No conditioned statement is necessary. No caveats. How do you “balance” the murders of innocents against anything?
There is never any justification for violence against innocents.
Period.
Addendum: “We tragically learned that [Ambassador Stevens] had died.” Tragically learned. Not learned that [Ambassador Stevens] had tragically died. Oh, no. It’s Obama’s tragedy, not Stevens’ and his family’s.
Think I’m being too hard on Obama for a misspeak? Watch the video. He was reading from his prepared script. He knew what he was saying.
Update: from Fox News this morning:
Secretary of State Clinton issued a statement strongly denouncing the anti-Islam video that is purportedly the cause of the violence as the administration sought to pre-empt further turmoil at its embassies and consulates.
“The United States government had absolutely nothing to do with this video,” Clinton said before a meeting with the foreign minister of Morocco at the State Department. “We absolutely reject its content and message.”
Duck and cover. Yeah, that’s the ticket. Apologize for having interrupted their fists with our face. Don’t even think of denouncing the riots, the desecrations of our flag, the murders of our citizens, unequivocally. In an actual statement of condemnation (hopefully accompanied by concrete action) that pulls no punches and that contains no other comments at all. No, just point the finger at someone else. Anyone else. Especially at those evil Americans exercising their right of free speech.