JAN POLLER: THE LINGERING QUESTION ABOUT THAT TRANSCRIPT…HOW IDID OBAMA KNOW CROWLEY HAD THE TRANSCRIPT?
The CNN transcript of the debate can be found at http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2012/10/16/transcript-second-presidential-debate/This is the discussion on the Benghazi attack. I highlighted where the first mention of the transcript occurred. Play the video above that section. How could he possibly know that she had a transcript if he wasn’t told in advance?
CROWLEY: Because we’re – we’re closing in, I want to still get
a lot of people in. I want to ask you something, Mr. President, and
then have the governor just quickly.
Your secretary of state, as I’m sure you know, has said that she
takes full responsibility for the attack on the diplomatic mission in
Benghazi. Does the buck stop with your secretary of state as far as
what went on here?
OBAMA: Secretary Clinton has done an extraordinary job. But she
works for me. I’m the president and I’m always responsible, and
that’s why nobody’s more interested in finding out exactly what
happened than I do.
The day after the attack, governor, I stood in the Rose Garden
and I told the American people in the world that we are going to find
out exactly what happened. That this was an act of terror and I also
said that we’re going to hunt down those who committed this crime.
And then a few days later, I was there greeting the caskets
coming into Andrews Air Force Base and grieving with the families.
And the suggestion that anybody in my team, whether the Secretary
of State, our U.N. Ambassador, anybody on my team would play politics
or mislead when we’ve lost four of our own, governor, is offensive.
That’s not what we do. That’s not what I do as president, that’s not
what I do as Commander in Chief.
CROWLEY: Governor, if you want to…
ROMNEY: Yes, I – I…
CROWLEY: … quickly to this please.
ROMNEY: I – I think interesting the president just said
something which – which is that on the day after the attack he went
into the Rose Garden and said that this was an act of terror.
OBAMA: That’s what I said.
ROMNEY: You said in the Rose Garden the day after the attack, it
was an act of terror. It was not a spontaneous demonstration, is that what you’re
saying?
OBAMA: Please proceed governor.
ROMNEY: I want to make sure we get that for the record because
it took the president 14 days before he called the attack in Benghazi
an act of terror.
OBAMA: Get the transcript.
CROWLEY: It – it – it – he did in fact, sir.
So let me – let me call it an act of terror…
OBAMA: Can you say that a little louder, Candy?
CROWLEY: He – he did call it an act of terror. It did as well
take – it did as well take two weeks or so for the whole idea there
being a riot out there about this tape to come out. You are correct
about that.
ROMNEY: This – the administration – the administration
indicated this was a reaction to a video and was a spontaneous
reaction.
CROWLEY: It did.
ROMNEY: It took them a long time to say this was a terrorist act
by a terrorist group. And to suggest – am I incorrect in that
regard, on Sunday, the – your secretary –
OBAMA: Candy?
ROMNEY: Excuse me. The ambassador of the United Nations went on
the Sunday television shows and spoke about how –
OBAMA: Candy, I’m –
ROMNEY: – this was a spontaneous –
CROWLEY: Mr. President, let me –
OBAMA: I’m happy to have a longer conversation –
CROWLEY: I know you –
OBAMA: – about foreign policy.
CROWLEY: Absolutely. But I want to – I want to move you on and
also –
OBAMA: OK. I’m happy to do that, too.
CROWLEY: – the transcripts and –
OBAMA: I just want to make sure that –
CROWLEY: – figure out what we –
OBAMA: – all of these wonderful folks are going to have a
chance to get some of their questions answered.
Before anything was said of the transcript he said, “Read the transcript, Candy”.
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