In the second 2012 Presidential Debate there was a key moment about the attacks in Benghazi, Libya. Romney accused the President of misleading the American people by blaming the attacks on a spontaneous reaction to the YouTube video for fourteen days. Obama countered by saying that he had called the attack an act of terrorism the very next day. Here is what Obama actually said in that Rose Garden speech, September 12, 2012:
“The United States condemns in the strongest terms this outrageous and shocking attack. We're working with the government of Libya to secure our diplomats. I've also directed my administration to increase our security at diplomatic posts around the world. And make no mistake, we will work with the Libyan government to bring to justice the killers who attacked our people.
“Since our founding, the United States has been a nation that respects all faiths. We reject all efforts to denigrate the religious beliefs of others. But there is absolutely no justification to this type of senseless violence. None. The world must stand together to unequivocally reject these brutal acts…No acts of terror will ever shake the resolve of this great nation, alter that character, or eclipse the light of the values that we stand for.”
Obama used that phrase "acts of terror," but did not appear to specifically say that the Benghazi attack an "act of terror." Or did he?
In many ways it depends on what you are expecting to hear. Certainly none of the reporters who covered those remarks identified that comment. Indeed, Susan Rice, US Ambassador to the UN, repeatedly said that the attack was a response to the video. So did Hillary Clinton. So did Obama himself, both in individual remarks and in his speech to the UN. So did he really say it was a "terrorist act" or didn't he?
I am reminded of an exchange with my wife nearly 15 years ago. We had been out with the family, and were coming home late, dragging tired children, carrying babies and diaper bags and the general stuff the fills life for a young family. As we entered the house, my wife said,
"Sure would be nice if someone took out the garbage..."
I immediately answered, "Yeah, sure would be..."
Then I stopped, and turned to her and said, "Wait..Did you just ask me to take out the garbage?"
She said, "Yes."
As you read this, do you think that she asked me to take out the garbage? It didn't seem that way to me, which is why I asked the clarifying question.
Now apply the same principle to what Obama said in his Rose Garden speech. Did he call the attack an "act of terror"? What ears are you using to hear? If you listened with my ears, you did not hear the President call the attack an act of terror, but heard him refer to acts of terror generally. If you listened with the "implied intent" ear (i.e, my wife's asking for me to take out the garbage), then he probably did label the attacks an act of terror.
Comments