Jackson Free Press

“I’m outraged by the attacks on American diplomatic missions in Libya and Egypt and by the death of an American consulate worker in Benghazi. It’s disgraceful that the Obama Administration’s first response was not to condemn attacks on our diplomatic missions, but to sympathize with those who waged the attacks.” —Republican Presidential Nominee Mitt Romney

Why it stinks: U.S. Ambassador to Libya Chris Stevens died—along with another three Americans—in an attack Tuesday where thousands stormed and burned the embassy in Benghazi in response to a video ridiculing the Muslim Prophet Muhammad. Reportedly, 32 others were wounded: 14 Americans and 18 Libyans.

Romney was responding to a statement issued by the U.S. Embassy in Cairo (not the White House) “hours before the attacks in Libya,” The Washington Post reported, when the Cairo embassy was also under threat. “The Embassy of the United States in Cairo condemns the continuing efforts by misguided individuals to hurt the religious feelings of Muslims—as we condemn efforts to offend believers of all religions,” the release stated. “Respect for religious beliefs is a cornerstone of American democracy. We firmly reject the actions by those who abuse the universal right of free speech to hurt the religious beliefs of others.”

An unnamed administration official told ABC News that “no one in Washington approved that statement before it was released, and it doesn’t reflect the views of the U.S. government.”

Wednesday morning, President Obama condemned the attacks. “Make no mistake, justice will be done,’’ he said. Libya’s interim President Mohammed el-Megarif also vowed to bring the attackers to justice and called the attack “cowardly.”