If there ever were a doubt, no matter how small, that the mainstream media is deeply in bed with the Obama campaign, the reaction to the killing of the U.S. Ambassador to Libya and several other Americans should put such doubt to rest.

Beginning early this morning, when news was just breaking, the left-blogosphere and mainstream media, led by MSNBC, has attempted to shift the focus from the Obama administration’s failure to protect our embassies and for its apologies (both before and after the attack on the Cairo Embassy) to whether Mitt Romney was wrong to criticize Obama last night.

No, I’m not kidding.

Here was Chuck Todd on Morning Joe:

This meme then was picked up by a blogger at MaddowBlog:

Wouldn’t be surprised if Romney’s sleazy move on Libya backfires. Exploiting US deaths is ugly, unwise on.msnbc.com/Sbfjyp — Steve Benen (@stevebenen) September 12, 2012

And by Greg Sargent at WaPo, with whom I got into a discussion:

@theplumlinegs Wow, desperate much to shift focus? — Legal Insurrection (@LegInsurrection) September 12, 2012

@theplumlinegs good luck w blaming Romney – what was Obama doing yesterday, we know not taking steps 2 protect Embassy — Legal Insurrection (@LegInsurrection) September 12, 2012

The meme then was picked up almost everywhere in the MSM, as this post at National Journal shows:

A ham-handed and inaccurate response from Romney njour.nl/U7scLxThere is a reason why politix stops at water’s edge — Ron Fournier (@ron_fournier) September 12, 2012

Here was Romney’s press conference in which the media swarmed to attack him over his criticism of Obama last night. To his credit, Romney did not back down.

Obama did not take any questions during his short statement.

So now the focus of the MSM is whether Romney made a mistake, not the dead Ambassador, not the Obama administration failures, not the complete disarray of U.S. MidEast policy, not the rise of Islamists, no none of that.

Update: Some tweets I retweeted this morning ….

The world is on fire and the MSM’s most important issue today: The timing of Romney’s statement about it. — Ben Howe (@BenHowe) September 12, 2012

The developing Narrative: How dare Romney address Obama’s foreign policy while Obama is in the midst of failure? @noltenc — Kurt Schlichter (@KurtSchlichter) September 12, 2012

Romney is holding his own against Obama’s press corps. — toddstarnes (@toddstarnes) September 12, 2012

Look, media. They dragged an Ambassador’s body through the streets. At this point, you’re kind of burying the lead with horserace coverage. — Emily Zanotti (@emzanotti) September 12, 2012

Obama attacks Romney for criticizing the same apology Obama just disavowedbit.ly/SbtNOM — Sheya (@Sheya) September 12, 2012

AND, looks like has-been Peggy Noonan is trying to form a circular firing squad. I’ve always said this is a two front political battle, and Noonan today proves it:

Mitt Romney demonstrates Reaganesque commitment to American resolve in our might. Reagan speechwriter Peggy Noonan trashes Mitt. WTH? — Michelle Malkin (@michellemalkin) September 12, 2012

Why is Peggy Noonan criticizing Romney saying he’s done himself no favors in last few hours? — David Limbaugh (@DavidLimbaugh) September 12, 2012

AND, Ben Smith and BuzzFeed jump on the meme, touting two unnamed former Bush and McCain camps foreign policy experts without giving any indication how senior they were or what their politics are now, in order to present the criticism of Romney as bipartisan, Foreign Policy Hands Voice Disbelief At Romney Cairo Statement:

Mitt Romney’s sharply-worded attack on President Obama over a pair of deadly riots in Muslim countries last night has backfired badly among foreign policy hands of both parties, who cast it as hasty and off-key, released before the facts were clear at what has become a moment of tragedy…. “They were just trying to score a cheap news cycle hit based on the embassy statement and now it’s just completely blown up,” said a very senior Republican foreign policy hand, who called the statement an “utter disaster” and a “Lehman moment” — a parallel to the moment when John McCain, amid the 2008 financial crisis, failed to come across as a steady leader.

That will be the new angle. This is Romney’s Lehman moment, it’s over, he might as well suspend his campaign.

‘a very senior Republican foreign policy hand’ on Romney statement:”utter disaster” … a “Lehman moment”buzzfeed.com/bensmith/forei… — Robert Wright (@robertwrighter) September 12, 2012

Could this turn into Romney’s “suspending the campaign” moment? — Alec MacGillis (@AlecMacGillis) September 12, 2012

UPDATE 2:20 p.m. — Just when you think it could not get any worse, The Right Scoop has the transcript and audio of reporters coordinating questions prior to the Romney press conference.



