Obama: Romney Blew It on Libya Criticism

Mitt Romney's criticism of President Obama after the violence in Libya and Egypt continues to spin off into a political story of its own. Now Obama himself weighs in, telling CBS News that Romney spoke too soon when he accused the White House of sympathizing with the protesters:

• "There's a broader lesson to be learned here," he says. "Governor Romney seems to have a tendency to shoot first and aim later. And as president, one of the things I've learned is you can't do that. That, you know, it's important for you to make sure that the statements that you make are backed up by the facts. And that you've thought through the ramifications before you make 'em."

Bill Kristol defends Romney from the right, however, writing in the Weekly Standard that Romney correctly sensed that the anti-US protests illustrate the need for strong American leadership abroad. Whether it helps or hurts his campaign depends on what happens next. "If Romney can prove both strong and thoughtful on foreign policy over the next few days, it could be an inflection point in the presidential campaign." At Salon, Alex Pareene finds Romney's attack "shameless" but says it's not "horrible politics." Click for that. (More President Obama stories.)