Check here if you don't believe me on the speed of Mitt's response.
Behind that link is a fairly good chronology of the events regarding the attacks on American personnel in Benghazi, Libya on September 11, 2012. Included therein is Mitt Romney's own reaction. The American people must not forget or ignore the way Mitt handled himself during that crisis. It was in my opinion the worst gaffe in a campaign which has been a veritable gaffe-smorgasbord, and it was easily the most despicable act I've ever seen from a Presidential candidate.
However, these things are not news, and have been diaried hundreds of times here at dailykos alone, including twice by yours truly.
But it seems Mitt planted a terrible seed with his foolish impulsiveness that night. It has grown quickly, and it is nasty. This thing, this virus of lies and CT, with the full might of the Fox/Rush GOP propoganda machine behind it, has spread its filthy fingers through the internets. Its effects can be found in astonishing numbers; right-wing blogs, comment threads at all kinds of loosely moderated blogs, and of course an ever-present stain on all outlets of Fox News. And then there's Twitter.
Mitt's dark seed has born terrible fruit.
Below the fold I've approximated a few examples of comments from the many sites on which I've seen this drivel. I will not link to the real things or quote any of them verbatim. Be assured they are far worse than these; or you can don a HAZMAT suit and easily go find some for yourself. It is not hard.
Even in their toned-down state these are not pretty:
"Someone (hint: Obama) issued a stand-down order to a fast-response team ready to reinforce the besieged Benghazi consulate, for what could be political reasons."
"Obama wanted people to think an uncoordinated mob committed this attack, and didn't refer to Benghazi-gate as a terrorist act until two weeks after it happened. Why? (hint: Sharia law)"
"Obama repeatedly denied requests for reinforcements from an American consulate pleading for help, who knows why? (hint: Israel)"
"There is no denying Obama's true intentions given the way Benghazi-gate went down; ceding US sovereignty to the UN. Why? (hint: guns)"
"Obama has always felt that a violent attack on American personnel abroad would help his reelection. Why? (hint: socialism)"
"Ambassador Stevens' death, and the entire attack, were part of Antichrist Obama's master plan. Don't believe me? Read Leviticus, then read Revelation. Still don't believe me? You must be under his dominion, and be damned to you."
I have seen examples of each one of these on the nets, by the dozens. All those and more, with the hints sometimes in parentheses but most times in ALL-CAPS. I've seen and heard the ceaseless reinforcement of every one of them by the various arms of the GOP propoganda machine. I've even heard it in the meat world in mutterings and side-long looks; but they are a lot less open with it when they're looking you in the eye. Here there and everywhere the lies and half-truths which the opposition to Obama have been vomiting all over everybody are coming to a sickening head. They've been lying about this President since before he took office, of course, and infamously Presidential candidates have bent and broken the truth about each other since the days of the Federalists. But with the Benghazi attack things have reached a new level of depraved mendacity. An evil, disgusting thing has poisoned the discourse on this issue.
Where that will lead I don't know. Right now what's happening is that to pretty much all of those in thrall every piece of evidence which might possibly smack of exoneration for the President is suspect. If they support Romney that vague and self-serving suspicion is almost universal, I've found.
Some of them, too many, insist that people who support Obama are complicit in the deaths of Americans and Ambassador Stevens, as well as continuing to perpetuate the cover-up.
To an unknown and unnerving number of them any talk about how Obama is not guilty of both treason and murder, along with any talk about how the guilt born by Mitt Romney, due to his stupid, wanton, shit-stirring, is far greater than that born by any other person save for the murderers themselves, is met almost invariablty by the boilerplate anger, incredulity and sarcastic laughter. And the obligatory "The truth will come out" (Yeah, I'll admit it, I was a bit shaken by one of them. But it spurred this diary on. Revenge.)
I think those are all symptoms. Though they are no less awful they are not the root cause. This sickness, this awful infestation, started with one man: Willard M. Romney, when he said this
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.
If you follow that link up above the fold and read the timeline, you'll find that the State Department retracted the statements it had made condemning the anti-Islamic film as soon as it was known that an attack was taking place, and hours previous to Mrs. Clinton's announcement, making it incontrovertible that Romney's statement was patently false. Romney released that false statement at 10:24pm EDT 9/11/12. Secretary of State Clinton made her announcement on the attack, breaking the story, at 10:08pm 9/11/12.
16 minutes.
And he had a chance the next day to walk it back; maybe he could've said that he had not heard about the State Dept's retraction of their statement. But that would've involved some form of an apology, or at least an admission of error.
Can't have that.
The blowback was immediate, and it continues today, even from Romney's own party and supporters. But the seed had been sown. Its work was done in the midst of an international crisis. At a time when our comrades lay dead. Is that not just the lowest of the low? Despicable. Given the tenacious and viral nature of such lies it's not surprising that the nastiness found today on the nets followed such a revolting act.
The second example in my list, of course, has been parrotted again and again by all of their assets, including Romney himself during the town hall debate, and is pretty much the exact same accusation Romney made on the night of the attack. Again and again it is heard and read, even now. Despite the fact that it is not true. Obama condemned all acts of terror the next day from the Rose Garden.
The first example has this very day been doubled-down upon by Fox News. They're claiming they have sources that are challenging the CIA timeline. Go see for yourself, I couldn't believe it. Fox no longer cares how biased they look, or how much they lie. If they ever did.
Again, I don't know what this portends. The internet is a notorious lie-spreading and truth-distorting machine. But it was Mitt Romney himself who provided the fodder this time. The fault for the current crop's particularly awful stench lies with him and him alone.
I'll end with a quotation on lies that I've always found to be quite excellent; honestly, though, right now it has been more than a little sobering. It's from The Silmarillion, by JRR Tolkien.
The lies that Melkor... sowed in the hearts of Elves and Men are a seed that does not die and cannot be destroyed; and ever and anon it sprouts anew, and will bear dark fruit even unto the latest days.
They are dark words, and true ones. Such lies are impossible to fully eradicate, however we do our part. Here at dailykos and elsewhere in greater and greater numbers we do our part. With tireless weeding the worst can be kept at bay.
Do your part and head over to Obama for America to help President Obama bring it home strong.
Do your part and VOTE straight-ticket Democrat on Tuesday.