Tip:
Highlight text to annotate it
X
{\rtf1\ansi\ansicpg1252\cocoartf1038\cocoasubrtf360 {\fonttbl\f0\fswiss\fcharset0 ArialMT;\f1\froman\fcharset0
Times-Roman;} {\colortbl;\red255\green255\blue255;\red255\green255\blue255;\red0\green0\blue238;\red12\green56\blue196;
\red38\green38\blue38;} \margl1440\margr1440\vieww9000\viewh8400\viewkind0
\deftab720 \pard\pardeftab720\ql\qnatural
\f0\fs26 \cf0 \cb2 (Image source: {\field{\*\fldinst{HYPERLINK "http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mitt_Romney_-_Mesa,_Arizona_(2012).jpg"}}{\fldrslt
\cf3 \ul \ulc3 Gage Skidmore/Wikimedia Commons}}) \f1\fs24 \
\ \pard\pardeftab720\ql\qnatural
\f0\b\fs26 \cf0 BY CHRISTINA HARTMAN \f1\b0\fs24 \
\ \pard\pardeftab720\ql\qnatural
\f0\fs26 \cf0 Both sides absolutely do this, but here\'92s another example of an important
issue getting reduced to a sound bite on the campaign trail.
\f1\fs24 \ \
\pard\pardeftab720\ql\qnatural
\f0\b\fs26 \cf0 MITT ROMNEY, {\field{\*\fldinst{HYPERLINK "http://www.wsaz.com/news/politics"}}{\fldrslt
\cf4 VIA WSAZ}}: \'93These are not bumps in the road, these are human lives. \'85 This
is time for a president who will shape events in the Middle East.\'94
\f1\b0\fs24 \ \
\pard\pardeftab720\ql\qnatural
\f0\fs26 \cf0 \'93Bumps in the road.\'94 \f1\fs24 \
\f0\fs26 It comes from President Obama, {\field{\*\fldinst{HYPERLINK "http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-18560_162-57518495/campaign-2012-obama-vs-romney/?tag=contentMain;cbsCarousel"}}{\fldrslt
\cf4 talking to CBS}} about recent upheaval in the Middle East.
\f1\fs24 \ \
\pard\pardeftab720\ql\qnatural
\f0\b\fs26 \cf0 OBAMA: \'93I was pretty certain and continue to be certain that there are
gonna be bumps in the road.\'94 \f1\b0\fs24 \
\ \pard\pardeftab720\ql\qnatural
\f0\fs26 \cf0 The question was about U.S. support for governments like Libya and Egypt
\'97 which on the 11th anniversary of the September 11th attacks saw protests over an
anti-Islam film produced in the United States. \f1\fs24 \
\f0\fs26 The U.S. Consulate in Benghazi in particular was hit by attacks that killed
U.S. Ambassador to Libya Chris Stevens and three staffers.
\f1\fs24 \ \
\f0\fs26 Since then the question of U.S. aid to those countries has reemerged.
\f1\fs24 \ \
\f0\fs26 In fact {\field{\*\fldinst{HYPERLINK "http://dailycaller.com/2012/09/23/senate-overwhelmingly-rejects-foreign-aid-cuts-for-egypt-libya-and-pakistan/"}}{\fldrslt
\cf4 a bill that would have suspended aid}} to Pakistan, Egypt and Libya was overwhelmingly
rejected by the Senate this weekend. \f1\fs24 \
\
\f0\fs26 It was sponsored by Kentucky Republican Rand Paul \'97 and saw only 10 yes votes \'97
all from Republicans. \f1\fs24 \
\f0\fs26 Now that all that\'92s explained \'97 back to the \'93bumps in the road\'94
hullabaloo. The president\'92s critics are having a heyday with the quote.
\f1\fs24 \ \
\f0\fs26 With former Bush White House Press Secretary {\field{\*\fldinst{HYPERLINK "https://twitter.com/AriFleischer/status/250042601296764928"}}{\fldrslt
\cf4 Ari Fleischer tweeting}}, \b \'93\cf5 I guess when u win a Nobel Peace
Prize for doing nothing, an attack that kills an Ambassador is just a \'91bump in the road.\'92\'94
\f1\b0\fs24 \cf0 \ \
\pard\pardeftab720\ql\qnatural {\field{\*\fldinst{HYPERLINK "http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/09/24/on-muslim-uprising-obama-mirrors-answer-on-economy-bump-in-road/"}}{\fldrslt
\f0\fs26 \cf4 And from Fox News}} \f0\fs26 :
\b \'93What do you mean President Obama? Bumps in the road? There are people dead, Americans
dead in the street. Those aren\'92t bumps in the road!\'94
\f1\b0\fs24 \ \
\pard\pardeftab720\ql\qnatural
\f0\fs26 \cf0 An administration official emailed ABC News\'92 Jake Tapper to clarify \'97 the
president wasn\'92t calling Ambassador Stevens\'92 death a bump in the road \'97 but rather our
relations with emerging governments in the Middle East. In fact there was no mention
of Stevens in neither the question nor the answer. But here\'92s the real problem: With
all this being reduced to four little words, this conversation ultimately goes nowhere
for either side.}