Radio Host Soledad O’Brien And Mitt Romney Rep Argue About ‘Act Of Terror’
Soledad O’Brien and former New Hampshire governor John Sununu really let the fists fly on the radio on Wednesday’s edition of Starting Point. The issue at hand was whether President Obama had refered to the attack on the American Consulate in Libya as an “Act of Terror”.
The issue matters because, in the 2nd presidential debate held this past Tuesday night, Mitt Romney used one of his answers to accuse President Obama of taking two weeks to label the attack an “Act of Terror”. Obama countered that he had called the incident an “Act of Terror” 24 hours after the incident. At that time, moderator Candy Crowley fact-checked Romney and told him that the President had used those exact words to describe the attack.
Sununu, who stumps for Romney, lost his cool completely. He pointed out that in that same speech that was pointed out by Crowley, Obama suggested the attack was the result of an anti-Islamic film. O’Brien asked her crew to play the tape with the President’s comments.
The clip of the tape that O’Brien played was a heavily edited version which pointed out that President Obama used the phrase “Act of Terror” but left out his reference to the film.
Sununu said:
“This is ridiculous that you’re trying to defend [Obama] on this!”
O’Brien countered with:
“Governor, I am trying to get a question in, if I may. If you look at the Rose Garden statement, you say earlier, it is not there. There is no videotape that he’s talking about. People have argued that maybe he was talking 9/11… but if you look at the actual statement from the Rose Garden… he does say act of terror. What Candy corrected him on last night was that issue.”
Sununu finished with:
“This is ridiculous and if you’re going to dwell on this, you’re out of your mind!” and as he walked out he said: “It’s always good to come on the groupie channel.”
After Sununu left O’Brien said:
“I always need a cocktail after I speak to him. I really need like a vodka and tonic after I talk to him.”
