Why Mitt Better Hurry, A 'Confusing,' 'Amateur' Foreign Policy, Comparing Romney Statement to Embassy Statement

Breaking - Judge Strikes Down Wisconsin Law Limiting Union Rights - http://abcn.ws/RXDxjO

But Chris Good Notes - Something to keep in mind: conservatives hold a 4-3 edge on Wisconsin's Supreme Court, so it seems unlikely (at least on the surface) that this ruling would stand on appeal. During the wave of recall elections in spring of 2011, Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice David Prosser defeated challenger JoAnne Kloppenburg in a race that was seen as a proxy for Wisconsin's legal fight over bargaining rules. With Prosser's win, conservatives retained their 4-3 majority.

Ugly Campaigns Go Way Back - Thomas Jefferson? Coward. (Ducked revolutionary combat) John Adams? Overweight Monarchist (Tried marry his daughter to King George's son). Andrew Jackson? Bigamist Adulterer (Married his wife before she was divorced). And in centuries past there are allegations of cross-dressers, gamblers, and frequenters of brothels.

Kenneth C. Davis guides us through the sordid past of American political mudslinging. http://abcn.ws/PgD8Xp Romney, Embassy Had Similar Tone On Trailer - In Romney's interview with George he suggested that the original U.S. Embassy in Cairo statement was something of an apology to the Arab world for American values. But his comments to George about the movie trailer that appears to have sparked the protests were very similar to what the embassy staff had to say..

Here's that original embassy statement issued on September 11th during a protest over the trailer and before the walls in Cairo were breached:

"The Embassy of the United States in Cairo condemns the continuing efforts by misguided individuals to hurt the religious feelings of Muslims - as we condemn efforts to offend believers of all religions. Today, the 11th anniversary of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the United States, Americans are honoring our patriots and those who serve our nation as the fitting response to the enemies of democracy. Respect for religious beliefs is a cornerstone of American democracy. We firmly reject the actions by those who abuse the universal right of free speech to hurt the religious beliefs of others."

And here is how Romney referred to the documentary:

GEORGE: How about the film that seems to have sparked all this, the Innocence of Muslims film? Secretary Clinton (Thursday) said she thought it was disgusting. How would you describe it? MITT ROMNEY: Well, I haven't seen the film. I don't intend to see it. I you know, I think it's dispiriting sometimes to see some of the awful things people say. And the idea of using something that some people consider sacred and then parading that out a negative way is simply inappropriate and wrong. And I wish people wouldn't do it. Of course, we have a First Amendment. And under the First Amendment, people are allowed to do what they feel they want to do. They have the right to do that, but it's not right to do things that are of the nature of what was done by, apparently this film.

Read a transcript of George's interview with Mitt Romney

Watch the interview here:

The Incredibly Shrinking Campaign Battlefield-Earlier this summer, a confident Romney campaign walked reporters through their multiple paths to an Electoral College victory. With names like the "3-2-1? plan, the "Southern Sweep" and "Hawkeye Granite," the Romney campaign argued that it could lose some traditionally "red" states and still win the White House by picking off former blue states like Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin or even Minnesota. http://abcn.ws/OovnMp (Amy Walter)

The Early Voting Factor: Mitt Better Hurry-If Mitt Romney is going to turn things around, he needs to start soon because this election may be effectively over weeks before November 6. http://abcn.ws/RPtDli (Jonathan Karl)

Obama Notified Congress that He Was Sending 100 Troops to Libya - Recall he got some guff for not including them enough when he committed U.S. forces to a NATO-led no-fly zone.

Recap - Committing 100 Marines to help embassies requires official congressional notification. Spending $770 million to help with a NATO no-fly zone does not.

What kind of military action requires congressional notification and what kind doesn't? - http://abcn.ws/OpfpS7

At Andrews, Obama Greeted the Bodies of Four Men Killed in Libya - http://abcn.ws/U3YrOp

Romney Camp Suggests Obama on Middle East is 'Confusing' and 'Amateur Hour' - Mitt Romney's campaign has sharply escalated its attacks on President Obama's "confusing" foreign policies, assailing the president for a series of issues ranging from the death of an ambassador in Libya to the president's refusal to meet with the Israeli prime minister. A Romney adviser on international affairs used much harsher language Thursday night, calling Obama's administration "amateur hour." - http://abcn.ws/U2TfdS

Were These Attacks A Failure of the Obama Administration - Today's Q's for O's WH - 9/14/12-TAPPER: One of my colleagues in the Associated Press asked you a direct question, was there any direct intelligence suggesting that there would be an attack on the U.S. consulates. You said that a story - referred to a story being false and said there was no actionable intelligence, but you didn't answer his question. Was there any intelligence, period - intelligence, period, suggesting that there was going to be an attack on either the - http://abcn.ws/Ubdx1V (Jake Tapper)

What's a 'Barack Obama Straw Man?'- Paul Ryan argues there is no "politician more skilled at striking heroic poses against imaginary adversaries." http://abcn.ws/R0h6f1 (Shushannah Walshe)

Al Qaeda Took Advantage of Libyan Protest, CIA Chief Says - The attack that killed four Americans in the Libyan consulate began as a spontaneous protest against the film "The Innocence of Muslims," but Islamic militants who may have links to Al Qaeda used the opportunity to launch an attack, CIA Director David Petreaus told the House Intelligence Committee today according to one lawmaker who attended a closed-door briefing. http://abcn.ws/R0mCOU (John Parkinson and Sunlen Miller)

The Funniest Mitt and Ann Romney Interview Ever Involves a George W. Bush Massage and Snooki -A round of rapid-fire questions on an upcoming episode of the Live! With Kelly Ripa and Michael Strahan began with Mitt Romney listing his guilty pleasure as "peanut butter sandwiches and chocolate milk," featured him accidentally suggesting Gene Hackman should play his wife in a movie, Ann's admission that she once saw George W. Bush getting a massage at the White House, and finally, a pretty remarkable declarations from Romney. http://abcn.ws/PB8EB6

Legalize It? Risk Pot-Induced 'Twinkie Addiction' - Organizers of the committee opposing a Massachusetts state initiative to legalize medical marijuana were munching crow this week after mistakenly directing voters to a satirical website that warns a "Yes" vote could lead to a run on Twinkies, forcing residents to "eat Snowballs and other undesirable snacks that are left behind on store shelves. http://abcn.ws/NsH9tg (Greg Krieg)

Jennifer Granholm, DNC Firebrand, 'Cute' on '78 'Dating Game'-Here's Jennifer Granholm like you've never seen her. The former Michigan governor and current liberal talkshow host, who gave the single most-fiery speech at the Democratic convention, was a contestant on "The Dating Game" in 1978. The Detroit Free Press found video via YouTube on Facebook and wrote about it Thursday. http://abcn.ws/U2VkGs (Jonathan Karl)

Could Virgil Goode Win Virginia for Barack Obama?-If Mitt Romney loses Virginia, Virgil Goode says it won't be his fault - and, should the unlikely presidential bid by the state's former congressman siphon enough votes to hand the commonwealth to President Obama, Goode doesn't seem too worried about it anyway. http://abcn.ws/O3JNaz (Chris Good)

Obama Ad Hits Romney for Opposing Justice Sotomayor - A new Spanish-language TV ad from the Obama campaign airing in Florida attacks Republican rival Mitt Romney for opposing the nomination of Sonia Sotomayor to the U.S. Supreme Court. http://abcn.ws/SkRi8l (Devin Dwyer)

Time to Change the Voting Rights Act?-There are some who believe that a central provision of the Voting Rights Act is living on borrowed time. http://abcn.ws/QoJ6EI (Ariane de Vogue)