I guess it’s okay to lie if you’re the president

I just got me a new computer, and I want to set it up, so I have only a couple of quick comments.

Obama was much better in this debate, although no less dishonest.  (More about that later.)

Romney was almost as good in this debate, although he didn’t appear as good as he did last time, simply because Obama appeared less bad than he did last time.

Candy Crowley was a disgrace.  She gave Romney around four minutes less time than Obama, which is huge in these debates.  She did so by systematically denying Romney rebuttals.

Finally, speaking of Obama being dishonest and Crowley being a disgrace, I almost threw something at the screen when Obama explicitly and repeatedly asserted that, on September 12, 2012, during his post-Benghazi Rose Garden statement, he explicitly identified what happened in Libya as a “terrorist attack” — and then Crowley backed him up.  Then, I realized that this lie was a Godsend.  If you live in the bubble as Obama and Crowley do, you think that whatever you say will be accepted as gospel.  But nowadays, that’s a stupid supposition.  Here is Obama’s entire Rose Garden statement:

I strongly condemn the outrageous attack on our diplomatic facility in Benghazi, which took the lives of four Americans, including Ambassador Chris Stevens. Right now, the American people have the families of those we lost in our thoughts and prayers. They exemplified America’s commitment to freedom, justice, and partnership with nations and people around the globe, and stand in stark contrast to those who callously took their lives.

I have directed my Administration to provide all necessary resources to support the security of our personnel in Libya, and to increase security at our diplomatic posts around the globe. While the United States rejects efforts to denigrate the religious beliefs of others, we must all unequivocally oppose the kind of senseless violence that took the lives of these public servants.

On a personal note, Chris was a courageous and exemplary representative of the United States. Throughout the Libyan revolution, he selflessly served our country and the Libyan people at our mission in Benghazi. As Ambassador in Tripoli, he has supported Libya’s transition to democracy. His legacy will endure wherever human beings reach for liberty and justice. I am profoundly grateful for his service to my Administration, and deeply saddened by this loss.

The brave Americans we lost represent the extraordinary service and sacrifices that our civilians make every day around the globe. As we stand united with their families, let us now redouble our own efforts to carry their work forward.

Oh, last point: Obama kept making promises as if he was running for the presidency for the first time. This sounded amazingly foolish coming out of a man who owned Washington for the first two years of his presidency. Romney, although not amazingly articulate, was able to make this point.

UPDATE: In his actual Rose Garden talk, as opposed to his prepared speech, Obama used the word terror, but not in the context of terrorism:

The second presidential debate on Tuesday in New York, re-ignited the controversy over Obama’s words following the September 11 attack on the U.S. Consulate in Libya. The following day, he made this speech from the White House Rose Garden:

Of course, yesterday was already a painful day for our nation as we marked the solemn memory of the 9/11 attacks. We mourned with the families who were lost on that day. I visited the graves of troops who made the ultimate sacrifice in Iraq and Afghanistan at the hallowed grounds of Arlington Cemetery, and had the opportunity to say thank you and visit some of our wounded warriors at Walter Reed. And then last night, we learned the news of this attack in Benghazi.

As Americans, let us never, ever forget that our freedom is only sustained because there are people who are willing to fight for it, to stand up for it, and in some cases, lay down their lives for it. Our country is only as strong as the character of our people and the service of those both civilian and military who represent us around the globe.

No acts of terror will ever shake the resolve of this great nation, alter that character, or eclipse the light of the values that we stand for. Today we mourn four more Americans who represent the very best of the United States of America. We will not waver in our commitment to see that justice is done for this terrible act. And make no mistake, justice will be done.

Mickey Kaus has the full speech (the above is just an excerpt) and he says Crowley was clearly out of line. In amy event, Obama’s administration then spent the next two weeks assiduously denying terrorism and blaming a YouTube video.