Romney made a statement, this morning and took questions. If this address came across as partisan, in any way, Romney will not have done himself any favors. Here is my opinion as to statement and its timing.

Update:  Dana Perino of FoxNews,  someone I respect,  believes that Romney was "damned if he did and damned if he did not" as to whether his remarks were appropriate.  She believes that he had  remained silent,  the press would have eaten him alive on that matter.  I have included part of a  M.R. post published earlier today. It gives a little context to all of this and it may be an effective departure from my first thoughts.

Original Text: 

It is my opinion,  for what it is worth,  that Romney should stand down in toto.  The Middle East policy is Obama’s policy.  It is his policies that will be under fire.   Many of us on the Right believe that if Obama is left alone to react and manage this exploding situation,  he will defeat himself in the coming election.   In short,  he will defeat himself without any help from Romney.  The focus must be on Obama.  His strategies in the Middle East,  to date,  have been an unmitigated disaster.  His back stabbing of Mubarak,  no saint himself,  was a big mistake and time is proving this to be the case.   Obama does not understand what is happening with this “Arab Spring,”  nor does he appreciate the critical nature of the anti-American sentiment throughout the Mediterranean/Arab region,  it's explosive nature,  and its threat to the nation of Israel. 

He needs no help from Romney.  It is quite possible that Romney can win this election by taking “the high road.”  The Obama bounce is over  (we cover this fact on the scroll down) and he is trending downward.  

Romney simply does not want to become the story in all this Middle East unrest.  Understand that Romney’s comments were just fine  -  but the timing of it all was not advisable.  

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Earlier post and the State Departments ridiculous statement.  

On Tuesday morning,  9/11.   the WashingtonTimes reported that Muslim radicals stormed the embassy in Cairo and killed one American in that incident.  

Rather than coming out against this murder,  the State Department issued this statement: 

 “We firmly reject the actions by those who abuse the universal right of free speech to hurt the religious beliefs of others,” the embassy statement said.

It was to this sorry response that Romney issued his criticism.  

Later on the same day,  9/11,   four of our embassy personnel were killed in Libya.  

Five Americans, then,  were killed,  on 9/11,  with the crowds chanting, "We are Osama bin Laden,  we are Osama bin Laden."  

Understand that this may be the beginning of something much larger  -  to be played out over the course of the coming months,  if not weeks or days.