Via The Politico: (h/t Taylor Marsh)
Mitt Romney has remained mum on the alleged killing of 11 Iraqis by a company where one of his top advisers serves as vice chairman, even as the case has led to an uproar in Baghdad and Washington. Barack Obama, John McCain and other politicians have raised the possibility of tighter controls on the firm.
The top counterterrorism and national security adviser to Romney’s presidential campaign is Cofer Black, vice chairman of Blackwater USA.
The Iraqis died after guards employed by the private security firm opened fire following an alleged attack on a State Department convoy under their protection. Blackwater has a lucrative contract to guard U.S. diplomats in Iraq.
Blackwater has said its employees acted “lawfully and appropriately” in response to the attack. But Iraqi Interior Ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Abdul-Karim Khalaf has said a report found that the security guards opened fire first on Iraqis who were driving in their cars. And the incident has prompted a noisy debate over the role of independent security contractors in Iraq — a debate Romney thus far appears to be steering clear of. Read more...
Call it dumb luck, poor judgment or pure stupidity -- Mitt Romney's campaign has been dogged by missteps, hackery and high profile flubs that have literally turned his campaign into a joke. Cofer Black is a stain on his campaign, why doesn't Romney fire him and condemn Blackwater's crimes against the Iraqi people like he did when he threw Larry Craig under the bus after his bathroom scandal?
