Barack Obama clearly got some help from moderator Candy Crowley during last night's debate:
In response to a question about the assault, Obama said he had called it an "act of terror" during remarks the next day in the Rose Garden, and Crowley vouched for him.
Romney was visibly surprised by the president's answer and appeared to believe he'd caught the president in a lie.
“You said in the Rose Garden, the day after the attack it was an act of terror? It was not a spontaneous demonstration? Is that what you're saying?” Romney said. “I want to make sure we get that for the record, because it took the president 14 days before he called the attack in Benghazi an act of terror.”
"Get the transcript," Obama replied.
Crowley then broke in, saying: “He did in fact, sir. So let me — let me call it an act of terror …”
“Can you say that a little louder, Candy?” Obama shouted.
“He — he did call it an act of terror," Crowley said as some in the audience applauded. "It did as well take — it did as well take two weeks or so for the whole idea there being a riot out there about this tape to come out. You are correct about that,” Crowley said.
The transcript of the president's speech from the day after the attack in Libya shows that Obama used the phrase "act of terror" during his remarks, albeit indirectly.
At least to this viewer, Crowley's instant confirmation of what Obama said was somewhat surprising.
Here is probably why she responded so quickly, without any hesitation and why the president also immediately spoke about the transcript and urged Crowley to "say it a little louder":
The Obama team knew that Romney would raise the Libya question during the debate, which is why they most likely sent a copy of the Rose Garden transcript to Crowley before the debate.
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