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GOP Rep. On Claim That Obama ‘Sympathizes’ With Libyan Attackers: ‘I Wouldn’t Make That Charge’

WASHINGTON, DC — Mitt Romney’s accusation that President Obama “sympathizes” with those who attacked and killed four Americans in Libya, including Ambassador Chris Stevens, is finding few backers on Capitol Hill, even among Republicans.

ThinkProgress spoke with Rep. Kenny Marchant (R-TX), a conservative GOPer and a member of the House Tea Party Caucus, today about whether he believes Obama indeed “sympathizes” with those who attacked the United States, as Romney charged last night. “I don’t,” Marchant replied. We asked if that was a fair allegation to make: “I wouldn’t make that charge against him,” said the Texas congressman.

KEYES: Do you think that President Obama sympathizes with those who attacked our embassies in Libya and Egypt?

MARCHANT: I don’t.

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KEYES: Do you think that’s a fair charge to make against him?

MARCHANT: I wouldn’t make that charge against him.

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Marchant isn’t the only Republican unwilling to join Romney’s attacks. Former Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge, who served under President George W. Bush, told ThinkProgress today that he doesn’t believe “President Obama sympathizes with those who attacked us.” Other Republican officials, speaking off-the-record to BuzzFeed, criticized the remarks, saying Romney is “incompetent at talking effectively about foreign policy” and calling the episode an “utter disaster.”

Greg Noth contributed to this post.