What Happened to Libya?

The most striking thing about the Third Presidential debate is that it led off with a question about the attack in Libya, seemingly tailor made for Romney to go after Obama on this, and he did not.

I think he was wise not to.

That was the one question and the one attack Obama was most expecting. He would certainly have a well-rehearsed answer prepared, and walking into it risked giving Obama a slam dunk first thing in the debate, starting the debate on the wrong foot for Romney. If Obama did not have a zinger, at best, it would be too easy for him to wriggle out of responsibility. It would have just been a wasted exchange.

There is a problem with ever going after a sitting president on any specific aspect of foreign policy: he has access to secret intelligence that the challenger does not have. This gives him a huge automatic advantage. Even if the intelligence supports the challenger, the incumbent can lie about it and never got caught. Or at least not until thirty or fifty years later.