Wall Street Journal slaps Romney remark

Mitt Romney's defense notwithstanding, his remark about consulting lawyers on presidential authority to launch a military attack continues to cause a stir among conservative circles.

An editorial today in The Wall Street Journal chastises Romney: "Egad. Call in the attorneys? Perhaps it is Mr. Romney's experience in business that taught him to want lawyers at his elbow, given that no CEO can survive without them these days."

The remark at issue came in Tuesday's Republican presidential debate in Michigan, when Romney was asked whether he would have to seek congressional approval to take military action against Iran's suspected nuclear weapons program. "You sit down with your attorneys and they tell you what you have to do, but obviously the president of the United States has to do what's in the best interest of the United States to protect us against a potential threat," he replied.

After GOP rival Rudy Giuliani jumped on the response, Romney sought Wednesday to clarify his response, saying that he would decide based on the safety of the American people.

Campaign spokesman Kevin Madden added, "He moved quickly past a legal hypothetical posed by the moderator and
made it clear that the President's need to act in the best interests of protecting the American people was the most important consideration, with questions about authorization being a secondary concern."

But the Journal said Romney should have said that a president's first duty is to do whatever is necessary to protect the country. The editorial concludes: "Mr. Romney doesn't need a lawyer; he needs to reread the Federalist Papers."