WASHINGTON – Republican challenger Mitt Romney accused President Barack Obama’s administration Wednesday of showing weakness in the ferocious events that left four U.S. diplomats dead in the Middle East and jolted the race for the White House.

Obama said that his rival “seems to have a tendency to shoot first and aim later.”

“It’s important for you to make sure that the statements that you make are backed up by the facts. And that you’ve thought through the ramifications before you make ‘em,” the president said.