So how's this for conspiracy speculation: the Koch brothers cut a check to the film-maker with the understanding that he will distribute it after the Democratic Convention with the help of the Irreverent Terry. Nothing like an international crisis to shift focus from the more basic issues of the campaign. And Obama was suddenly leading in the polls.

Here's some background on the Ambassador who was killed:

Ambassador Chris Stevens, a former Peace Corps volunteer, died in an attack on a U.S. consulate in Libya on Tuesday, along with three other Americans, and news of his death caused concern and sorrow in a region that is home to many diplomats and foreign-affairs advisers. It appears Stevens died while attempting to organize an evacuation of the compound, according to initial reports from Congressional and military leaders.

"They go into these countries with a handshake, not a gun," noted John Coyne, a Peace Corps veteran from Pelham Manor, speaking of Stevens' background in the Peace Corps and the diplomatic service. "What struck me was that he was going into the building to rescue people. You go to where the problem is, that's a typical Peace Corps reaction, that's what he was doing," said Coyne, who runs a website for Peace Corps veterans.

Charley Noble