Crowley: Wasn’t Trying To ‘Fact-Check’

The moderator of last night's presidential debate says she wasn't trying to "fact-check" the candidates -- but was simply trying to "move them along."

Candy Crowley of CNN is getting criticism from some Republicans for telling Mitt Romney during the debate that President Barack Obama did, in fact, describe the attack on the U.S. consulate in Libya as an act of terror the day after it happened.

But she also suggested that it took others in the administration as much as two weeks to abandon the idea that the attack was related to protests over an anti-Islam video.

Crowley said later that she was "trying to bring some kind of clarity to the situation."

CNN executives are said to be unhappy about the negative attention her performance is getting according to TMZ and wish it would go away.

In social media, there was a split along party lines regarding Crowley's involvement in the Libyan questions. Democrats hailed it, while many Republicans said it was out of line.

Her role as moderator had been a subject of discussion before the debate even started. There had been an agreement between the candidates that said the moderator wouldn't be allowed to ask follow-up questions or play any role other than introducing questions and enforcing time limits.

Crowley said the agreement wouldn't keep her from asking follow-ups, and she did so during the debate.