Barack Obama actually said...

"We strongly oppose the Syrian Government's treatment of its citizens."

"We deplore the use of violence and we're very concerned about what we've -- the reports we've seen from Syria."

"He really enjoyed those events and feels like it's important for him to have those opportunities to get out and talk about what can seem like pretty esoteric and arcane policy debates in Washington."

"The Syrian people have called for the freedoms that all individuals around the world should enjoy: freedom of expression, association, peaceful assembly, and the ability to freely choose their leaders..."