The unexpected beauty of a reporter calling b.s.

January 18, 2008

The unexpected beauty of a reporter calling b.s.

Posted January 18th, 2008 at 10:35 am

One has to assume that it's tough being a campaign reporter for a

major news outlet, especially for a wire service like the Associated

Press. The hours are ridiculous, the travel is constant, the deadlines

are tight, and not incidentally, they have to listen to presidential

candidates repeat quite a bit of nonsense on a daily basis.

Once in a great while, not surprisingly, a reporter just can't take it

anymore.

Holding a news conference in front of the pen rack of a Columbia

Staples store, Romney wanted to tout his "strategy for a stronger

economy."

Answering what reporters later called a routine question, Romney took

a veiled shot at Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), who has jumped to a lead

in Palmetto State polls.

"I don't have lobbyists running my campaign," Romney said. "I don't

have lobbyists that are tied to my-"

Glen Johnson, an Associated Press reporter who was sitting on the

floor as he typed on his laptop computer, interrupted to point out

that Ron Kaufman, one of Romney's top advisers, is a lobbyist. "That's

not true, governor!" Johnson interjected.

As Keith Olbermann explained, "It's rare for a presidential candidate

to be interrupted and criticized to his face; rarer still to have it

come from a member of the mainstream media; and rarest of all, to see

that candidate resume the battle while cameras roll." And yet, that's

exactly what happened.

Lest there be any confusion, Glen Johnson is not just some schmoe --

he's "a highly respected AP reporter and the closest thing to the

senior man on the Romney beat."

And as of yesterday, he's heard Romney dissemble one too many times.

The entire video is online, and is certainly worth watching, if only

because this kind of exchange simply never happens. Romney made a

bogus claim about the role of lobbyists in his campaign; Johnson

called him on it immediately; and Romney proceeded to debate Johnson

on the meaning of the phrase "my campaign."

Drama aside, Johnson let the facts speak for themselves in print.

Republican Mitt Romney said Thursday he could govern in the country's

best interest because "I don't have lobbyists running my campaign."

But Washington insiders are on his senior staff and registered

lobbyists are top advisors.

One advisor, Ron Kaufman, chairman of Washington-based Dutko

Worldwide, regularly sits across the aisle from Romney on his campaign

plane, participates in debate strategy sessions and last week

accompanied Romney to a lunch in Myrtle Beach, S.C., with Sen. Jim

DeMint (R-S.C.).

Another advisor, former Rep. Vin Weber (R-Minn.), is chairman of

Romney's policy committee. He also is chief executive of Clark &

Weinstock, and his corporate biography says he "provides strategic

advice to institutions with matters before the legislative and

executive branches of the federal government."

A third advisor, former Sen. Jim Talent (R-Mo.), who was at Romney's

victory party in Michigan on Tuesday, is co-chairman of Fleishman-

Hillard Government Relations and also is a registered lobbyist,

according to federal records compiled by the Center for Responsive

Politics.

"I think it's time for Washington -- Republican and Democrat -- to have

a leader who will fight to make sure we resolve the issues rather than

continuously look for partisan opportunity for score-settling and for

opportunities to link closer to lobbyists," Romney said during a news

conference.

Now, in context, Romney was going after John McCain's lobbyists ties --

and this is, to be sure, fertile ground. McCain's criticism of

"special interest lobbyists" is shamelessly hypocritical and

misleading.

But Romney took his pitch too far and got called on it. Afterwards, a

Romney aide chastised Johnson for being "unprofessional." I'm not so

sure -- if more reporters confronted candidates when they lie,

candidates might tell the truth more often

http://www.thecarpetbaggerreport.com/archives/14278.html

Huck Aide Calls Romney Aide, Ron Kaufman, An Atheist

on the Chris Matthews show Hardball.

The battle between the top-tier candidates "is going to be like the

Bataan Death March," said Ron Kaufman, a top adviser to Romney and a

one-time aide to former White House political strategist Karl Rove as

well as a brother-in-law to Andy Card.....an American politician and

lobbyist, and former United States Bush Cabinet member,

It's All In The Family...

Raymond wrote:

http://www.thecarpetbaggerreport.com/archives/14278.html

>

> Huck Aide Calls Romney Aide, Ron Kaufman, An Atheist

> on the Chris Matthews show Hardball.

>

> The battle between the top-tier candidates "is going to be like the

> Bataan Death March," said Ron Kaufman, a top adviser to Romney and a

> one-time aide to former White House political strategist Karl Rove as

> well as a brother-in-law to Andy Card.....an American politician and

> lobbyist, and former United States Bush Cabinet member

Science tells me that super intelligent alien beings with more than

godlike powers are far more numerous in this universe than a single

unknown and unknowable extra-cosmic 'DOG', and are easily capable of

watching your every private moment, and probing your most private parts

in the dead of the night. So you had better be good, or you ain't

getting no presents for Christmas next year.

Simple astrobiological arguments are very specific that way.

"kT" <cosmic@lifeform.org> wrote in message

news:PVrkj.220$Pk5.156@newsfe07.lga...

| Raymond wrote:

|

| http://www.thecarpetbaggerreport.com/archives/14278.html

| >

| > Huck Aide Calls Romney Aide, Ron Kaufman, An Atheist

| > on the Chris Matthews show Hardball.

| >

| > The battle between the top-tier candidates "is going to be like the

| > Bataan Death March," said Ron Kaufman, a top adviser to Romney and a

| > one-time aide to former White House political strategist Karl Rove as

| > well as a brother-in-law to Andy Card.....an American politician and

| > lobbyist, and former United States Bush Cabinet member

|

| Science tells me that super intelligent alien beings with more than

| godlike powers are far more numerous in this universe than a single

| unknown and unknowable extra-cosmic 'DOG', and are easily capable of

| watching your every private moment, and probing your most private parts

| in the dead of the night. So you had better be good, or you ain't

| getting no presents for Christmas next year.

|

| Simple astrobiological arguments are very specific that way.

|

"Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn"

Bruce Olin

"Bruce Olin" <bruce_olin@hotmail.com> wrote in message

news:WCskj.33844$4V6.16719@newssvr14.news.prodigy.net...

>

> "kT" <cosmic@lifeform.org> wrote in message

> news:PVrkj.220$Pk5.156@newsfe07.lga...

> | Raymond wrote:

> |

> | http://www.thecarpetbaggerreport.com/archives/14278.html

> | >

> | > Huck Aide Calls Romney Aide, Ron Kaufman, An Atheist

> | > on the Chris Matthews show Hardball.

> | >

> | > The battle between the top-tier candidates "is going to be like the

> | > Bataan Death March," said Ron Kaufman, a top adviser to Romney and a

> | > one-time aide to former White House political strategist Karl Rove as

> | > well as a brother-in-law to Andy Card.....an American politician and

> | > lobbyist, and former United States Bush Cabinet member

> |

> | Science tells me that super intelligent alien beings with more than

> | godlike powers are far more numerous in this universe than a single

> | unknown and unknowable extra-cosmic 'DOG', and are easily capable of

> | watching your every private moment, and probing your most private parts

> | in the dead of the night. So you had better be good, or you ain't

> | getting no presents for Christmas next year.

> |

> | Simple astrobiological arguments are very specific that way.

> |

>

> "Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn"

>

> Bruce Olin

>

Be nice now. We don't want to stir up THOSE guys again.