Mitt can run but he can't really hid from todd Akin.
Some people on Twitter call the Repub ticket Romney-Akin-Ryan, and they have a point. Akin and Ryan are pretty much identical in their ideology, and they are in tune with the abortion plank of the official Party Platform. Avoiding questions from the media is not going
Denver TV reporter Shaun Boyd wanted to ask Mitt Romney about Todd Akin and the abortion controversy roiling the GOP Thursday. But the Romney campaign refused.
In a broadcast on Thursday, Boyd revealed the Romney campaign’s demand that she not ask about Akin. The Obama campaign quickly posted the video online and sent it to reporters.
. . . “I wanted to get the interview with him because I have other issues I want to talk to him about,” she said. “So the fact that he doesn’t want to talk about this says something in and of itself. In some ways this speaks for itself even without asking the question.”
The Romney campaign told TPM that asking for stipulations for interviews is not standard practice.
“This is not how we operate,” a campaign official said. “The matter is being addressed.”
Romney rode on the plane with a Press entourage all week, but his handlers didn't treat them well.
On Friday outside 10 Downing Street Romney only took questions from the British Press.
On Saturday, he told both the U.S. and Israeli press that they were shut out of a fundraiser.
On Sunday after an uproar, he allowed the press into the fundraiser after all.
On Monday, Greta Van Susteren of Fox said they were being held on the bus in Poland like "animals in a petting zoo" and not allowed to ask questions.
On Tuesday in Warsaw as Romney was leaving a soldier's tomb to go make his speech in Warsaw, frustrated reporters shouted questions and were told off by a Romney operative named Gorka.
This "Curse the Press" thing can only go so far, although I'm sure it's resonating with the far-right who loved Sarah Palin's characterization of the "Lamestream Media." The problem is, some of the people in the press are far to the right of mainstream.
And if Romney is going to talk about Israel and Poland as beacons of democracy, he's going to have to accept that a free press is crucial to a free society.
They also should have realized that when people like Rupert Murdoch, Charles Krauthammer, and Greta from Fox are complaining about the candidate, they should try to be nice once in a while and answer questions, even if Romney has to say "no comment." In fact, that's what he should say sometimes, but he doesn't know how.
CNN: “Governor Romney are you concerned about some of the mishaps of your trip?
NYT: “Governor Romney do you have a statement for the Palestinians?
Washington Post: “What about your gaffes?
NYT: “Governor Romney do you feel that your gaffes have overshadowed your foreign trip?”
CNN: “Governor Romney just a few questions sir, you haven’t taken but three questions on this trip from the press!
Gorka: “Show some respect”
NYT: “We haven’t had another chance to ask a question…”
Gorka: “Kiss my ass. This is a Holy site for the Polish people. Show some respect.”
Hey, Gorka ~ respect works both ways!!! And you should have more faith in your candidate and let him practice answering questions before you tick off more journalists. Things are not going to get easier after this trip - Romney has seen to that will his gaffes.
Of course now the Romney camp says they are sorry it happened, and they've rolled it back. As David Corn of Mother Jones said on Hardball - "They should call this the 'moonwalking tour' because every time Mitt Romney speaks he has to walk backwards while seeming to go forward. How many remarks can you walk back?"
Gorka subsequently called a pair of reporters to apologize, saying he lost his cool. “It was inappropriate,” Gorka said. Romney was at the square to visit the Polish Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. After he did that, laying a wreath and greeting Polish military veterans, the GOP hopeful decided to walk down to a monument on the other side of the square. Romney has not held a media availability for his traveling press corps since taking three questions outside 10 Downing Street in London last Thursday.
Oh really? The Romney campaign has a large press entourage following them in Israel, but today the journalists were told that they would be shut out of a major fundraiser to be held on Monday, which violates an agreement Romney had with the press. Is this wise?
UPDATE: On Sunday, the Romney camp reversed their policy and will now allow journalists inside the fund raiser in Jerusalem. Apparently that includes both the American Press Corps, as well as the Jewish Press. But stay tuned in case another etch-a-sketch happens.
After London debacle, Romney teamre-institutes Mittness Protection Program. Now media will be barred from his Jerusalem fundraiser.
— David Axelrod (@davidaxelrod) July 28, 2012
Is it because Sheldon Adelson, the SuperPac King, will be among the guests?bit.ly/Qwvh69
— David Axelrod (@davidaxelrod) July 28, 2012
Sheldon Adelson, who once backed Newt Gingrich in the primaries, is a fabulously wealthy casino owner from Las Vegas. He also developed casinos on the island of Macau off the coast of China, one of which is the second-largest building in the entire world. Long-story-short, after the 2008 crash, Adelson bribed a local official on Macau with a ton of money so he could keep making sweet deals, and that was against a law called the "Foreign Corrupt Practices Act." Rachel Maddow did a great background story on him, and the fact that Adelson would love to have a new Justice Department installed by the candidate of his choice, Mitt Romney, so that all his legal problems will go away.
Though there have been a few occasions when the campaign has tried to limit access — citing an especially small venue or the fact that Mr. Romney was not giving formal remarks — this is the first time that a public fund-raiser has been closed without any explanation. Mr. Romney’s high-dollar event in London on Thursday, held at the Mandarin Oriental in Hyde Park, was open to a press pool. . . . “Closed press, closed press, closed press,” a Romney spokesman Rick Gorka said when asked for a comment or explanation.
The campaign’s decision to close the fundraiser to the press violates the ground rules it negotiated with news organizations in April, when Romney wrapped up the Republican nomination and began opening some of his finance events to the news media. Under the agreement, a pool of wire, print and television reporters can cover every Romney fundraiser held in public venues, including hotels and country clubs. The campaign does not allow media coverage of fundraisers held in private residences. Campaign spokesman Rick Gorka declined to explain the campaign’s decision to violate protocol with the Jerusalem event. Pressed repeatedly by reporters to offer an explanation, Gorka said only that the fundraiser was “closed press.” “That’s all I’ve got for you — it’s closed press,” Gorka said.
Reporters were told before the event that Romney wouldn't be taking questions. Regardless, after a speech today in St. Petersburg, Fla., a group of reporters and network embeds set off to the rope line.
First, a volunteer tried to block the path from the press area to where the crowd was assembled. Then a campaign staffer tasked with press relations stood arms spread trying to block reporters, informing them they couldn't walk into the general crowd area.
When reporters ignored her and kept going, she continued to argue that they wouldn't be allowed to shout questions. Her orders went unheeded and the press eventually made it to the line.
Reporters shouted, but over the crowd and the sound system with Romney flanked by Secret Service agents, it wasn't even clear that he could hear them.
A Romney spokesperson tried some damage control about the reporter block:
"This was an error on the part of the campaign staff and volunteers," Romney spokeswoman Andrea Saul told POLITICO's Dylan Byers. "We have reminded them that press is allowed on the rope line to record the governor’s interactions with voters."
Yeah, that's good - a Free Press, and all that. Oy vey! Not good PR for Romney!
