The first hint of trouble came early this morning, when Mitt Romney's campaign team told journalists there would be no questions for the candidate today. (One reporter responded, "Isn't that our decision?")
But the problem intensified when the Republican appeared in Miami, and relied on staff and volunteers to physically prevent reporters from approaching a rope line and asking the candidate questions.
As a rule, media professionals don't respond well to heavy-handed tactics that prevent journalists from doing their jobs.
It's worth noting that some reporters were able to work their way to the candidate anyway -- Romney ignored all questions -- but why in the world would the campaign suddenly get so aggressive about shielding the candidate? Perhaps because of headlines like this one, which ran on the Miami Herald's website this morning.
Of course, if I had a private-sector background like this, I might not want to take questions from reporters, either.
In advance of Mitt Romney's fundraising swing through Florida [Wednesday], Democrats are highlighting one of the business ventures of Bain Capital while Romney was in charge: Dade Behring, which, saddled with debt, wound up shuttering two medical technologies facilities in Miami. Some 850 jobs were lost, while Bain walked away with $242-million -- an 800 percent return on its investment
The Dade Behring case has been well-documented, but here's a new wrinkle: The company under Bain's leadership sought and received millions of dollars in tax breaks for creating jobs in Puerto Rico - shortly before closing it's facilities, costing nearly 300 jobs.
The company in 1997 received a $3-million federal tax break aimed to promoting job creation in Puerto Rico. It also received a $4.1-million tax exemption from Puerto Rick in 1997 in the name of job creation. Dade ceased its operations in Puerto Rico in the first quarter of 1998.
Romney can try to restrain journalists, but the questions aren't going away.
Leave a Comment:
Geez, talk about flailing desperately. My father was right, you do understand Mormons by removing the second "m".
and if he keeps on doing this, he'll piss off those reporters enough that they might actuall (gasp!!!!) do their fricken jobs and tell america the truth instead of parrotting talking points.
In our dreams.
I'm praying he really pisses them off... :>)
Those that have Nothing to Hide, Hide NOTHING!!!! What we have here is a candidate whose private life is an abomination to all but the 1% that he helped make richer.
If his private life is brought into focus, he is so screwed and he knows this. Come on out and play fair Romney so Obama can chew your ass up and spit you out. Obama/Biden 2012
@Mike-1817409
Re: Those that have Nothing to Hide, Hide NOTHING!!!!
Such beings do not exist.
And for that, I am thankful.
Exactly, Just Bill 123. Where are the Sam Donaldsons, the Sarah McClendons, the Mike Wallaces of this generation of reporters?
The reporter in this story's first para had the right idea, but the approach. Instead of a question:
That reporter needed a declarative statement:
Well, Sherlock I think we have found Romneys' weak spot. Go, journalist go. Put the hammer toward the middle and go. American Journalist unite, with pen in hand or mic in hand whatever. Ask this man everything from what he ate for breakfast to what Sports he played with his Dad. Ask him what his plans are for our future, and why he hasn't done anything positive for this nation in 50 plus years. How did his dog die? When was the last time he participated in anything worthwhile? What are his favorite charities? When did he master the game of Etch-A-Sketch?
Or why did you close your Swiss bank account before running for pres.Or how much do you pay in taxes on your offshore accounts,such as the Cayman Islands Bermuda etc.
Or how about - in his push for war with Iran, would he be willing to have his children and those of his NASCAR buddy owners drafted to help fight it?
Or how about - in his push for war with Iran, would he be willing to have his children and those of his NASCAR buddy owners drafted to help fight it?
Romney might prove to be the worst presidential candidate in the last 100 years. Reagan came within 1900 votes of sweeping all 50 states. If Obama plays his cards right he might pull the sweep. The only thing that keeps Romney in the race is that Obama has committed the sin of being President while black. If Romney keeps this kind of stuff up, Obama's race isn't going to matter.
No. Daffy Duck could be the Republican candidate for president and he would get at least 150 electoral votes. The southern states, including Texas, and the sparsely populated states in flyover country--like South Dakota, Wyoming, Utah and Kansas--will always vote Republican.
This election cycle there is also no way that the repukes do not carry
The Mississippi of the MidwestIndiana.I guess you have all bought into the 19 state strategy that is going to saddle us with the Republican wackos forever. Damn I wish Howard Dean was still head of the DNC. We need to challenge them everywhere. Make the Republicans play defense on their "home turf."
Howard Dean or no Howard Dean, states like SC, GA, MS, AL, etc. will not cast a majority for a Black man. Even if God came down from Heaven and declared that the Black Man was His Other Son.
Agreed, this idiot has no chance at winning this election. He is not good at answering questions, kinda like Sara Palin. The idiot will self-destruct and it isn't a question of if, it's when will it finally happen. I think he is driving his own nails into the coffin, he just can't help it and his campaign knows this fact and are trying to do damage control although not very successfully. As soon as they sneak him past one obstacle, stupid ass Romney just creates more for himself. He is the very definition of insane! Most definitely NOT qualified to be the POTUS, hell I woudn't vote for him for dogcatcher that's for sure and any 99%er would be STOOPID to vote for this moron mormon and I mean anyone!!!!!!!!Obama/Biden 2012
RosiesDad, I am not interested in a 50 state strategy because I am worried about Obama's chances. I am more interested in retaking the house and holding on to the Senate. That means we have to take the battle to the small red states and force Karl Rove and the Koch brothers to defend their "home turf." If we don't taking back the house and holding on to the senate will be much tougher.
Have you heard the latest. Apparently the Democratic oriented Super Pacs aren't really going to get moving until September. The way media buys happen they might as well wait to December when the rates will be lower. What the hell is happening to the Democratic establishment? Do they want to keep Republicans in power in the house and do they want to throw them a majority in the Senate as well?
Ron ... You're assuming that the Republicans are putting out maximum effort in all 50 states. That's not the case.
I live in Oregon, and I hardly ever see a Republican attack ad here. I keep hearing about all the money they're spending, but very little of it is being spent here. Republicans know they're not going to win Oregon, or Washington for that matter. They pretty much stay away from here except to support some congressional candidates.
In fact, at the state level, Oregon Republicans couldn't even field a candidate for Attorney General or Treasurer this year.
I saw my first campaign ad the other day, but I think it was an Obama ad. I didn't see any GOP ads before the debacle that was the Maine Caucus. As I recall, Romney did a late ad buy, but it wasn't for any of the stations in my area. I expect to see a lot of campaign ads after the June primary since we'll know who will be in the Senate race.
Plus, with the Same-Sex Marriage on the ballot again, we'll be seeing NOM involved again, but that will be an interesting situation since NOM still hasn't complied with Maine law after the 2009 People's Veto question.
It's going to be interesting to see if Romney can run and entire presidential campaign by going on Faux News to answer softball questions from friendly hosts, make speeches with quick exits (like Sharon Angle?), and pointing his finger at Obama.
He won't reveal his plans or discuss his proposals in detail or take questions from reporters who aren't part of the right wing spin machine. Obama did an interview with Bill O'Reilly during the 2008 campaign, and met with other conservative journalists.
Romney is not only a phony, he's a coward.
Mitt why are you afraid to go on MSNBC . Barack went on Faux .
The emperor has no clothes .
Watch yer nightly news lets see if it makes the big 3
Even if Romney hides out at Fox, he cannot avoid the presidential debates and all those issues he does not want to address will come up. Those issues will eventually take their toll and Romney will have to address them even before the debates. Independent voters do not watch Fox News as their only source so he is going to have to talk to other news organizations or let them keep hammering him and his proxies.
He had some rough moments even at Fox during the primaries. He's just not good when he's even slightly challenged on anything. There may not be any more of those moments now that the primaries are over and Fox doesn't have to make choices about how to be the Republican propaganda network, but you never know. In some ways, he's even worse in an interview than Palin, because with her, it was immediately obvious she was flailing, but Romney starts with his smooth executive persona, so the inability to handle questions looks worse by contrast.
He doesn't feel the need to be good because he thinks he is entitled to the presidency. His staff cannot convince him this is an election and not a coronation.
The Fox is usually a bad omen. Sometimes it is very easy to outsmart the Fox. You just have to be one step in front of them and you need to walk backwards. They are the ones that talk backwards. Oh, I thought of another new name Chicken Man. Look there's Chicken. I do not have ADHD I am just capable of chewing gum and walking at the same time.
I'd love to see the press just plain ignore him and walk away.
My favorite Mitt-moment at the Rape-Public-Con "debates" was when he lied about his own name (the moment I was certain this Con-man would lie about absolutely anything and everything). I think it must have been one of the CNN-sponsored "debates" (weren't there more than one of those? there were so many of these dog'n'pony shows they all started to blur after a while). Wolf Blitzer had just quipped something to the effect that "Wolf" really was his first name, and Willard "Reversible Mittens" Raw-Money, the ultimate Pander Bear, couldn't resist jumping right in to exclaim that "Mitt" really was his first name. Except, of course, that it isn't.
So, either he's a man in his 60's who doesn't know his own name, doesn't quite yet understand the difference between a first name and a middle (Mittle?) name, or... he lied. About his own name. For no apparent reason. I think we should be demanding to see his friggin' birth certificate... long form!
Hey, look on the bright side -- no pepper spray. (At least for now.)
"Romney can try to restrain journalists, but the questions aren't going away."
Yes they are. Just as soon as the next media narrative is driven home by FOX, the entire mainstream media agenda will shift. "Isn't it un-American for the president to eat brussel sprouts?"
"Squirrel!"
Thank goodness the GOP has done such an effective job of demonizing the media (usually with the media's help - "the problem is with those other guys, WE'RE trying to correct the course in a fair and balanced hey who left all this horsecrap in the room?"). Seeing Mitt's men physically restrain journalists from asking questions will probably improve his standing amongst the base...
In all seriousness, what we may be seeing is some kind of "come-to-Jeebus" moment amongst the journalists who still possess some semblance of ethics. They wanted a horse race, they now have a horse race, and they realize that one of the horses' policies would be truly dangerous to the nation at large and now, NOW the truth must be set free...
assuming of course, that setting up the horse race only to come to the nation's rescue with "the truth" wasn't the plan all along.
C'mon!! Have some compassion, here. The Lyin' Sack of Mitt mendacity campaign takes the lies it manufactures seriously. They need time to figure out just how to lie about this.
Hello, he lied!
Whether the issue is his faith, his work at Bain, his record as governor, his tax history, his off-shore accounts, his past policy positions, his current policy positions or any other issue, there's a shroud of secrecy that follows Romney. He's asking voters to trust him, but he doesn't trust the voters enough to be honest with them about anything.
WTF! Do you think Mittens could run on his actual policies? Or his actual history? Or his actual
beliefsMormonism?For Mittens, the truth will not work. Mittens is not asking the voters to trust him. He is asking that they blindly vote for him. Many of the ameriKan sheeple will.
SadOldVeteran, and that is what's so sad to me. I just don't understand how otherwise sane people can vote for this guy when it is clear as day that it is against their own personal interests. Makes all those idiots really live up to the name "idiots."
Far, far too many just look for an R or a D. A majority doesn't even know much at all until much later. It is scary. hopefully they will remember the Repubs as being excellent liars. There is one thing indisputable, Repubs are really lousy at blogging. Dems win that one by a huge margin! All they really have is Fox, edited by Murchdock & Ailes, & the resident slime.
Perhaps we can enlighten the Sheeple. I have saved enough seeds, planted enough seeds, watered enough seeds, the plants are growing but, they have yet to produce any bounty I know it's early and November is actually the Harvest. My ADHD does get the better of me, sometimes. I need to learn patience.
I wonder that someone could get so far by standing for absolutely nothing, for being a nothing.
Devoid of personality, devoid of any strong values but Mormonism.
Well, there was that show about "Nothing" It lasted pretty long. But, I am not in the mood for repeats.
(Does this "The Buzz" have a job opening for a proofreader?)
Ask the state of Michigan about candidates that don't specify intended policies. The governor ran as a moderate with a business background, refusing to detail any governance specifics, then enacted the dictator emergency financial takeover scheme and the whole ALEC playbook.
Damn! Everyone is spot on the mark today! Especially the comment on Mitt wanting the public to trust him, and he not trusting the public. Yeah, we all know he's a phony so there's not much more to mention about him. Hopefully he'll be gone this November, never to return again...
Aw..come on! If we take Mitt at his word...he created Staples. So I went to Staples and examined what they sell. 81% of what Staples sells is made in China. Even their staplers are made in China. So Mitt is good at creating jobs...in China.
Of course it's unfair for you media vultures to ask Memory Isn't There Today (MITT) Romney any questions.
The man hardly remembers his own name anymore!
Dang. I guess this is where I should have posted my recollection about Willard's lie about his own name (see my post #5.7 above here in the thread).
;)
What can this back biting bastard say, "I'm Sorry"?
My mom said "If I don't have anything nice to say............................................................................."
So, did mine. Unfortunately, I took this literally and ended up being a very quiet person. Now, I like channeling Maude and other strong minded women I have met. And then there's Maude....Super duper califragilistic, right on Maude.
How come the Mainstream Media does not address the fact that Mit Romney has not had a job or created a job since 1999? We coming out of a Depression and we are supposed to trust him.
He is just lot alot of us unemployed. Ha, ha, chuckle chuckle, ya know what I mean nudge, nudge, ya know what I mean. Wink, wink.
We Need Obama To Win the HOUSE AND THE SENATE in order to get anything done! So lets hope Romney keeps up the good work. No wonder he needs all that money - he's a train wreck!
And it's all over the shows today that 'The PRESS is in the tank for OBAMA so of COURSE they'd try to smear Romney by asking him questions!!!' Oh and the 'BOTH Romney and Obama have a distaste for the press, but the press doesn't question OBAMA'...
This is what most people don't get. It's not only the policies that the teapubs are trying to shove down our throats, it's the judges and appointments they make that are pushing the teapubs agendas, too. Citizens United wasn't decided on the law of the land, it was all teapub politics.
I am a little confused abour Mr. Romney"s business and government experience. At Bain Capital the corporate mission was to make money - not to creat jobs. If Bain Capital was successful, good for them, but what, specifically, did Mr. Romney do. And, how much of the millions of dollars accumulated by Bain Capital actually came from the Federal government?
The Olympics were great. What, specifically, did Mr. Romney do to save the Olympics? I know he successfully obtained a multi-million dollar grant from ther Federal government.
On to the Governorship of Mass. Apparently his business experience (???) helped him successfully win the governorship. His strong business experience did not serve him very well there. Poor job creation and difficult budget issues would seem rather daunting - but then I would guess Federal grants and contracts probably helped. Even so, 47th out of 50 states doesn't sound to me like very significant success.
And now the run for the Presidency. I know I am missing something, but what in his experience have I failed to recognise that would make him a good President.
Enlightenment would be appreciated.
Mr. Bihlmeyer,
If I may attempt to answer your question; it all depends on what your definition of a "good president" is. For those in the 99% that are going to vote for Romney, "good president" translates as "doing the oposite of whatever Obama does/did." Therefore, all Mitt has to do to be a "good president" in their eyes is the usual standard Republican pablum; repeal Obamacare, be anti-tax, oppose regulation, not be squishy about pro-life stance, have a beligerent foreign policy, lots of talk about "saving" entitlement programs by making cuts to or privitizing them. The usual stuff. Mitt has a problem here because, as the former governor of a blue state, Mitt has been on the wrong side of these issues for most conservatives. But as the saying goes, "Democrats fall in love; Republicans fall in line," and all Mitt has to do is repeat the right slogans and sound bites often enough and they'll come around and think of him as "good president" material.
But while Mitt will need their votes to be president at all, it's not them that he wants to be president of. Mitt wants to be the 1% President, and his tenure at Bain is exactly the blueprint that they want to see replicated on the national level; extract the wealth from the working class and redistribute it upwards to the owner class. Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, Welfare, unemployment, pensions, insurance, benefits, social services - all are to go onto the chopping block in order to shower banks with free cash and lower taxes for top earners, shifting the burden to the lower and middle classes. That's what "good president" means to them.
To others, it means "greedy sociopath," but those are people who believe a "good president" is someone who works for the benefit of all Americans, not just 1% of them.
Fear, alot of people are afraid of change. Abuse , is a vicious cycle and is hard to break away from sometimes. In the case of a battered women, we ask ourselves why does she keep going back to that Beast? She was not enlightened either. She was afraid of change. Noone ever told her she was capable of making her own decisions and living her own life. She never realized that she had 99% of the Countrys support. So, although she may be bashful, she is finally taking a stand and she refuses to be beat down again not without a fight, anyway.
Are you going to cover the Damon Corp. Medicare fraud issue in which Bain Capital may have been involved??? Damon is in Needham, Mass.