As it turns out, Mitt Romney's trip abroad can get worse.
Romney is traveling with a large contingent of American journalists as part of his trip abroad, but so far he's largely ignored them -- he's fielded exactly three questions from reporters during his week-long trip.
Given the relative silence, the media has no choice but to ask questions of Romney whenever he's within earshot. For example, today Romney was walking away from Pilsudski Square in Warsaw, Poland, and as he approached his car, journalists asked questions that the candidate chose to ignore. But the fact that questions were even being asked was apparently enough to enrage Romney's traveling press secretary.
After several questions involving Romney's missteps on the trip, including comments he made in Israel, Romney spokesman Rick Gorka shot back.
"Show some respect," he said after being challenged for not taking questions, according to pool reports.
"We haven't had another chance to ask a question," a New York Times reporter said.
"Kiss my ass," Gorka said back. "This is a Holy site for the Polish people. Show some respect."
Soon after, the Romney aide told Politico's Jonathan Martin to "shove it."
It's hard not to marvel at the combination of Gorka's sentences. If it's a Holy site and people should show some respect, why did he tell reporters, "Kiss my ass"?
Now, the point isn't that Team Romney is wrong to snap at media professionals; reporters are adults and they can take it. The larger point is that the Romney campaign, with increasing frequency, is losing its composure.
We saw some of this two weeks ago, when John Sununu got hysterical, and we're seeing it again this morning, with Gorka losing his cool with reporters who've spent much of the last several days with no access to the candidate, covering clumsy photo ops.
Gorka later apologized to the journalists, and that was the right thing to do, but the larger takeaway is that Team Romney realizes things haven't gone well lately, and their frustrations are starting to show.
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I wonder where we could find those lovely sound bites on video? Because a wee bit of editing would do wonders:
Reporter: "What is Mr. Romney's position on the Lily Ledbetter Act?
Romney Press Secretary: "Kiss my ass!"
Repeat for many more subjects on which the campaign is mum.
I like the way you think!
This is the way Romney's campaign operates. They're never above a little creative video editing.
Hey, after all, what's sauce for the gander .... (huh??)
Unfortunate for Mitt he does not have the convictions of his own words, with that being said who is this Mitt guy? he is starting to look like that other candidate that ran 4 years prior. I wonder what candidate for office has made the most prior to election day gaffs?
Maybe Gorka meant his ass is a holy site.
Those on the right do tend to think that their s**t doesn't stink.
So, following the movie 'Game Change' about the Palin debacle, can we look forward to the one about Mitt called 'Game Over'??
what is sad and dangerous about that 50% that is willing to vote for Romney after all this is what percentage of our society represents racists, homophobes, zenophobes, rich, willing to be bought off, too ignorant to escape the fox news vacuum, and finally the most dangerous of all - those who think we will be better off going back to the bush era,
I wonder if Mitt will start his first speech in Poland by telling a few Polish jokes. "Did you hear the one about the Pole who ..."
It would be right in (lack of ) character for him.
The Republicans are in heavy "scolding" mode: we spend too much, the president does everything wrong, complain complain. So most of Mitt's speeches have a "scolding" tone to chirp on with the party line.
I hear this in his speeches in Europe - it's like he's campaigning over there, too. "Here, let me instruct you on what you did right or wrong." Priceless.
I remember how proud I felt when, first, we elected an African American president, then you could feel our allies breath a sigh of relief. The world embraced President Obama. I bet they're remembering a bit of that now.
I'm still waiting for him to ask someone to screw in a lightbulb!
I remain astonished that no journalist has yet unearthed a disgruntled former McCain staffer willing to spill about the tax returns.
comment deleted, duplicate to above.
Every reporter and/or journalist should pack their bags and go home. Screw him. He ain't no better than anybody else. He doesn't answer question because he has no answers!
Romney is appealing to his under educated, foreigner hating, racist red neck base. The rest of us see him making horrible mistakes.