Posted on 11/21/2007 7:07:01 AM PST by JRochelle
I thought that I was going to have a nice quiet Thanksgiving. Perhaps not.
Erick Erickson at Redstate (disclosure I too contribute to Redstate) has uncovered some more information on the Mitt Romney phone scandal. Leon Wolf, another Redstate contributor who today endorsed Mitt Romney, also pointed out that this happened previously (described then) when Leon was on the Brownback campaign.
The basic facts are that a Romney staffer, Marshan Roth contacted the Salt Lake Tribune, identified herself as "leaning towards Romney", and told her story:
Marshan Roth, of Fairfield, Iowa, got a call on Wednesday night. It started out like a regular poll, she says, but then asked positive questions about Sen. John McCain and delved into disparaging things about Romney. She was asked whether she knew that Mormons have ‘baptized thousands of dead people’ and that the Book of Mormon was more important than the Bible to Mormons. ‘It was sick. It really was. It made me just furious,’ says Roth, who is leaning toward backing Romney. ‘If you didn’t know enough about McCain, you’d think he was the white knight coming in on his charger saving the world and that Mitt Romney was tantamount to the devil
Erick points out that Roth receives $500/month from the Romney campaign.
Similarly, Rose Kramer, another Romney staffer who describes herself as "a supporter," told a McClatchy reporter her story:
Rose Kramer was at her Dubuque, Iowa, home, waiting for the TV show ‘House’ to start at 8 p.m. Tuesday when a pollster called and started asking her about John McCain. After a few polite questions, the caller started saying unflattering things about Mitt Romney. Kramer, a Romney supporter, got so angry that she missed the opening of her show. ‘I was still ranting at my husband,’ she said.
Rose isn’t just a supporter. She is a staffer, making $1,000/month. She is also a co-chair of Romney’s Iowa Faith & Values Steering Committee.
It doesn’t stop there. Rose told a different story to Real Clear Politics:
Rose Kramer, an Iowa voter who backs Romney, told Politics Nation the call, which she received around 8:30 p.m. on Wednesday, began with typical screening questions on whether she planned to caucus and if she had caucused before. After an initial ballot test — on which she says Romney’s name was listed last — the pollster offered five questions about John McCain, all of which she characterized as ‘glowing.’ Kramer said she asked the caller whether he was working for a campaign; he said no, his was an independent research group.
First, when Rose talked to McClatchy, it was Tuesday 8pm. With Real Clear Politics, it was 8:30 on Wednesday. She lied to one of the reporters.
Second, in both (all three?) cases, the Romney staffers highlighted the McCain questions. It seems to me that the Romney campaign was deliberately pushing the McCain angle.
Third, either the staffers didn’t disclose their relationship to the reporters or the reporters didn’t disclose it in their stories. My money is on the staffers, something that, as Leon pointed out before, Romney consultants in Iowa have done in the past.
This raises several questions:
First, is there any evidence that this poll contacted anyone in Iowa who was not a Romney staffer or supporter? If not, is there any evidence that the calls actually occurred? Could this be a story manufactured by the Romney campaign? After all, Western Wats only seems to talk through another Romney official, Justin Hart.
Second, were they directed by either Boston or Des Moines to deliver these messages? If so, were they told to hide their relationship with the Romney campaign?
Is Romney auditioning for FEMA Administrator?
UPDATE: Jonathan Martin had reported a non-Romney supporting phone call recipient.
ping.
The Romney campaign will be its own undoing.
Sleaze can only stay hidden so long.
PING
Remember the gay guy who scratched gay on his forehead and claimed he had been the victim of a hate crime.
Probem was it only read gay when looking in the mirror. LOL
From the comments at RedState.
Amnesia on the part of some of Romney’s paid campaign staff would explain how this could happen.
On Monday, Romney’s paid staff authorize polling on questions related to Romney’s religion. But by Wednesday after a heavy lunch, the Romney folks forget about what they asked to have done on Monday. By Wednesday evening, after yet more alcoholic beverages and high cholesterol foods, they receive a phone call from their own pollsters.
The next day, they complain to the media about it.
I can see how this could happen. Sure.
Now isn’t this interesting.
We all know about the Romney Sleaze Machine by now, but this . . . this would be huge.
I want to see more details. I will enjoy watching it play out, believe me.
People must have wondered why this guy was running around with 'yag' scratched on his forehead.
I will enjoy it too.
The other day I was starting to feel sorry for Romney, thinking this was done by some well meaning supporter.
My sympathy has all flown out the window. Romney has had plenty of time to clear this up. He has chosen not to.
Come and see.
What’s clear is that these three people are either deeply sleazy or deeply dumb.
Here are the possibilities:
1. They are Mitt supporters, and they decided on their own to get cute.
2. They are Mitt supporters, and they got the go ahead to do something from the Mitt campaign.
3. They are ROOTY (or McCain!) supporters, and they got on the Mitt payroll, when they pulled this stunt to boost their candidate. A longshot!
I wonder which it is? Mitt will go for door #1 unless he can prove #3.
One thing is certain... there’s a lot of lying going on, and some kind of attempted dirty trick. Poorly executed, unless it’s #3.
I vote for #2.
Please check the Redstate site. There are other, more plausible “possibilities.”
It’s what many of us suspected from the beginning.
The question is, when it’s publicly proven, will the mythbots disavow their candidate?
Are you sure you're not remembering Morton Downey Jr.'s pathetic tale of being attacked in an airport bathroom?
He claimed they punched him and drew a swastika on his forehead, but had to admit he drew it himself when people noticed it was backwards, and security cameras showed he was alone in the bathroom.
Seems he has Judge issues as well...
Mitt may be twisting in the wind here shortly...
Money can’t make one a conservative...
It’s shaping up to be a lousy day for Flipping Mitt. First Willie Horton and now this.
Which is why suspicion falls on the Romney sleaze machine -- it fits their MO.
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