Mitt Romney for President My Man Mitt

Thursday, January 17, 2008

Glen Johnson Picks A Fight With Mitt

posted by Jon | 7:38 PM | permalink

I’m not a reporter, nor do I pretend to be one. I read most of what is written about Mitt and comment when I feel like it. My political bias is very evident – I make no claim to objectivity. With me, what you read is what you get.

Most MSM reporters at least attempt to make a window dressing claim to objectivity. A lack of bias – whether perceived or real – is critical to their claim to be the honest broker about what they cover.

Very few reporters are very good at this. NBC’s David Gregory, for instance, has made somewhat of a career playing journalistic judo with White House Press Secretaries. He did fairly well at it until Tony Snow came to town. Tony Snow ate David Gregory’s lunch on a daily basis. That was high quality entertainment.

The AP’s Glen Johnson covers the Mitt campaign. He makes somewhat of an attempt to feign objectivity. Sometimes he’s successful. Most times he is not. Today he failed in spectacular fashion and picked a fight with Mitt over just who runs the Mitt campaign. Maybe this has happened before but this is the first time I’ve seen it reported. Maybe Glen Johnson didn’t buy ABC’s Matt Stuart a beer one night. Who knows?

A reporter’s job is to report the facts, not make the news. Mitt said the following during the “media availability” where the brouhaha occurred:

[Washington needs a leader who]… will fight to make sure we resolve the issues rather than continuously look for partisan opportunities for score settling and for opportunities to link closer to lobbyists. I don't have lobbyists running my campaign. (Emphasis Added)

To which Glen Johnson retorted:

That's not true governor. That is not true. Ron Kaufman's a lobbyist. How can you say that you don't have lobbyists? (Emphasis Added)

You’ll note the obvious trap set by Johnson. Mitt never claimed he didn’t have lobbyists. Mitt stated that lobbyists don’t run his campaign. Mitt immediately threw a smackdown on Johnson:

Did you hear what I said? Did you hear what I said Glen?

Of course Johnson heard what Mitt said. Johnson’s automatic “gotcha” filter just took out what Johnson didn’t want to hear. Johnson replied:

That you don't have lobbyists running your campaign.

Wow. Maybe Johnson can hear after all. Mitt then explained that Beth Myers, his campaign manager was the one running his campaign. Johnson, obviously unfamiliar with the job description of a campaign manager, continued his disrespectful accusation that Mitt was lying about who is actually running his campaign.

Fox News' Shushannah Walshe has the rest of Mitt's Glen Johnson Smackdown. Johnson continued his diatribe on Ron Kaufman's role in Mitt's campaign. Said Johnson:

So Ron’s just … window dressing. He’s just a potted plant?

Sigh. Mitt answered:

Ron is a wonderful friend — an adviser. He’s not paid. Hes an adviser like many others. But I do not have lobbyists running my campaign. Glen, I appreciate that you think that’s funny, but Ron Kaufman is not even in on the senior strategy meetings of our campaign.

Johnson then uttered something inaudible. Mitt answered the inaudible question thusly:

Excuse me, Glen. He is not in on the senior strategy meetings of our campaign.

Johnson, still tilting at windmills, tried a different tack:

Is he in the debate sessions at all? Any time-

And finally Mitt had enough and unloaded on Johnson:

At any time? Has he ever been at a debate session? Sure. Is that a senior strategy meeting? Is that a senior strategy meeting of our campaign? No. Let me go back and complete the point I was making. My campaign is not based on Washington lobbyists. I haven’t been in Washington. I don’t have lobbyists at my elbows that are arguing for one industry or another industry. And I do not have favors I have to repay to people who have been in Washington for years nor scores I have to settle. And I’m going to Washington to make things happen. And somebody doesn’t put the kind of financial resources that I've put into this campaign and the personal resources I’ve put into this campaign in order to do favors for lobbyists. I’m going to Washington to help the American people, and that’s what this campaign is all about. (Emphasis Added)

Maybe life on the campaign trail is getting to Glen Johnson. Maybe he’s been relegated to a middle seat in the back of the campaign trail. Whatever the reason may be, his behavior in this situation is disgraceful. You don’t see this coming from Liz Sidoti, Michael Luo, or any of the other MSM reporters assigned to cover Mitt. While each of them may have their own personal bias and issues, at least they keep them to themselves. Last time I checked, the job of a reporter is to report, not to challenge a candidate to a verbal duel. Regardless of that fact, Johnson lost this duel.

Memo to Glen Johnson: Words mean things. Mitt means what he says when he tells you who runs his campaign. It’s his campaign organization – you don’t have better insight into it than he does. It’s called a vacation. Consider one. End Memo.

Oh, and on a completely unrelated tangent, Howlin' Mad Howie Dean's Head Mitt Hit Man Damien LaVera is back. I was beginning to get worried about that guy. I'm sad to say his absence hasn't improved his press releases. At least the DNC changed the moniker they were using to Millionaire Mitt. Memo to Damien: At least Mitt made his money the old fashioned way. The same cannot be said of Her (Less Than) Inevitableness.

Cross-posted at Blogs For Mitt

Labels: Glen Johnson, mitt romney

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	5 Comments: Glenn needed to back down when Mitt won. He did win. he was right. Glenn was wrong to accuse him of being dishonest about it. He could have pointed out that there are people who help with the campaign who are lobbyists and ask if that was a problem but instead he insisted on trying to vindicate his original attack. By Anonymous, at January 17, 2008 at 8:04 PM Well, I will think twice before I link to Jonathan Martin at The Politico again. His take reveals his bias: http://www.politico.com/blogs/jonathanmartin/0108/Mitt_gets_called_out_by_a_reporter_big_box_store_contretemps_ensue.html#comments By Anne, at January 17, 2008 at 9:03 PM The best part of the whole Mitt/Glenn exchange was the last 2 seconds of the show-down when a woman in the crowd said to Glenn, "YOU ARE RUDE AND UGLY!!!!" Amen sister!! Did you also hear Chris Matthews?? Totally going after Mitt for being rude to the poor reporter!!!! What IS it with the MSM???? I heard one of them say today that they thought Mitt Romney is a sociopath!!!! By Anonymous, at January 17, 2008 at 10:01 PM Mitt was shaking and stuttering, he got called out on the carpet, there wasn't 15 people in the room because no one cares about this guy not even his hair dresser, Mo had a better hairdo, money dosn't buy good taste, Mitt go home...... as for the woman who said Glen was rude, shes a hanger on and a wannabe, she should have respected Glen for standing up to "The Candidate" ..... Go Glen you got my vote! By Anonymous, at January 18, 2008 at 5:18 AM Glen just asked a question, one which MITTens, didnt care for, in the end you can see MITTens and his Goon pickin the fight,what a sore loser! Truth is not pretty is it Mr.MITTens By Anonymous, at January 18, 2008 at 5:58 AM Post a Comment

Sunday, February 25, 2007

Polygamy In Spades

posted by Jon | 10:05 AM | permalink

The Associated Press’ Jennifer Dobner and Glen Johnson are loving life. They did some digging under Mitt’s Family Tree and found [drum roll] Polygamy. I know you must be shocked. The MSM was. Dobner’s and Johnson’s piece was picked up by no fewer than sixteen media outlets who think this revelation is newsworthy.

What’s the matter, boys and girls? Slow news cycle? Before people get too wrapped up in this, realize that Ms. Dobner and Mr. Johnson had to dig back to Mitt’s Great Grandfather Miles Park Romney and Great Great Grandfather Parley Pratt to find this information. How many of you (Mormons excluded) can name your Great or Great Great Grandaddy? Do you know anything about them? Are you responsible for their actions?

Get back to me when you can answer those questions. Till then, stuff a sock in it. Yes, I’m a bit perturbed because you don’t have to shake my family tree too hard before the polygamists start falling out. If we’re going to start this with Mitt, then I suggest each presidential candidate submit a seven-generation ancestry chart complete with family history so we can see exactly what his/her ancestors were up to.

As every family tree has some strange branches in it - especially when you look at history through the politically correct lens of today. I think some candidates would be surprised by what's in their tree. Hillary might find her forebearers practiced something worse than polygamy. Some of them were no doubt [gasp] Republicans.

Labels: Glen Johnson, Jennier Dobner, LDS Mormon Romney, mitt romney, Mormon, polygamy, religion

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	7 Comments: I posted this comment already on this blog, but I want to tie it to this particular post: I did a bit of background checking on these two AP journalists. Jennifer actually works out of their Salt Lake City office -- obviously not happy by her LDS surroundings. If you look at her story history, she reports on polygamy all the time. If anyone wants to contact her and call her out on this shameful story, email her at jdobner@ap.org; or call her at (801) 322-3405. Glen Johnson on the other hand, a known Romney basher, reported from Boston where they are looking for every possible way to smear their former governor. And he is always looking for ways to highlight the other candidates. Take a look at this glowing piece that Johnson did on Obama that doesn’t mention a negative thing in it, and of course doesn’t mention that Obama’s own father had multiple wives - http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/couriernews/news/231641,3_1_EL27_A7OBAMA_S1.article. The editors and publisher of the Associated Press should be ashamed. By Anonymous, at February 25, 2007 at 2:33 PM Anyone have Johnson's email address? By Anonymous, at February 25, 2007 at 3:25 PM I just don't understand the relevance of what Romney's ancestors did more than 100 years ago. The piece talks about Romney condemning polygamy, but that his great-grandfather had multiple wives? How does the fact that his ancestor practiced polygamy negate Mitt's views on the matter?!? I'm sure that other candidate's ancestor's were slave owners. Does that mean they must condone slavery today, despite what they say? Sheesh! The press is so transparent--and STUPID--sometimes. Like anyone is going to care about this smear piece or give it one ounce of creedence. By Anonymous, at February 25, 2007 at 3:26 PM It is interesting how much the press is interested in, golly, the generations of Romney family...why, not even Lincoln, Washington, or Jefferson get this much attention to family history in the modern press. Yeah, yeah, anyway... If it weren't such a veiled hit piece (this is muckraking? This is all they can come up with?), it is interesting to see obscure Mormon history suddenly become so relevant to everything political. You'd think the press was genuinely threatened by Romney's ancestors, but no, they're just scared of Romney and his potential, so they have to create an asinine hit piece. Also, just to echo the commentary above, Romney wasn't the only person who had polygamist ancestors. See this post about Obama's daddy: http://tinyurl.com/38l6p9 So, where's the fair treatment? Sheesh. By American Yak, at February 25, 2007 at 5:47 PM Great editorial! AWESOME! Please post the email address of Johnson if you find it. Their reporting on this along with all the other "hangerson" is hillarious. Gotta love it. My grandmother (not Mormon) loved geneology as a hobby. I found out in my youth that I had a horse rustler for a g-g-g-grandfather in Arkansas or some place like that. They hanged the guy --- it is a good thing he had kids first tho. To 206's point: My personal opinion is that it doesn't matter what the church thinks on this; for Americans and me at least. The most important issue at hand is to get the most qualified and best person in the President's saddle (If that person were a Quaker, I would be doing what I could to help him/her). That person is MR, hands down. I am sure the people who run the Mormon church know what could be coming and are well prepared for it. And I doubt they are complaining about all the free publicity. By Anonymous, at February 25, 2007 at 8:33 PM This is ridiculous. Why don't they find out which candidates had great grandfathers who were slave holders or something like that. I mean, c'mon By Anonymous, at February 25, 2007 at 8:35 PM It's all just too funny... I know who my great grandfather and my wife does too. Come to think of it, you may know her's as well... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reynolds_v._United_States His name is George Reynolds, and his case (albeit not completely correct in description on Wikipedia) is a cornerstone of current debate on marriage. My wife is a lifer and I'm a convert (6 years after being married to her from being an Agnostic). It didn't stop me from marrying her - we had common values, end of story. They (the AP) can't stand a discussion on real issues - sideshow antics are what keep them alive and selling papers. FWIW for 206: As a second-gen Arizonan, Ev Mecham was perceived as a nut, not for the Mormon angle but because he took a hard line on things rather than lay down like a nice politician. MD By Anonymous, at February 26, 2007 at 1:16 PM Post a Comment

Saturday, February 24, 2007

Mitt Romney's Closet Finally Uncovered! 3 Generations Ago!

posted by Justin Hart | 7:23 PM | permalink

What do you get when you pair Jennifer Dobner (the LDS Church watcher) and Glen Johnson (the Romney basher) together on an article about Romney's Marmon family roots? A hit piece like no other.

Jennifer is fairly tame in her decidedly left-leaning muckraking, though at times she inserts some fun axiomatic assumptions into her pieces (implying that the Mormon church would "punish" a man who entered into a "legal, same-sex marriage"). Glen has cut his teeth far deeper than Jennifer implying disappointment that Governor Romney doesn't carry over his displeasure with the Mass. Supreme Court into the public arena (see here and here). With their dual agendas the path to literary sniping was almost inevitable.

Actually, I got a call from a friend this morning who indicated that reporters were poking around down in Mexico trying to interview some of the supposed long-lost polygamous cousins of Mitt Romney. It says something about the personal integrity of Governor Romney that his detractors have to scour back 3 generations to literally dig up a skeleton in a closet... since his closet is pretty darn clean.

You see the main problem with AP hit pieces is that they don't state their claims.... they simply insinuate. So the article starts out like this:

While Mitt Romney condemns polygamy and its prior practice by his Mormon church, the Republican presidential candidate's great-grandfather had five wives and at least one of his great-great grandfathers had 12.

This would be funny if it weren't so contorted. They set up the sentence as a dichotomy but can't quite come to the realization of what that dichotomy is. So we need some MORE insinuation:

Romney's father, former Michigan Gov. George Romney, was born in Chihuahua, Mexico, where Mormons fled in the 1800s to escape religious persecution and U.S. laws forbidding polygamy. He and his family did not return to the United States until 1912, more than two decades after the church issued "The Manifesto" banning polygamy.

So the whispering voices that Dobner and Johnson want you to hear is that Romney Sr. was possibly a closet polygamist himself, that his immediate kin were Mormon defilers for decades and that Mitt obviously must have polyamorous leanings.

What any of this has to do with Romney's presidential aspirations is unclear. Except this: Dobner and Johnson do not want you to vote for him. And nothing pulls on a voters heart strings like the strange estrangement and tears of Mitt's Great Great grandmother:

"I felt that was more than I could endure, to have him divide his time and affections from me. I used to walk the floor and shed tears of sorrow. If anything will make a woman's heart ache, it is for her husband to take another wife. ... But I put my trust in my heavenly father, and prayed and pleaded with him to give me strength to bear this great trial."

Again, I ask. What does this have to do with Mitt? This is agenda press politics at its best!

Labels: AP, family, Glen Johnson, Jennier Dobner, mitt romney, polygamy, press

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	2 Comments: Do we have email addresses for these two? I'd like to see a Brody-style flood of email sent to them. By Anonymous, at February 25, 2007 at 10:07 AM I did a bit of background checking on these two AP journalists. Jennifer actually works out of their Salt Lake City office -- obviously not happy by her LDS surroundings. If you look at her story history, she reports on polygamy all the time. If anyone wants to contact her and call her out on this shameful story, email her at jdobner@ap.org; or call her at (801) 322-3405. Glen Johnson on the other hand reported from Boston, where they are looking for every possible way to smear their former governor. And he is always looking for ways to highlight the other candidates. Take a look at this glowing piece that Johnson did on Obama that doesn’t mention a negative thing in it, and of course doesn’t mention that Obama’s own father had multiple wives - http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/couriernews/news/231641,3_1_EL27_A7OBAMA_S1.article. The editors and publisher of the Associated Press should be ashamed. -Cory By Anonymous, at February 25, 2007 at 2:27 PM Post a Comment