Mitt Romney got the better of an argumentative reporter during
a testy
exchange in South Carolina because the reporter didn't ask the
right question.
"I don't have lobbyists running my campaign," Romney said.
AP Reporter Glen Johnson interrupted him. "That's not true,
governor! That is not true. Ron Kaufman is a lobbyist," Johnson
said. Ron Kaufman is an old friend of Romney's and a senior adviser
to the campaign.
Johnson and Romney then got into an argument over what "running
my campaign" means. I have to say, Romney is exactly right. Senior
advisers aren't running campaigns. Johnson complained that Romney
was engaging in "semantics," but semantics is about what words
mean, and Romney used exactly the right words. He was right,
Johnson was wrong.
While Johnson was trying to play gotcha, he missed a chance to
make Romney clarify his position on lobbyist influence. Romney
brought up lobbyists because McCain campaign manager Rick Davis is
a former lobbyist. Romney was trying to portray himself as
pure and McCain as corrupt. Johnson should have asked Romney if he
was implying that McCain has been corrupted by lobbyists, and if
he, Romney, would state that it is always wrong to be so close to
lobbyists and pledge never to have them involved in managing any
future campaign or making decisions in the White House. He should
have made Romney explain why it is bad to have a former lobbyist
running a campaign but OK to have a current lobbyist as a senior
adviser.
Candidates too often get away with cheap shots because reporters
don't press them to explain their positions more fully.
