Behind enemy lines
Ann Romney gave a friendly shout-out to members of the Utah media during her husband Mitt's whistlestop fundraiser Tuesday in Salt Lake City. "It just seems odd that someone from the media would bring a smile to my face," she said.
The welcome was short-lived.
Thirty minutes later, the presidential candidate himself booted me and Deseret Morning News reporter Lisa Riley Roche from the ballroom after we dared to venture past the double doors. Not much was said. Mrs. Romney thanked a few people by name, notably Sinclair Oil tycoon Earl Holding, whose health is failing. Then she encouraged everyone to "say 'hi' to Mitt" on the way out. My digital recorder was still on.
"How are you? Good to see you," Romney said, shaking my hand and grinning widely. "Wait a minute. The media's not allowed in there, are they?"
I thought he was joking. He kept smiling and shaking. "No no. That's a closed event. Linda. That's a closed event. Don? Don?"
Don "the muscle" Stirling grabbed my arm and escorted me out. Lisa was a few minutes behind. She said the man who would be president practically yelled at her.
The only explanation for Romney's behavior (even his press secretary didn't see a problem with us listening in) is that we didn't pay for the handshake.
-- Linda Fantin
The welcome was short-lived.
Thirty minutes later, the presidential candidate himself booted me and Deseret Morning News reporter Lisa Riley Roche from the ballroom after we dared to venture past the double doors. Not much was said. Mrs. Romney thanked a few people by name, notably Sinclair Oil tycoon Earl Holding, whose health is failing. Then she encouraged everyone to "say 'hi' to Mitt" on the way out. My digital recorder was still on.
"How are you? Good to see you," Romney said, shaking my hand and grinning widely. "Wait a minute. The media's not allowed in there, are they?"
I thought he was joking. He kept smiling and shaking. "No no. That's a closed event. Linda. That's a closed event. Don? Don?"
Don "the muscle" Stirling grabbed my arm and escorted me out. Lisa was a few minutes behind. She said the man who would be president practically yelled at her.
The only explanation for Romney's behavior (even his press secretary didn't see a problem with us listening in) is that we didn't pay for the handshake.
-- Linda Fantin
9:44 PM
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2 Comments:
Today in her column Rebecca Walsh asked why people in Utah are so enamored of the Mitster. Is it the hair, the winning smile, the Olympic legacy? C'mon! It's not any of those things! It's the underwear! It's the secret handshakes! It's the wink wink nod nod that passes between members of TH'CHUURRCH when they stick the shaft to anyone who's not a member. Plus it says to the junior Bushes at the Lege that they too could someday hit the big time.
It seems odd that a reporter would be complaining about being asked to leave an event, when that event was supposed to be a non media event. I would think that they could just say, "Sorry, my mistake", without feeling the need to make a fuss in print later. Seems kind of petty.
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