NYT’s Ashley Parker Gets ‘Defensive’ Over Mitt Romney — 12 Times!

On Thursday the New York Times's Romney-beat campaign reporter Ashley Parker returned to Romney's tired "47 percent" controversy in "Romney Ad Reaches Out to Working Class." Not content with recycling old anti-Romney issues, Parker also recycled her criticism of Romney – so far she has described Romney as "defensive" in at least 12 news stories, including this one, according to a Nexis search.

Mitt Romney stepped up his efforts to repair the damage from his “47 percent” comments, releasing a new television ad on Wednesday in which he speaks directly to the camera about his compassion and tries to reassure voters that he cares about the poor and middle class.

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But the ad came nine days after the video surfaced, a period in which Democrats have bashed Mr. Romney over the remarks, leaving him on the defensive in swing states like Ohio. The ad reflected a belief among his aides that in addition to trying to move past his “47 percent” comments, Mr. Romney can appeal to voters in an intimate, personal way, bonding over their economic worries. The spot, in which Mr. Romney seems to address the viewer, is an attempt, aides said, to reveal the compassion behind the policy. “The goal is to connect with voters over their anxieties over the state of the economy, and reflect the fact that Governor Romney has a plan to fix it,” said Kevin Madden, a senior campaign adviser.

Here's just a sample of Parker putting Romney "on the defensive."

Peter Baker and Parker, September 13: "Already on the defensive for not mentioning Afghanistan in his convention speech and losing some ground in recent polls, Mr. Romney saw an opportunity to draw a stark contrast."

Parker in a September 12 Caucus blog post: "The crisis comes as Mr. Romney has been on the defensive on the foreign policy front, as his campaign has been struggling to respond to criticism from Democrats and even some on the right for failing to mention, during his address at his party's national convention in Tampa, Fla., the war in Afghanistan or to thank American troops abroad."

Parker in a July 30 Caucus post: "Mitt Romney found himself on the defensive yet again on his overseas trip, this time after offending Palestinian leaders with comments he made at a breakfast fund-raiser here on Monday."

Parker in a May 9 story: "Mitt Romney often finds himself on the defensive in Rust Belt states for having been against the auto industry bailout, which many credit with saving the industry. Now, he is taking a new tack on the sensitive issue: he's taking credit for the industry's rebound."