Who is Angry in the Mitt Romney-AP's Glen Johnson Exchange?

Change font size:  A |  A

They May Have It Backwards

According to ABC News, it is Mitt.

Riled! Angry Romney Rips Reporter
Sparks fly as Mitt Romney tells reporters lobbyists aren't running his campaign.

According to anyone else who has watched the video, theirs is a difficult assessment with which to agree.

As we stated when we posted the video last night (video below as well), the Associated Press' Glen Johnson angily interrupts Romney on the podium mid-sentence, already visibly flustered, and only proceeds to become more so as he tries to drive home the semantic difference between a campaign "run"ner and a campaign "adviser".

Romney, for his part, calmly tries to explain that the lobbyist in question, Rob Kaufman, is a friend who is also providing campaign counsel, who also happens to be a lobbyist.

He amicably clarified by name (Beth Myers - Campaign Manager) the woman who is in fact "run"ning his campaign, and tranquilly agreed with the AP's Johnson that Kaufman was not in fact a potted plant.

Later, Johnson, not yet having had enough, continues his tirade for the benefit of Eric Fehrnstrom, Romney's Press Secretary, who placidly asks Johnson to "save his opinions and act professionally".

This while Romney himself is saying to Johnson (he can be heard, but is off camera save for his his hand which he had placed on Johnson's back in a soothing and friendly way), "Let's talk -- we'll talk".

In short, it is difficult for almost anyone to concur with ABC's conclusion. We have not just Romney, but his staffer Fehrnstrom, showing little or no emotion, while Johnson is enraged throughout the video.

ABC's headline is, shall we say, a might misleading.