Exclusive: Romney Campaign Referred Reporters to Anti-Romney Call Recipients Without Disclosing That They Were On Romney Payroll
Deepening the mystery surrounding the anti-Mormon polling calls, the Romney campaign is confirming that it referred reporters to two recipients of the calls without disclosing that the two were also on the Romney campaign payroll, TPM Election Central has learned.
In response to questions from TPM Election Central, Romney spokesman Kevin Madden confirmed that the campaign had failed to disclose this info to reporters. Madden suggested that the campaign had identified them as "supporters," which is a far cry from being directly paid by the campaign, as the two call recipients were.
The revelation could add grist to the theory -- now spreading on conservative blogs and even getting coverage by news organizations -- that the Romney campaign itself is behind the calls. Some have speculated that the calls -- which attack Romney and refer to his Mormon faith while saying positive things about McCain -- are an effort by the campaign to test negative messages about itself while getting McCain blamed for the calls.
The new revelation could give more ammo to those who question whether the firm making the calls -- which is already reported to have on staff several people who have donated to the Romney campaign -- knowingly called Romney supporters because they could be counted on to tell the press about the calls and to suggest to reporters that Romney rival John McCain was behind them.
It also raises the question of whether the Romney campaign referred reporters to the callers -- without disclosing their relationship with the campaign -- for the same purpose.
The Romney campaign is adamantly denying any involvement in the calls.
In interviews with TPM Election Central, the two callers, Iowa residents Marshan Roth and Rose Kramer, both confirmed that they worked for the Romney campaign. Kramer told EC that the campaign pays her $1,000 a month to work as a coordinator for the Dubuque, Iowa, area. Roth confirmed that she gets $500 a month from the campaign to serve as an "area consultant" in Fairfield, Iowa.
Reporters were referred to Kramer and Roth by the Romney campaign. Both confirmed in interviews with TPM Election Central that after getting the calls they'd reached out to local Romney campaign officials. Soon after, they started getting calls from reporters.
Roth spoke out against the calls in an interview with the Salt Lake City Tribune. She pointed to the fact that the calls said positive things about McCain, and she herself bashed the Arizona senator, suggesting that he was behind the calls. But Roth wasn't identified in the article as being on Romney's payroll.
Kramer, for her part, also spoke out against the calls in an interview with McClatchy Newspapers. Kramer was only identified as a Romney "supporter," and also was not identified as being on Romney's payroll.
Romney spokesman Madden sent TPM Election Central a statement this morning confirming that the campaign had referred reporters to the two women, but he didn't directly address the question of whether the campaign should have confirmed that they were on payroll.
"It’s obviously a statistical probability that supporters of the governor would receive these calls," Madden said. "When media inquiries came in asking to talk to folks who received the calls and whether they available to describe them, we did provide those names to reporters who asked for individuals."
The calls were first disclosed by The Politico's Jonathan Martin.
The calls are now being investigated by the New Hampshire Attorney General, and in a statement, the Romney campaign vowed to disclose all info about recipients of the callers to investigators. Romney rivals are likely to use this latest news to raise the question of whether the Romney camp told investigators that the two call recipients in question were on the payroll of the campaign.
Late Update: The Huffington Post's Sam Stein also reported earlier this morning that these recipients of the calls were on Romney's payroll.
Comments (54)
Daniel wrote on November 21, 2007 11:01 AM:I don't believe the conspiracy theory here personally... Can a campaign be crazy enough to do this?
At least some good news for Romney in a new primary poll from South Carolina where he moves into a complete tie for first with Thompson -- a major development since only one poll before had shown that. Greg wrote on November 21, 2007 11:05 AM:I'm not sure what to believe. incredibly, the theory that his campaign was behind calls is the most credible one.
Richard L. Adlof wrote on November 21, 2007 11:17 AM:Romney sees that Clinton got a bump of love in the polls cuz she made a big deal of no dangly down bits in her underpants . . .
Romney figured he needed a boost after he realized that he did not have the money necessary to pay every voter in America $10K for their vote . . .
Very Clintonian Mitty . . . Perhaps if you had been Mayor of New York on 09/10 . . .
Justin wrote on November 21, 2007 11:23 AM:Just to review the actual facts of the polling itself (rather than the aftermath):
1) There is ZERO evidence that Alex Gage and TargetPoint Consulting (Romney's lead pollster) had anything to do with calls in question
2) They VEHEMENTLY deny that they had anything to do with the polling
3) My sources at Western Wats tell me their client is non-political and that they (Western Wats) are a third party vendor at best in this poll
4) The AP cited 4 individuals in their story who have no apparent connection to the campaign
5) Martin's story at Politico is confirmed with the poll and his source has no connection to the Romney campaign.
Aside from the faux pas of no revealing that the septuagenarians work for the campaign. What evidence do you have that this Romney is behind this?
Story posted at 10:51...
Clinton's name gets dropped at 11:17.
A record?
Someone call those Guinness folks.
Grant wrote on November 21, 2007 11:29 AM:Isn't this sort of thing Chapter 2 of the Karl Rove playbook?
LJ wrote on November 21, 2007 11:31 AM:Congrats on the exclusive. Good stuff.
eric wrote on November 21, 2007 11:33 AM:I think Justin is also on the Romney payroll.
Philip the Equal Opportunity Cynic wrote on November 21, 2007 11:34 AM:Salt Lake City Tribune
Just to be real picky, it's the Salt Lake Tribune, no City.
Nothing really surprises me in politics any more, especially from Republicans. I can't wait for the staffers in question to allege that this is all a setup by the McCain campaign to make Romney look guilty.
MarcNYC wrote on November 21, 2007 11:37 AM:Whatever the real story is behind this, all the Dems need to take notice. This is just a trial run for the real stuff that will come out of the Rove playbook for the general election.
Justin wrote on November 21, 2007 11:39 AM:It is indeed I, Justin Hart, from MyManMitt.com. But I am not on a Romney payroll and as of yesterday I removed myself from the Faith and Values Committee. I am an independent blogger with no official status in the campaign.
Allsburg wrote on November 21, 2007 11:40 AM:Here's my theory on this:
The Giuliani camp commissions the calls, carefully tailored to look at first like McCain did it, and then to look like Romney himself did it to frame McCain.
My evidence? None, except the old refrain, "Follow the Money." Who benefits from this story? Giuliani--the one major candidate who's losing significant momentum in the crucial early primaries.
eric wrote on November 21, 2007 11:44 AM:"Justin wrote on November 21, 2007 11:39 AM:
It is indeed I, Justin Hart, from MyManMitt.com. But I am not on a Romney payroll and as of yesterday I removed myself from the Faith and Values Committee. I am an independent blogger with no official status in the campaign.
Wow, I was pretty close, anyway.
Orwell's Intuition wrote on November 21, 2007 11:46 AM:Karl Rove planted an electronic bug, "discovered" it, and blamed Hightower, ensuing flap caused Hightower to lose the election. But why choose McCain as the ostensible push-poller? Mittsey's campaign would have a better chance of convincing folks of their noninvolvement if they had chosen Ghouliani as the push-poller. Maybe they were afraid of having their kneecaps busted.
First big LOL of the day: "It’s obviously a statistical probability that supporters of the governor would receive these calls," Madden said.
shaker o salt wrote on November 21, 2007 11:46 AM:Mitt Romney is a "rank opportunist" who will do and say anything to get elected.
Mormons believe they are the LLord's chosen people and are taught from birth that all other churches (religions) are "untrue" and are "abominations" to the Lord.
Do we really need another "God's appointed" president? Move over Slick Willy, Slick Mitt has arrived.
Maximumken wrote on November 21, 2007 11:50 AM:
Does the McCain campaign have any ties to the polling firm involved? Are they doing any projects with them?
I haven't seen these questions answered anywhere.
Jeff wrote on November 21, 2007 11:55 AM:It does have a Rovian whiff about it, don't it? Smells like Old Spice.
MarcNYC wrote on November 21, 2007 11:58 AM:So, someone from mymanmitt.com posts a comment here that seeks to exonerate Mitt from these shenanigans, but neglects to disclose his affiliation until called out. I don't understand how anyone could think that kind of failure to disclose could help. In fact, to me, it is the same kind of behavior that the Mitt folks are trying to deny, and suggests that they are very capable of doing this to try and turn him into a victim at either McCain or Rudy's expense. (Not that I don't think that Rudy deserves whatever dirty trick anyone can think of pulling on him).
owenz wrote on November 21, 2007 11:58 AM:The strategy makes some sense. If Romney can get rival campaigns to completely disavow the robocalls at this early date, he comes one step closer to taking his Mormanism off the table as an acceptable "issue" moving forward.
Of course, making it work is conditioned on no one figuring out that his campaign commissioned the calls. Oops.
owenz wrote on November 21, 2007 12:02 PM:The alternate theory - that the calls really were commissioned by a rival campaign - is quite impressive in its own right. That would mean some McCain or Guiliani operative figured out how to place the calls AND frame Romney's campaign for placing them. If that's the case, he or she deserves a gold star with a picture of Turd Blossum on it.
Justin wrote on November 21, 2007 12:03 PM:The Campaign Spot at NRO has this quote from Kevin MAdden:
I guess our opponents are never absent a newly invented angle with which they will seek to satisfy their appetite for conspiracy. There were a number of folks who notified the campaign about these calls when they first occurred who are affiliated with the campaign as grassroots organizers. It’s obviously a statistical probability that supporters of the governor would receive these calls. When media inquiries came in asking to talk to folks who received the calls, and whether they were available the describe them, we did provide the names of supporters who were willing to talk to reporters. Obviously, it would be hard for us to identify people who received calls who are not supporters, since they are unlikely to notify us. Also, we’ve also made sure to identify other individuals who are not affiliated with the campaign in any way for additional media inquiries.henk wrote on November 21, 2007 12:05 PM:
Good call eric! You were damn close. And good for Justin for revealing his true identity. He's no Clark Kent I am sure, but still he came clean.
Elbeau wrote on November 21, 2007 12:08 PM:This speculation is ridiculous...sure it's nice to find a new bit of information...but it's circumstantial.
If Romney did this, then he's through...if he didn't, then he's getting a double-whammy. It would then turn out that the media is brutalizing the victim.
The investigation needs to move FAST. This needs to get cleared up NOW.
northlite wrote on November 21, 2007 12:08 PM:As I have been saying for some time as a Mass resident who has seen Mitt in action: Mitt's ambition knows no limit--a tribute to the party banner he runs under. It has been clear that he is willing to say anything to get a vote and to lie through his teeth in obvious and obnoxious ways about why his opinions changed; now we know he will do anything to win. He appears to be telling multiple lies in this sordid affair. He is a man without values, without a heart, and a f'in' liar to boot.
Justin wrote on November 21, 2007 12:10 PM:I agree with Elbeau
If Romney did do the push polls it would be very bad for the campaign.
In the end. I think he'll be cleared from these theories period.
Elbeau wrote on November 21, 2007 12:11 PM:northlite: Jumping the gun a little bit aren't you?
You can beat on Mitt about the old Mass stuff, but you cannot blame him for this without more proof.
Michael wrote on November 21, 2007 12:13 PM:This whole story is way too funny and it sounds soooo republican. By the way, mitt the flip will probably wind up being the nominee, unless there is a mccain miracle. Also, if clinton II is the dem nominee, he very well could be the next pres. Amazing, we may soon be singing "all hail to the flipper." What a laugh.
Northlite wrote on November 21, 2007 12:13 PM:PS: Like Justine, I think Mitt's just so handsome. But, like his former Senatorial Campaign Chair Larry--"Just pickin' up tp from the public restroom floor"--Craig, I know you're not Gay Justine.
Northlite wrote on November 21, 2007 12:16 PM:Yah, until there's proof. Like Scott McClellan and Plame. Like Larry Craig. Like the phone jamming in NH during the last election. Come on: This is clearly Mitt or his campaign's doing. He is not an honest man, and that has been proven over and over again.
Elbeau wrote on November 21, 2007 12:20 PM:No, no no...
I didn't make a point of him being honest or dishonest...what I said is you can't just blame someone based off of conjecture. I'm sure it feels good to you seeing him smeared without proof...but this is a presidential election. If it wasn't him and we let one of his opponents off him like this, then we share the blame too.
If he did it...I have NO sympathy for him...but you cannot blame him for this just because of your opinion of his personality. Let's say he is the liar you are portraying...is he the only liar in this election?...hmm...
bob wrote on November 21, 2007 12:26 PM:I think it's a Mitt-aligned 527 or 501(c)(4) that made the calls.
Say what you will about the Mitt campaign, they have not shown themselves to be dumb enough to pull such an obvious stunt like this one in which they could get caught red-handed. I mean they are currently leading in the most important states, so it would be a HUGE risk to take.
They can disown themselves from a 527. Plausible deniability.
bob wrote on November 21, 2007 12:28 PM:Red State is also posting about it, if you can stomach going over there.
Their blogger can't seem to distinguish between message testing (what this is) and push polling, however, so take what he posts with a big grain of salt.
Read pollster.com for an explanation of the difference.
That is also why Western Wats is denying that they ran push polls. They would say it's not a push poll, it's just message testing (or something along those lines). So whenever someone else denies being involved with "push polling," that counts as a NON-DENIAL.
northlite wrote on November 21, 2007 1:58 PM:And why would Justin Hart, MyManMitt.com, resign from the illustrious Romney Faith and Values Committee is everything was on the up and up. (Then again, why did Larry Criag resign as Mitt's Senatorial Co-chair if he wasn't guilty?)Its the same reason all the Rethugs in the Justice Dept. have resigned, that Rove and Company resigned: They are either guilty or have something to hide. Those phonecalls were pretty clearly a Romney plant so that he could whine about people picking on his religion. As I've noted above: Those of us from the one place Mitt has governed know that this man has no values and no integrity. The only thing that matters to Mitt is Mitt. What a smarmy self-serving self-righteous individual.
D.Emento, Esq. wrote on November 21, 2007 3:01 PM:It takes some real chutzpah for you to claim an 'exclusive' when about 15 other reporters were on this last night (having been contacted by the same campaign you were contacted by) and had already backtracked off their own breathless conspiracy-mongering before you got up today. Sorry to burst your balloon, big guy, but somebody had to do it. See RedState, Jim Geraghty (who never fell for it) at NRO etcetera etcetera....
Your BS meter might need recalibrating, Greg.
Don wrote on November 21, 2007 3:08 PM:So Western Wats wasn't push pollng they were "message testing"?
Justin, maybe you could ask your sources at Western Wats to divulge how many calls were made for this particular project or what was the total cost?
Does anyone know if Western Wats NDA takes precedence over the NH disclosure law?
Mitt did seem to have a deer in the headlights look in his eyes.
I think this might be his brainwashed moment.
Zephyrus wrote on November 21, 2007 3:33 PM:I think Clinton commissioned this poll to make it look like Giuliani did it to make it look like Mitt Romney did it to make it look like McCain did it.
Best of all if McCain did it to implicate the Clinton campaign.
Mary wrote on November 21, 2007 3:41 PM:This sounds familiar. My youngest son, in order to get my older son in trouble, would bite his own arm then come running to me crying that my older son did it. With five sons of his own, I have no doubt that he got the polling move from his children when they were about 5 years old.
northlite wrote on November 21, 2007 4:31 PM:How dare you besmirch Mitt's sons when they are doing so much to serve this nation in time of war. (Just another example of Romney's smarmy its-all-about-me shallowness. But be concerned. Mitt happens!
Jose Padilla wrote on November 21, 2007 4:34 PM:Grant said: "Isn't this sort of thing Chapter 2 of the Karl Rove playbook?"
Yeah, but chapter one says, don't get caught.
mikeVA wrote on November 21, 2007 4:35 PM:This is why we make the distinction between blogs and journalism. It makes a great case for journalism school and ethics. And it furthers the problems of the mix of blogs and journalism. Otherwise this is all a load of nonsense.
votenic wrote on November 21, 2007 5:01 PM:2008 Presidential Election Weekly Poll
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MikeVA: There's something in journalism(and politics and business)that sometimes says: This doesn't pass the smell test. It has begun to appear as if this was mostly likely done by some over-zealous Romney supporters, rather than the campaign itself--or so we will be told either way. The whole issue is serious enough that Romney has called on the NH AG to investigate. It doesn't pass the smell test, and the more that comes out, the more it stinks. I would presume in such a referral to a state's top law enforcement official, that there are potentially significant matters of law involved, possibly quite serious criminal activity. The convictions for telephone jamming by Republican political operatives in NH, that was only settled after the damage to the electoral process was done, is not forgotten there. Let's hope the AG takes a good hard look and with all due dispatch.
Ontoteny wrote on November 21, 2007 5:38 PM:It's Clinton's campaign, trying to take the pressure off because she knows something about Obama, and the bloggers know it, so she's implicating Romney implicating McCain to hurt Romney directly, McCain indirectly, and Giuliani because Republicans will think he wasn't smart enough to be involved in it. Thus, everybody is smeared, except my grandmother--she had a little red tricycle. Is it all clear now?
mikeVA wrote on November 21, 2007 5:46 PM:northlite: The only smell is the rival, over-zealous internet jockies. So what is the point of this story? The call list included Romney supporters. Huh! No way, since one in three or one in four, are Romney supporters! All I see are wannabe journalists trying for cheap click, and over-zealous haters.
mikeVA wrote on November 21, 2007 5:54 PM:northlite: oh, what's that--the people in the mis-blogging of a push-poll by Jonathan Martin were non-Romney supporters.
acf wrote on November 21, 2007 6:13 PM:The Romney camp may be behind the anti Mormon push poles? I'm aghast. Mr wonderful, the family man, still married to his high school sweetheart, doesn't even drink coffee, that man may be behind this? Well if you have a hard time believing that, just think about the cold blooded capitalist, who would lay off his mother, to increase the bottom line of a company he bought. That person would do it in a New York minute. Also, look at the people in his campaign. They have a history with this kind of thing.
Gus wrote on November 21, 2007 8:06 PM:What Grant said above -- this is a textbook Atwater/ Rove ruse. But whats so interesting is how thoroughly second rate the Republicans are at executing their basic offense. I've felt along that Romney's campaign was simply too amateurish an effort (is "Hillary = France" really a strategy that you pay people to come up with?) to win. I'm hoping they hold it together long enough to get the nomination,
so they can play the role of Dukakis or Kerry next fall.
This story to me reaffirms my sense that this election is still loseable for the Dems, but that the Republicans seem incapable, tactically as well as ideologically, of winning it.
Charles Wilson wrote on November 21, 2007 8:35 PM:I'm afraid that the Mittster's being caught out in a lie.
First we have "unamerican" phone calls. Then the "outrage," along with the insinuation that McCain was behind them. When it turns out that firm making the calls is founded by one of Mitt's buddies in Zion Central, the firm itself clams up and Mitt's campaign plays the "conspiracy theorist" card against anyone who raises an eyebrow.
Ah, but you can't keep a true story down, so then we learn that these calls went to some paid Romney staffers. Who called the media, but in those calls forgot to mention who was signing their paychecks.
Come on: The simplest explanation is the best explanation. This was an attempt to make Mitt Romney look like the victim of anti-Mormon bias. Turns him into the underdog, and insures that future questions about his affiliation with a religion known for its corporate vigor are rendered impossible to raise without the questioner being labeled a "bigot."
Not only that, but by citing the "pro McCain" content of the calls, and blaming everything on the "McCain Feingold" campaign finance law, the Mittster figured he'd plant one last IED under the Straight Talk Express.
Mitt, I guess you didn't think that anyone would take a closer look. Talk about your backfiring engine. This little coverup is unraveling. Soon there's not going to be much left of your $2,000 suit.
spencer wrote on November 21, 2007 8:55 PM:Mormons believe they are the LLord's chosen people and are taught from birth that all other churches (religions) are "untrue" and are "abominations" to the Lord.
As opposed to, say, any other branch of Christianity?
Oh, wait a minute . . .
Ed Thanet wrote on November 21, 2007 8:56 PM:Everyone should note that Mitt Romney's former finance co-chair Alan B. Fabian was indicted on Aug. 9 by a federal grand jury on 23 counts including charges of money laundering, mail fraud, perjury and obstruction of justice. Romney would be dead out of the box if he ever got the nomination, already he averages more than 10% behind Hillary Clinton in match ups; in comparison McCain is within the margin of error.
Personally I like Owenz theory at 12:02 above. That this really is just a clever push-poll operation by one of the Mittster's opponents. That is the true Rovian play I think.
Set up a push-poll to damage Mitt (or at least test-market how damaging the Mormonism thing is going to be). But set up the operation carefully so that it leads back to Mitt himself when it starts to get uncovered. That way you get to talk both about his Mormonism and his opportunism.
Makes a lot more sense to me than the convoluted opposite theory which at BEST makes Mitt look like a victim. I'm not sure the victim card is really the best one to play with the hard core conservatives and law and order types who predominate the Republican primaries.
Tad wrote on November 21, 2007 10:51 PM:Can a campaign be crazy enough to do this?
This is a guy who changed his stance on several major issues to pander his way into the WH - after strapping the family dog to the roof of his car for a 12 hour trip he then acted like the dog liked it. This is very dangerous man, moreso than the child king we have, imo.
Scottie wrote on November 24, 2007 4:49 PM:I'm givin' her all I can Cap'n! She's gonna rip herself apart!
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