Props to CNN’s Soledad O’Brien for her dogged attempt to get an actual answer from Romney’s Senior Advisor (and former Commerce Secretary) Carlos Gutierrez as to whether the presumptive GOP nominee supports Arizona’s controversial “papers please” law, in light of yesterday’s SCOTUS ruling striking down most of the law, but allowing the most controversial part of it to stand (for now.)
If the rest of the media insisted on actual answers from politicians and their surrogates before moving on (talking to you David Gregory), we might actually move the ball forward occasionally.
For the record, Romney has previously called AZ’s SB1070, the law that was largely struck down yesterday, a “model” for the nation. But I guess we all get to pretend he didn’t for a while, as he tries to Etch-a-Sketch his way out of the extremist positions he staked out in hopes of winning the GOP primaries.
Gutierrez typifies the type of slimy politico who will not give you a straight answer. When I’ve had slick witnesses like him in court, I’ve asked the court to order the witness to answer and to strike all non-responsive colloquy.
As refreshing as it was to watch O’Brien ascend to the height of real journalism by pressing him for a simple answer, it seems far more important that a reporter pin Romney or his spokespersons down on the democracy-destroying Supreme Court decision to strike down a 100 year old Montana anti-corruption law without even hearing oral argument.
See, Romney Hopes to Bork the Courts
Good point about Romney’s senior advisor (and actually Romney) refusal to run on anything.
Evidently, they just want to be DICTATORS (and it is the same playbook we saw in Wisconsin with scott walker).
I take your larger point as being a media failure, which I am glad you point out succinctly and clearly.
If that is an important part of your post, then the following is really not OT and both Brad and Mr. Canning have written about Justice David Prosser of Choke-A-Palooza fame.
The latest development is fully-related to a massive media failure in Wisconsin:
Are Psycho-Judge David Prosser and Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Lying Again? Yup
Journalists doing their jobs. So hot.
As Glenn Greenwald’s recent essays note, particularly today’s, Gregory’s behavior is an abberation.