Fran?ois Baroin,French Finance Minister and petulant political dwarf ...

December 17th, 2011 8:15

Fran?ois Baroin,French Finance Minister and petulant political dwarf

Under the threat of being downgraded by a rating agency, Fran?ois Baroin who was recently appointed to replace Christine Lagarde as French Finance Minister, came out with a typically arrogant remark , ? I would rather be French than British? , whilst expressing concern for the state of the British economy. It is useful to note that in the pecking order of European finance ministers , F.Baroin occupies the 15th rung of the ladder, which is not particularly flattering . His knowledge of the English language is patchy to say the least and so is his grasp of complex financial mechanisms. To make matters worse for big-mouthed Baroin, the real decisions at the Finance Ministry are taken by a certain Xavier Musca, a top-ranking civil servant and former head of the Treasury.Given his frequent outbursts and lack of depth , Monsieur Baroin fully deserves the ? political dwarf ? tag that many are prepared to place around his neck.

Source: http://my.telegraph.co.uk/gilmas1/gilmas1/16079565/francois-baroinfrench-finance-minister-and-petulant-political-dwarf/

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Fire damages home in SW Rochester (Rochester Democrat and Chronicle)

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Bachmann Strikes Back -- Gingrich Should Beware a Woman Scorned (ContributorNetwork)

COMMENTARY | It is not difficult to see that presidential hopeful Michele Bachmann does not appreciate fellow Republican candidate Newt Gingrich's pedagogic condescension toward her. And the former Speaker of the House might want to remember the old adage about a woman scorned. At the Fox News Iowa GOP Presidential Debate in Sioux City, Iowa, on Thursday evening (Dec. 15), he attempted again to push the position that Bachmann was factually challenged. But, according to CNN, Bachmann refused to back away from the charge that Gingrich and his consulting firm are lobbyists -- no matter what he chooses to call what it is they actually do.

Bachmann, returning to the attack debate style she used that made a poll frontrunner in August, told the Iowa and national television audience, "You don't need to be within the technical definition of being a lobbyist to still be influence-peddling with senior Republicans in Washington, D.C., to get them to do your bidding."

Gingrich adopted his usual posture of pained professorialship and attempted to school Bachmann on the "facts." He said that with regard to his consultancy work, such as the $1.6 million he was paid by federal lender Freddie Mac a year before it became part of the mortgage meltdown, people like the Minnesota congresswoman "ought to have facts before they make wild allegations."

Bachmann -- after a dozen debates and listening to Gingrich's above-it-all comments concerning his GOP rivals, not to mention his condescending remarks where he once compared her to his fact-challenged students -- apparently had had enough of Gingrich's euphemism dancing and dismissive remarks. She retorted: "I think it's outrageous to continue to say over and over through the debate that I don't have my facts right when as a matter of fact I do. I'm a serious candidate for president of the United States. And my facts are accurate."

And her facts are indeed accurate. Gingrich is relying on the idea that Michele Bachmann's reputation for exaggeration, disingenuousness, and outright factually depleted statements and positions will gain him a pass on her continued reiteration that he was a lobbyist, a special interest fixer, an influence peddler. But even Bachmann does not exaggerate or commit falsehoods all the time, as can be attested by her Politifact scorecard, whereon she has scored several true, mostly true, and half true statements amid those where her comments have been found to be wanting in the truth department.

With all the political baggage from the 90s (government shutdown, ethics hearings, Ethics Committee sanctions) and his less-than-perfect personal life (mistresses, marriages to mistresses), Gingrich might want to push his ego aside and allow Bachmann to have her say without adding to the controversy. With each confrontation over his work as a consultant (read: lobbyist by any other name), the resulting stories allow for a re-examination of the millions of dollars Gingrich made since he left Congress. And although nobody begrudges him the right to make money, many do find fault in influence peddling and lobbying and the perception that lobbyists control far too much of the political action in Washington these days.

It is undoubtedly the reasoning behind attempting to squirm out from under the "lobbyist" label. And yet...

Scorning the three-term Minnesota congresswoman might not be the smart route to take in this matter, because call it whatever he likes (just because he nor his consultancy firm were never registered as lobbyists), his work after leaving Congress involved using his political connections to influence positions and votes. No, scorning the likes of someone like Rep. Bachmann will get you someone eager to bring you down -- with facts or without them.

After the debate, Bachmann's camp, according to CNN, continued the attack. Keith Nahigian, her campaign manager, painted Gingrich as a politician for hire. "I think that's what gets [Bachmann] really going - people who morph into different things, on different years, according to who's paying them and who's not paying them."

Currently, Newt Gingrich, according to the latest Gallup Poll, leads the GOP field for the Republican presidential nomination, 31 percent to 22 percent of his closest competitor, Mitt Romney.

Michele Bachmann placed fifth with 6 percent.

Regardless of her chances of winning the nomination, Bachmann just might be the candidate to bring Gingrich down from his lofty perch. And if he returns to the low poll numbers he enjoyed before his recent rise to the top, he might get some of that condescension served back to him. It will no doubt be a dish served cold.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/gop/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ac/20111216/pl_ac/10695939_bachmann_strikes_back__gingrich_should_beware_a_woman_scorned

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PFT: Falcons say Smith 'feels fine'

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Well, I?m finally gaining some ground.

Not much, but some.

A stellar 14-2 weekend could have been 15-1, but for that late collapse by the Cowboys.? In that moment, a three-game win over Rosenthal slid to a one-game edge.

I?m nine back with three weeks to go. ?For the season, he?s 142-66.? I?m 133-75.

This week, we disagree on four games.? This is my last chance to make a push.

Hopefully, God likes me better than him.

Jaguars at Falcons

Florio?s take:? If the Falcons can?t beat the Jaguars, the Falcons have no shot at winning at New Orleans on December 26.? And if the Falcons can?t win at New Orleans on December 26, the Falcons won?t have to worry about another one-and-done performance in the playoffs.

Florio?s pick:? Falcons 31, Jaguars 16.

Rosenthal?s take: The Jaguars are back in prime time! Atlanta is a 10-point favorite, which seems crazy until you look at the state of the Jags. An undrafted rookie and journeyman will cover Roddy White and Julio Jones.? At wideout for Jacksonville: Chastin West and Jarrett Dillard. Interim coach Mel Tucker isn?t playing with a stacked deck.

Rosenthal?s pick: Falcons 28, Jaguars 13.

Cowboys at Buccaneers

Florio?s take:? The best way for Dallas to avoid blowing a close game late in the fourth quarter is to never allow it to be close in the fourth quarter.? If this one gets too out of hand, Tampa coach Raheem Morris could be the fourth coach to go before Christmas.

Florio?s pick:? Cowboys 34, Buccaneers 17.

Rosenthal?s take: The Bucs are slump busters. The Panthers defense couldn?t stop anyone, but they could stop the Bucs. Jacksonville?s offense couldn?t score on anyone, but they could score on Tampa. This game is exactly what Jason Garrett and the ?Boys need.

Rosenthal?s pick: Cowboys 40, Buccaneers 27.

Dolphins at Bills

Florio?s take:? Nothing takes the steam out of a team that is playing hard down the stretch to try to save its coach?s job than the coach losing his job.? The Bills end a six-game losing streak with their sixth, and likely last, win of the season.

Florio?s pick:? Bills 28, Dolphins 21.

Rosenthal?s take: It?s weird and a little sad that J.P. Losman?s status decides my pick. If Matt Moore is out, I like Buffalo. Bills fans will happily tell you not to bet on J.P. Losman in Buffalo. (Especially with Jake Long out.) If Matt Moore starts, I like the Dolphins. (Can we make conditional picks, Florio?)

Rosenthal?s pick: Dolphins 20, Bills 17.

Seahawks at Bears

Florio?s take:? If the Bears had Jay Cutler and Matt Forte, they?d be the clear pick to win.? But they don?t, and if they can?t beat the Chiefs at home without these key players, they?ll have a rough time handling an underrated Seahawks team.? The bell continues to toll for the Bears, whose only remaining hope will be to do to the Packers on December 25 what the Dolphins did to the Bears in 1985.

Florio?s pick:? Seahawks 14, Bears 7.

Rosenthal?s take: Bears fans swore Chicago could go 4-2 or 3-3 at worst with Caleb Hanie to close the season. They haven?t won a game yet. Seattle, meanwhile, has won four of five because of a physical defense and running game. After this game, the Seahawks will have a better chance to make the playoffs.

Rosenthal?s pick: Seattle 16, Bears 13.

Panthers at Texans

Florio?s take:? The Texans keep losing key components.? And the Texans just keep winning.? This one won?t be easy without defensive coordinator Wade Phillips, but the Texans simply continue to find a way.

Florio?s pick:? Texans 34, Panthers 24.

Rosenthal?s take: If Cam Newton and T.J. Yates faced off last year, Yates? team would not be favored by a touchdown. Things change quickly. The Texans are a defense tough enough to withstand the loss of their best pass rusher. They can survive losing their playcaller for a week or two.

Rosenthal?s pick: Texans 21, Panthers 17.

Titans at Colts

Florio?s take:? It?s time.? Call it a gut feeling.? Call it a hunch.? Call it clinical insanity.? But it?s time for the Colts to win a game.? Especially since this very well could be their last chance to avoid going 0-16 and getting everyone not named Jim Irsay fired.

Florio?s pick:? Colts 19, Titans 17.

Rosenthal?s take: The Colts look likely to face three straight rookie quarterbacks. Unfortunately, Jake Locker isn?t a huge downgrade from Matt Hasselbeck. The Titans offense is different with Locker, but not necessarily worse. The Titans are just mediocre enough to let the Colts make this interesting.

Rosenthal?s pick: Titans 24, Colts 21.

Packers at Chiefs

Florio?s take:? Interim coach Romeo Crennel could go a long way toward securing the permanent job by winning his first game.? He likely wishes Todd Haley had lasted one more week.

Florio?s pick:? Packers 35, Chiefs 10.

Rosenthal?s take: The Chiefs have enough secondary talent to give the Packers offense some issues. Kansas City certainly upgrades this week at quarterback with Kyle Orton. And that ends the portion of this preview where I try to convince myself this game will stay interesting.

Rosenthal?s pick: Packers 31, Chiefs 14.

Saints at Vikings

Florio?s take:? From epic NFC title game to overhyped season opener to Cornell-Hofstra slaughter.? Les Steckel gets closer and closer to getting off the hook.

Florio?s pick:? Saints 34, Vikings 14.

Rosenthal?s take: Drew Brees is peaking at the right time. The Vikings are peeking at the No. 2 overall pick in the draft.? This is the game where Brees makes sure he wins the yardage crown for the season.

Rosenthal?s pick: Saints 33, Vikings 17.

Redskins at Giants

Florio?s take:? After the Redskins beat the Giants in Week One, safety Antrell Rolle said that Washington would win five out of 100 games between the two teams.? More recently, Rolle dropped that number to one.? Though we?re not ready to agree with a 99-percent success rate, we?re comfortable with 50.

Florio?s pick:? Giants 28, Redskins 14.

Rosenthal?s take: A Giants? loss Sunday could make next week?s Jets-Giants game almost inconsequential. A win against the Redskins would guarantee Big Blue a ?win and in? scenario in Week 17 against Dallas. Washington is feisty, but they are one-win-in-seven-games feisty. Rex Grossman is just good enough to get you beat.

Rosenthal?s pick: Giants 33, Redskins 28.

Bengals at Rams

Florio?s take:? It won?t be easy to keep a young Bengals team focused and motivated after losing a heartbreaker to the Texans.? But the Bengals are playing the Rams.? The Rams.? Yes, the Rams.

Florio?s pick:? Bengals 34, Rams 14.

Rosenthal?s take: Despite winning seven games last year, the Rams are on pace to have the worst five-year run of any team in NFL history. Steve Spagnuolo coached the worst NFL team in 2009 and the second worst team this year. It may not be fair, but it?s hard to imagine any coach surviving that combination.

Rosenthal?s pick: Bengals 23, Rams 13.

Lions at Raiders

Florio?s take:? The Lions have struggled lately, but the Raiders have struggled more.? Neither team may make it to the postseason after promising starts, but the Lions have at least shown a recent ability to find a way to win.? Plus, while he?s not as dominant as he was in 2010, the return of Ndamukong Suh should help.? The ongoing absence of Darren McFadden doesn?t.

Florio?s pick:? Lions 24, Raiders 20.

Rosenthal?s take: These are two desperate teams that peaked too early. At least the Lions are getting players back: Ndamukong Suh, Kevin Smith, and cornerback Chris Houston all look likely to return for Detroit. The Raiders might get Denarius Moore back. The Lions win that trade.

Rosenthal?s pick: Lions 27, Raiders 24.

Browns at Cardinals

Florio?s take:? Though a little too late, the Cardinals have found their groove, regardless of whether Kevin Kolb or John Skelton is playing quarterback.? With a couple more wins, they?ll be one of the teams we?re all picking to make the playoffs in 2012.? The Browns, on the other hand, continue to be the Browns.

Florio?s pick:? Cardinals 30, Browns 17.

Rosenthal?s take: Skeltonmania is sweeping the nation. The Cardinals are 4-1 in the former Fordham quarterback?s games, winning insane, inexplicable games late in the fourth quarter. They are 2-5 without him. Skelton fever could last into the playoffs. I?d bet on a 9-7 team making the playoffs and the Cardinals should be 7-7 after this one.

Rosenthal?s pick: Cardinals 22, Browns 13.

Patriots at Broncos

Florio?s take:? The list of ?thou shalt nots? now includes a line regarding picking against Tim Tebow.? New England?s defense stinks, and Denver?s defense is good enough to keep it close.? If the Broncos keep it close, the guy who says God has spoken to him will overcome the once little-known sixth-round pick who possibly struck a deal with the devil.

Florio?s pick:? Broncos 24, Patriots 23.

Rosenthal?s take: The Patriots defense can barely slow down Grossmania, so Tim Tebow should have a big day. Tom Brady should be even better. There are weak spots in this Broncos? secondary that Brady can exploit, especially at safety. This result will test Florio?s Tebow man-crush.

Rosenthal?s pick: Patriots 31, Broncos 27.

Jets at Eagles

Florio?s take:? The Dream Team is waking up too late, but not late enough to crush the dreams of Team Rex.? And that will make next week?s Giants-Jets game even more intriguing.

Florio?s pick:? Eagles 27, Jets 23.

Rosenthal?s take: The Eagles won last week, but Michael Vick looked very rusty. The offensive line got pushed around. The Jets are not a defense you want to face when your passing game is out of synch and your line is not recognizing blitzes. The Dream should finally die for good, to the delight of many Eagles fans.

Rosenthal?s pick: Jets 22, Eagles 10.

Ravens at Chargers

Florio?s take:? The Ravens finally realize the connection between beating inferior foes and hosting home playoff games.? Chargers fans finally realize that they could have a new coach and G.M. in 2012.? Both could be very happy after Sunday night.

Florio?s pick:? Ravens 24, Chargers 17.

Rosenthal?s take: This is Norv?s last stand, and he has a shot to win. Philip Rivers? pinpoint accuracy returned the last two weeks. So did his pass protection. This is a dangerous game for the Ravens, but it?s hard to imagine Rivers? rag-tag linemen holding up against the Baltimore pass rush.

Rosenthal?s pick: Ravens 27, Chargers 24.

Steelers at 49ers

Florio?s take:? When the Steelers enter the red zone at Heinz Field, giant ketchup bottles unleash their contents onto the scoreboard.? When the 49ers get into the red zone on Monday night, the Steelers will be putting ketchup on Frank Gore?s legs and Alex Smith?s arm.

Florio?s pick:? Steelers 20, 49ers 13.

Rosenthal?s take: The Cowboys? 3-4 defense gave the 49ers problems. Baltimore?s 3-4 defense ate up the 49ers line. Arizona?s defense ? coordinated by former Steelers coach Ray Horton ? allowed two first downs to the 49ers in the second half last week. You see where I?m going with this one.

Rosenthal?s pick: Steelers 13, 49ers 10.

Source: http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/12/15/falcons-deny-that-mike-smith-is-still-experiencing-chest-related-discomfort/related/

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Engineering experts hit safety culture in BP spill (AP)

WASHINGTON ? BP and the oil industry drilling in the Gulf of Mexico lacked the proper safety attitude to handle the large risks of deep-water drilling, leading to the many bad decisions behind the nation's worst offshore spill, a panel of expert engineers said Wednesday.

Despite better safety practices, the experts worried that the improvements could fade without new steps. They pointed to NASA and how lessons the agency learned after the 1986 Challenger disaster eventually dimmed, leading to the 2003 Columbia disaster.

The report's release coincided with the government's announcement of the results of the first auction of offshore oil leases off the Gulf of Mexico since the April 2010 spill. They drew $337.7 million in winning bids for 191 tracts in the western Gulf off the coast of Texas. BP had the fourth most successful bids, 11 totaling $27.5 million, far behind ConocoPhillips' 75 winning bids.

The National Academy of Engineering, which advises the federal government, cited errors that combined to make the well platform explode and oil spill, but noted a problem with the safety culture underlying last year's 172 million gallon spill at BP's Macondo well in the Gulf of Mexico.

"The industrial management involved with drilling the Macondo well had not adequately understood and coped with the system safety challenges presented by offshore drilling operations," the 136-page report said. "This raises questions about the industry's overall safety preparedness, the ability to handle the complexities of the deep-water operations, and industry oversight to approve and monitor well plans and operational practices and personnel competency and training."

That's a problem because the report called drilling in the Gulf's deep waters "some of the most complex and most risky ventures conducted by commercial enterprises."

Experts said a deficient safety culture led BP to rely on blowout preventers ? a 57-foot-tall, 400-ton system of well control devices ? as equipment that just couldn't fail.

The trouble is that even before the well blowout, "there were numerous warnings to both industry and regulators about potential failures of existing" blowout preventers, the report said. The report pointed to studies in 2001, 2002, 2004, and a 1999 well blowout and fire off the Louisiana coast.

"One needs to understand that they do not work all the time," said panel chairman Donald Winter, a former Navy secretary and engineering professor at the University of Michigan. BP and all the industry had "a misplaced confidence that the blowout preventer could provide a guarantee if you will, an insurance policy, against a blowout."

Panel member Roger McCarthy, a private engineering consultant who has investigated past oil spills, said blowout preventers are treated like drilling's circuit-breakers, but there's no safety group certifying them in the same that Underwriters Laboratories approves key electrical safety devices in homes.

Winter said the safety culture issue was apparent in the industry's attitude toward risks involved in drilling: Instead of acknowledging that there are risks and that industry officials need to make intelligent decisions comparing risk and business decisions, they had an unrealistic attitude that their actions never added risks.

Like other studies of the BP spill, the report highlighted several technical failures behind the disaster, with no lone cause. But Winter said the bad decision that was uppermost to him was the decision to abandon the well temporarily, which is normal, even though the cement poured in the well failed important pressure tests.

"Once they made the decision to basically disregard the tests," it set the chain-of-events for all that followed, Winter said.

In a statement, BP said it "has acknowledged its role in the accident and has taken concrete steps to further enhance safety and risk management throughout its global operations."

The experts do say drilling safety has improved in the Gulf of Mexico.

"We think it is indeed in fact a reasonable process to continue drilling at this point in time," Winter said at news conference. "But further improvements in safety can in fact be made and should be made."

The independence of the National Academy of Engineering means the report is likely to carry more weight in Congress than some of other investigations. Republican lawmakers have criticized prior reports by a presidential commission saying that the panel was biased.

A joint federal investigation also has inherent conflicts of interest because the committee was comprised of those who regulate the offshore drilling industry.

Since the disaster, the Obama administration has reorganized the offshore drilling agency and boosted safety regulations. But Congress has yet to pass a single piece of legislation to address safety gaps highlighted by the disaster. House Republicans, meanwhile, have passed bills to jump start offshore drilling.

___

Associated Press writer Dina Cappiello contributed to this report.

___

Online:

The National Academy of Engineering report: http://bit.ly/vQK3ai

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/environment/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111214/ap_on_go_ot/us_gulf_oil_spill

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A Miracle Drug Keeps This 70-Year-Old Cancer Patient Running Marathons [Science]

Don Wright was diagnosed with myeloma—cancer in his blood cells and bone marrow—two weeks after running his first marathon. His doctor gave him a five-year survival estimate. Eight years later he has run 59 26.2-mile races in 41 states and takes just one pill per day to keep his cancer at bay. More »

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/n-EnIf7AdO0/a-miracle-drug-keeps-this-70+year+old-cancer-patient-running-marathons

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Romney opens up a bit more to media scrutiny (AP)

WASHINGTON ? Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney responded Tuesday to complaints that is shielding himself from media scrutiny, agreeing to more in-depth interviews and holding his third modest press availability in four days.

The former Massachusetts governor continues to favor the conservative-friendly Fox News Channel. But his campaign seemed eager to fend off critics' mockery of his frequent dodges of reporters and tough questioning.

Romney agreed to appear on "Fox News Sunday" on Dec. 18, his first national Sunday talk show in nearly two years. In Arizona, he fielded a few questions from national reporters, as he did on two occasions Saturday in New Hampshire.

"I'll be on Fox a lot, because you guys matter when it comes to Republican primary voters," Romney told Fox News' Neil Cavuto on Tuesday. His campaign let other reporters listen to the exchange without jumping in.

The change in tone comes as Romney allies express fears that he is overdoing his above-the-fray approach, just as former House Speaker Newt Gingrich is rising in GOP polls. Republican insiders are divided on whether Romney should hit Gingrich harder. But in the wake of Romney's prickly responses in a Nov. 29 televised interview, there was wider agreement that he needs to show he can handle tough questions from political reporters.

"The lack of engagement strategy has served Romney pretty well," Rich Galen, a GOP strategist and former Gingrich aide who is neutral in the current race, said in an interview Tuesday, before Romney signaled his more open posture. "Now I think they've got to alter course and get him out there more."

Numerous Romney supporters had expressed concern over reports of him dodging reporters.

"It remains a mystery why Mitt Romney has done relatively few interviews," Jennifer Rubin, a conservative blogger for The Washington Post who often praises Romney, wrote on Monday. The much-discussed Nov. 29 Fox interview, she said, might have gone better "had it been one of dozens of TV interviews he'd given during the campaign. ... He's been the least interviewed candidate in the race."

In that 15-minute exchange with Fox News' Brett Baier, Romney bristled at questions about his changed views on abortion, climate change, immigration and gay rights, all of which are widely discussed in political circles.

Romney acknowledged rejecting his pro-abortion-rights stand of the 1990s, although he did not explain why. Otherwise, he told Baier, "Your list is just not accurate." Romney suggested the questions were inspired by "Democratic ads" that label him a serial flip-flopper.

Asked about his Massachusetts health initiative, which required residents to obtain medical insurance, Romney said he had answered the question "many hundred times." He added: "This is an unusual interview."

The questions were typical of those that many mainstream news organizations would ask, with no surprises or oddball queries. Except for Fox, which has several conservative hosts and is a favorite stop for GOP candidates, Romney rarely gives extended interviews to TV networks or national newspapers and news magazines.

Campaigning last Saturday in Manchester, N.H., Romney was surrounded by cheering fans as he took a few questions from reporters in the morning. Shortly after noon, on a quiet residential street, he fielded a few more. However, the day's only one-on-one interviews, which give reporters a chance to ask follow-up questions, were with Fox News and a TV station from Derry, N.H.

On Tuesday, Romney hinted he might slowly ramp up his criticism of Gingrich as he conducts more press availabilities.

"I will not be quiet," he told Cavuto. "Speaker Gingrich is a friend, respected. But we have very different life experiences."

Romney said Gingrich has spent the past 40 years or so in Washington, "working as an insider." Romney, whose only elected experience is four years as Massachusetts governor, says he would bring a more business-oriented, outside perspective.

Some party veterans urge Romney to be cautious. Bitter quarrels between politicians are "what people are sick and tired of," said Rep. Steve LaTourette, R-Ohio. "It would be disappointing if he all the sudden lit in to Gingrich, and if Gingrich lit into Romney."

LaTourette said he is backing Romney, partly because he has a "hangover" from Gingrich's tumultuous days as House speaker in the mid-1990s. "Everything always seemed to be on fire," he said.

Republican consultant Terry Holt also urged Romney to proceed carefully.

"It's important to protect your candidate's reputation and image," he said. Romney has a statesmanlike image, Holt said, and "I'd be very hesitant to sacrifice that with so much time on the clock."

As for in-depth interview programs, even some Democrats sympathize with Romney's reluctance.

"It's a half hour or 15 minutes of gotcha questions," said Chris Lehane, who helped Al Gore deal with the media in the 2000 presidential campaign. But that doesn't mean a serious candidate can skip such shows, or comparable interviews with major newspapers or magazines, Lehane said.

"You have to find a happy balance," he said, between protecting the candidate from gaffes and convincing voters that the contender is smart, prepared and capable.

If a candidate skips tough questions or handles them badly, Lehane said, voters will ask, "How are you going to deal with some significant crisis? These are fairly easy things compared to what you'll face as president."

Democrats happily distribute anecdotes of Romney evading journalists. They include a New York Times account of Romney being the only candidate expressing alarm at a reporter's presence backstage at last Saturday's GOP forum in New York.

Romney spokeswoman Andrea Saul said her candidate "has done thousands of interviews over the course of his career, and he'll do a lot more." He exposes himself to questions in town hall settings, televised debates and numerous videotaped interviews with newspaper editorial boards, Saul said.

___

Associated Press writers Laurie Kellman in Washington and Beth Fouhy in New York contributed to this report.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/topstories/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111207/ap_on_el_ge/us_romney

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