Team Romney announced yesterday that the press will be blocked from covering his fundraiser in Jerusalem on Monday in violation of a previous agreement.
Romney’s campaign announced Saturday that it would block the news media from covering the event, which will be held at the King David Hotel. The campaign’s decision to close the fundraiser to the press violates the ground rules it negotiated with news organizations in April, when Romney wrapped up the Republican nomination and began opening some of his finance events to the news media.
Under the agreement, a pool of wire, print and television reporters can cover every Romney fundraiser held in public venues, including hotels and country clubs. The campaign does not allow media coverage of fundraisers held in private residences.
Romney may be the most secretive presidential candidate we’ve seen in recent history. He won’t release his tax returns, his Olympic records are sealed, and his staff destroyed most of his office records when his governorship ended in Massachusetts. Now the press is being barred from covering his overseas fundraisers.
Romney’s advisers clearly haven’t learned that in many cases speculation can produce worse coverage than transparency.
For example, I’ll speculate that Romney doesn’t want the press in attendance because he intends to toss red meat into the crowd and pledge to bomb Iran. He has to get his jollies out while he can because even his own supporters here in America are rarely bothered enough to do more than golf-clap.
Several high-rolling donors including billionaire Macau casino owner Sheldon Adelson are expected to be in attendance on Monday.
