GRUMP

Reporters Say Romney Is Testy

Anti-press reputation not helping him.

A slew of journalists are coming out to draw attention to GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney’s testy, guarded relationship with the press. Romney rarely grants interviews, much to the chagrin of Time’s Joe Klein. And when he does, as he did with Fox’s Bret Baier last week, he complained and said the interview was “overly aggressive.” Juan Williams called the interview “disastrous.” And The New York Times's Jim Rutenberg, who was invited by Fox to go backstage at the Mike Huckabee forum Saturday night, said Romney’s staff was defensive and difficult, insisting that Rutenberg “not physically approach Mr. Romney.” All this bad press is not helping him against the surging Newt Gingrich.