GO‘JEENSR GEQRGE ROEstEY AND THE WCHIGAN PRESS: A STUDY 8F RELATIQNSHSPS, 1961-1956 Thesis 9: the Degree of M. A. MICHIGAN STATE UMVER-SITY Michae! K. Merrison 196? LIBS? A R Y ’ Michigan. 7' rate University ABSTRACT GOVERNOR GEORGE ROMNEY AND THE MICHIGAN PRESS: A STUDY OF RELATIONSHIPS. 1961-1966 by Michael K. Morrison This study is a descriptive analysis of the relationships between.Governor George Romney of Michigan and the daily press of that state. It de- scribes how Governor Romney's views have been received by editors and editorial writers. and analyzes his relations with reporters who regularly cover him in Lansing. The biographical and political background of Governor Romney is explored. with special attention focused on his experience in dealing with reporters before entering political life. The political and Journalistic environment in Michigan generally. and the state Capitol in particular. is outlined. and the existence of a Republicanporiented press in the state is documented. Extensive use of newspaper clippings. personal interviews. and questionnaires was made in researching Michael K. Morrison the study. The writer also called upon his own ex- perience as a reporter for a short time for the Capitol bureau of Booth Newspapers. Incorporated. Major conclusions reached as a result of the study were: 1. Governor Romney has the editorial support of the Michigan.press on.most issues. partly. at least. because of the Republican sympathies of Michigan news- papers. 2. The easy access they have to the Governor facilitates the work of Capitol reporters. but this advantage often is countered by factors such as Romney's complex language. inconsistency on issues. and sensitivity to criticism. GOVERNOR GEORGE ROKHEY ARD THE MICEIGAN $8333: A STUDY OF RELAPIQH€EI?S. 1961-1966 By Michael K. herrison fop‘ (N T .' Q A Luz-J ‘C’ Submitted to Michigan State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of EABTER OF ARTS School of Journalism 1967 F RiLZFAC E This is a study of the working relationship between.Governor George Romney of hichigan.and the daily press of that state. Specifically. it examines the attitudes of editors toward Governor Romney and describes the Governor's techniques and style in working with the Capitol reporters in Lansing. The study is limited primarily to Governor Romney's relations with reporters and editors of daily newspapers in hichigan. with only incidental references to radio and television newsman.and to newspaper reporters in other states. The study documents a predisposition on the part of hichigan editors toward the Republican party generally and Governor Romney specifically. This condition is the most important factor involved in Governor Romney's relations with the niohigan.daily press and serves as the frame for this study. The primary aim of this effort is to describe the political public relations style of a man.who. at this writing. is being widely mentioned as the possible Republican nominee for President of the United States in 1968. Obviously the frame outlined above will not ii apply perfectly should Governor Romney move totally from hichigan to national politics. but it is hoped the conclusions reached concerning his methods. techniques. and personal mannerisms will shed some light on how he is likely to relate to the national press. This paper was researched between January and December. 1966. The author had the Opportunity to observe Governor Romney's press relations while working as a reporter for the Capitol bureau of Booth Newspapers. Incorporated from Kay through August. 1966. he also worked part-time for Booth from January through April. Kany of the observations in this study stem from notes taken.while working for Booth. A complete list of acknowledgments would be prohibitively long. but recognition must be extended to those whose assistance was vital. Housman who contributed the bulk of the information contained in this study were william Kulsea. Karion S. (Bud) Vestal. and Robert Longstaff. Booth Newspapers. Incorporated: Carl Rudow and Robert Peps. Detroit news: Roger Lane. and Tom Shswver. Detroit Free Press: Robert Voges and Al Sandner. Associated Press; and Willard Baird. Federated Fublicstions. incorporated. Charles Harmon. Governor Romney's press secretary. and former news- men Don Eoenshell and James Robinson. also provided assistance. ill A special word of gratitude goes to John surrey. assistant professor in the School of Journalism and my thesis adviser.'uho put nearly as much work into it as I did: and to Dr. H. Cameron.heyers. my academic adviser. teacher and confessor for almost five years. The educational opportunities symbolized by this thesis would not have been possible without the inspiration and generosity of my family. Ky brother. Ed Morrison. gave so an example of accomplishment to follow. Pauline. my “widow" during the writing of this thesis. sacrificed to make graduate school possible. Angus and nary horrison. my parents. deserve a greater tribute than words here can pay. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS P PREFACEeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeseaseeeaseeeseeseessaeeee LIST OF TABLESeeeeeeseeeeseeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeesee age ii vii LIST OF APPqu-E’ICESQQOOOOOCIQOQOOGOOO0.0.0.00000‘ 7111 IfiTasDUCTIOXeseeeeeeeeeseeeeeeeeeeeeeases-eeeeee Chapter I. COVVRNOR GEORGE HORNEYS BIOGRAPHICAL ?D POLITICAL BACKGROUNDeeeeeeeeeeeeee Heritage and Early Years Business Career Political Career IIe ENVIRONMENTeeeeeseeeeeeeeeeseeeeeeeseeee Political Environment The hichigan Press Governor Romney's Press Routine Press Conferences Private Interviews Press Releases Governor Romney as a Homemaker III. THE RICHIGAH DAILY PRESS: ATTITUDES TOWARD GOVERHOB ROEfiEI A33 SELF-EVALUATIOHeeee a ”Romney“ Press Editorial Endorsements Editorial Reaction to Romney as Governor Editorial Reaction on Specific Issues: Structured Responses Legislative Record Tax Reform Goldwater Vietnam Special Interests Editorial Reaction on Specific Issues: Nonpstruotured Responses 10 29 as The Michigan Press: A Self-Evaluation The Romney Image IV. THE GOVERNOR AND THE CAPITOL PRESS CORPS: COVERING GEORGE ROMNEY.....3.............. Accessibility Clarity Frankness Sensitivity Fluctuating Positions EPILOGUEeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee APPENDIX”.3...‘........n."an...“uufifiufi BIBLIOGRAPHYOOOO‘OOOOOUOOOCOOOU‘OOOOI‘OOOOOOOOOO; vi 80 118 122 128 Table l. 2. 3. 1+. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. L15T OF TABLES Page Correlation.beteeen total circulation of Kichisan daily newspapers and newspapers represented 13 thQ Samplaeeeeeeeeeeeeeee Name and circulation.ot newspapers com- prising thfi sample...-.-.......o.-u..... Gubernatorial endorsements of the sample correlated With circulation....o.oc.o... Over-ell editorial reaction to Governor Romney correlated with circulation...... Editorial reaction to Romney's legisla~ tive record correlated with circulation. Editorial reaction to Romney's tax reform program.correlated with oirculation..... Editorial reaction to Romney's disovowal of Goldwater correlated with “circulation.....o.......o............... Editorial Reaction to Romney's Vietnam statements correlated with oirculation.. Editorial reaction to Romney's claimed ins dependence of special interests correlated with circulation......o.oo... Respondents” classifications of the political sympathies or the Richigan presaeeeoeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee vii 51 58 61 62 63 65 67 68 7a 3.3. .V-\vr& "w APPSssices Letter accompanying questionnaire sent to editors and editorial writers of sichiasn daily newspapers. Questionnaire sent to editors and editorial writers of kichiaan daily newspapers. Questionnaire filled out by members of the Capitol press corps. Editorial cartoon from the Flint Journal. June 20. 1966. viii INTRODUCTION The critical importance of an.informed citizenry in.a democracy and the role of the press in keeping the people informed have been.demonstrated ad infinitum. Only aphorisme rendered by someone with the eloquence to make them timely and the stature to be heard have merit. DouglaasCater recognized this. and to set the tone for chapter 2 of his book. ng_figg;§h Eggpgh_gg_ggzg;§ggg§. he called on Sir Hinston Churchill: a modern.dictator’sith the resources of science at his disposal can easily lead the public on from day to day. destroying all persistency of thought and sin. so that memory is blurred by the %;l§t:lézitirziogaily news and Judgement baffled Fortunately. a free press stands between.a potential dictator and the American.people. Its inn dependence as its birthright. this free and unfettered institution has an.obligation to perform the essential function for which. with all its shortcomings. it is allowed to exist. The theory behind this social re- sponsibility of the press is outlined by Theodore Peterson in.Four Theories of the Press: 4* 1Winston.Churchill. Th3 Second World War. quoted in Douglass Cater. “ urt .ra ch of v p3n§_(Boeton: Roughton.Hifflin.Company. 19595: p. 170. Freedom carries concomitant obligations: and the press. which enjoys a privileged position.under our government. is obliged to be responsible to society for carrying out certain essential functions of mass communication in contemporary society. To the extent that the press recognizes its responsibilities and makes them the basis of operational policies. the libertarian system will satisfy the needs of society. To the extent that the press does not assume its responsibilities. some other agency must see that the essential functions of mass communications are carried out.2 In reality. a free press is geared not only to serve the information needs of the electorate. but also the communication.needs of those within the political power structure. The press is the main instrument by which political leaders communicate with their con, stituents. The importance of the press in this respect is twofold: it enables them to do their Jobs better by informing the electorate of issues and problems. and it affords them a tool or political self~preservation.by transmitting their positions and ideas to the people. nonopepers and other communication.medis have become vital instruments of political power. and any gladiator in the political arena who fails to recognize their importance is likely to leave the field on his shield.3 The growing importance of political public 2Fred 3. Siebert. Theodore Peterson. and Wilbur Schrafim, your Theories offlthe Press (urbane: University of Illinois Press. 1955). p. 7#. 3herbert Jacob and Kenneth N. Vines (eds.). Politics in th. snericsn Stat 3 (Boston: Little. brown and COT-1138M. 19 5 . Pe 9e relations has added a new facet to American politics. as explained by Neil Steebier. former Michigan Democratic State Central Committee Chairman. testifying before a 1952 Congressional committee investigating campaign costs: I suggest to the committee that our major problem comes from the modern development or the mass media of communication. These media are expensive and grow more so all the time . . . They are not merely cxyensive but for them have been develoecd new advertising techniques requiring prefeeeional skills that are also expensive . . . If the present tendencies continue. our Federal elections will increasingly become contests not betfieen candidates but between great advertising firms. In this study major emphasis is placed on the perspective cf newspaper reporter: and editorn in.de~ scribing how they see their working relationship with Gevernor Romney. A secondary eephesie in given to the perspective from which the Governor and hie staff view their resconeibiiities-to the press. the major tool: used in researching this paper were: (1) interviews. (2) questionnaires. {3) news- paper clippings. (k) review cf the literature. (5) Personal observaticne a fir—W MW is U. 3., Congress, House. Special Committee on Campaign f.Xpendituree. nearitc Cemceign Extendit area. b nd Cong.. ad 6e38.. 1952. p.12, a host of the material comes from open-ended interviews conducted during informal preee room die- cussione between Ray and September. 1966. One took place in.a downtown Lancing restaurant and another at the Detroit Press Club. Charles Hermon. Governor Romney's press secretary. submitted to two formal interviews to outline the Governor's routine proce- dures in dealing with the press. Other members of the Governor's staff were interviewed informally. Although the interviews were generally informal. they were systematic. Answers to specific questions were sought. In.ell but a few cases the sources understood they would not be quoted by name. Those quoted directly were done so on nonpcontrovereial points. Off the record responses. especially bw'membere of the governor's staff. were discouraged for fear that some might involve matters of record that the author had obtained from other sources and intended to use. Questionnaires were used to elicit reeponeee from members of the Capitol press corps to question. not touched upon.in.personoi interviews. and to allow a cross section of editors and editorial writers to comment on select aspects of Governor‘nomney'e press relat 10118 e 5 53cc Appendixes B and C. Ten Capitol reporters filled out question- naires. Not all members of the press corps were asked to fill out the questionnaires. only those who had reported on Romney for three or’more years. Eight of the ten bed written.sbout Romney since 1961 when the Governor cane to Lansing as a delegate to the Constitutional Convention. All but one of the re- spondents were Capitol reporters during previous administrations. giving then a perspective from which to comment on.Governor Romney's press relations. One reporter had previously written of Governor Romney's actions as president or American motors Corporation. Different questionnaires were sent to the fifty-one general circulation.dsily newspapers in flichigsn. to be filled out and returned by the editor or an editorial writer from each newspaper. These questionnaires served to determine editorial reaction toward Governor Romney and to illustrate to some degree the Republican sympathies of the hichigsn.preee. Specific information releted to the content and purpose of these questionnaires is outlined in chapter iii. The author made extensive use of newspaper clipping books kept by the Capitol bureaus of the Detroit Fewsé end Booth newspapers, Incorporated? , (listed on page 34). In both cases clippings date back three decades or more so all stories printed about Governor Romney in the Detroit hens and the nine Booth papers were available. In.sddition. both bureaus keep separate clipping books for stories about Governor Romney. (All other clippings are filed chronologically without regard to subJect.) _ A review of the literature turned up little that contributed substantively_to this study except as beckground.nsterisl. Books and magazine articles M 61n the interest of internal consistency. all newspapers cited in this thesis are referred to by city of publication.and given designation. both underlined: e.g.5 the Detroit Fess. The preceding article "the“ is not underlined. this is the style recommended by Elmer White. executive secretary of the hichigan.Press Association. The necessity for establishing e unifors method stems from a lack of consistency among directories listing hichigen.pspers. In some ceses there are inconsistencies between designstions.used by newspapers in their nameplates and those used in their msstheeds. In at least one instance the form is not technically correct: the u . not use the city as port 0 its esignation. 7hereinsfter referred to es ”the Booth bureau." or ”the Booth newspapers." served as sources for biograzhioal information on Governor fionney and data on the political and press environment in niohigan. Personal observations made while the author worked as a reporter for the Booth bureau were re- called in describing press conferences. routino pro~ oeduros regarding press releases and announcements. and Governor Romney's techniques for answering roportors' questions. :he only research sources not oentionod above are three short telephone interviews with editors. The editors were questioned about thoir editorial endorsements during Governor Romney's three guberna- torial canpaigns. .fiith few exceptions. no quotes are attributed by name to their source. However. the sources are coded by designations “a" through "k" to enable the reader to correlate responses throughout tho thesis. Ho comments were solicited on Romney's merits as a politician. except in the case of editors and editorial writers for the specific purpose of determining how the Governor is portrayed in the editorial pages of fiichigan newspapers. every person used as a source in this thesis is in some way an interested party. some. Governor Romney's staff members and former associates. are openly partial toward the Governor. Others are his political Opponents. The experienoee related by Capitol reporters are. for the most part. expressed subjectively and often.contain references to true» tratione encountered in reporting on.Governor Romney. Some questions asked necessarily involved Opinion rather than.dooumented foot. For these reasons there is a problem of complete obJeotivity in this thesis. The nature of the tapio defies quantitative analysis. In only a few areas is it attempted. Since this thesis is submitted as part of the requirements for o,fiester'e degree in.Journeliem. standards of objectivity relative to that field apply. Curtis D. fiacDougall. professor in the Nedill School of Journalism at Northwestern‘vnivereity. sums up the problem of objectivity thus: In the first place news always will be written by human.beings viewing occurrences with human.eyeo or hearing of them second hand with human ears. Try as hard as he may} no reporter or writer ever will be able to achieve complete objectivity uni if he did. as often.ao not the result-would not give a true picture of the happening of which he 9 attempted to spread intelligence.a rho statement describes the problem succinctly but offers no concrete guide to its solution. Bud Vestal. political writer for the Booth bureau. offered a practical yardstick in.an.infornal discussion of Journalistic ethics vita the author when he remarked: "Objectivity is something we should always strive for. but honesty is more important and more easily achieved."9 Vestal'e comment was used as guide in selecting and weighing the material incorporated into this thesis. W wv vv— WW 8Curtis D. fiacDougall. Re 0 ti (New York: Kacmillan Company. Pa 30 9Interv1ew with E-‘iarion rs. (Bud) Vestal. political rcporter. Booth fiewspapers. Inou. June 28, 1966. CHAPTER I GOVERNOR GEORGE ROEEEY: BIOGRAPHICAL ANDIPOLITICAL BACKGROUED H itao and Ea Yea c Gcorge Wilckcn Romney. the forty-fourth goverv nor of unionism.)- was born July 8. 1907. at Colonic Dublan. e Eamon colony in the Mexican state of Chihuahua. Harmon families traditionally make an.ex- tannin study of trflr genealogies to arrange for baptism by proxy of their anoectcre who died before the church was founded.2 Romney's family traces itself book to St. George. cleycr of dragons and patron eaint of England. Its ranke include e sixteenth century lord mayor of London. en.English.cerpentcr alleged to here 1State of Michigan. Office of the Secretary of State. ¥ichi5an manual. l263-64. p. 83. He may aleo to list as the forty-first. forty-second or forty- third. The confusion is caused by the fact that two men served non-consecutive terms and another served es acting governor so much the W liete him an a governor. 2William J. Whalcn. 130 Latter Day Saints 1? th h w (New York: John Day Go... 9 . Pe 1e 10 11 invented the spoke. ad ocorgc Romney. noted portrait painter and contemporary of Sir Joshua Reynolds and Thomas Gainsborough.3 Although Governor Romney‘s connection with the patron saint of ongland lacks documentation. this Mormon tradition is not taken lightly. The church recently built a 31.704.000 storage tunnel in the side of a mountain near Salt Lake City. Utah. specifically for the protection of genealogical documents.“ Ihe Michigan governor'c great-grandfather. hilec Romney. came to the United States from England in 18bl. A convert to the Church of Jesus Christ of Letter Day oaintc. he first settled in Nauvoc. Illinois. then Joined the Mormon migration west in 1836. Hilee and his family finally settled near it. George. Utah. where he worked as e carpenter. :13 third son. hiles Park Romney. took up the same trade before marrying Hannah hood Hill in 1862. Five years later Miles Perk embraced polygamy. when Congress outlawed the practice in 1885. he took his four wivco and thirty children to _. A A .__.-_‘..i 3Ton fiahoney. The Story of Georoe Hanna (New Iorku Harper c Brothers. l9305. p. 53. ihic is an “authorized” biography. “Ehelen. p. 21. 12 flexico. fine of the sore eccooyenyiny him was Ceckill Rooney. father of the future fiichioen governor. Altorether ten Kormon colonies were founded in the late 1§?0'e and early 1890'3 in northern ”ericc. lerfiely because of the influence rcrnon missionaries had with retico'e president. Fortirio 3132.. In 1fi95 taskill married tune Amelie Pratt. the deurhter of e prooineot missionary. [he couple settled in Colonic Dublan.where Cecrge Romney. the fourth of five none. was born. Two other children. a con end e daughter. were torn later in the United States. In 1910 e series of revolution: end counter- revolutione introduced more than e decade of violence in Hexico. to entiuhoreonism wee involved. but ouch of the fighting occurred near tormcn colonies in the etetee or Chihuahua end tonero. and various rebel bends often commandeered livestock. firearms end other supplies from the hormone. teveral thousand settlers caught up in the fighting between 1912 and 191# re- turned to the United States. no longer fearful of federal oroeecution for polygamy because the sect it- eel! banned the practice in 3?5. The circumstanoee surrounding the return of the Romney family to the United States have been colored in some accounts. In 1912. fighting between the forces or 13 President Francisco I. fiedero and rebel leader Jose Inez Salazar centered in Chihuahua. In.July. when rebel activity near Colonie Dublan presented a direct threat to the colonists and Salazar demanded they turn over all guns and emmunition. Geekill Romney and most other men sent their families to El Peso. Texas. by train. He remained behind for several days. eold his property to his brotherbinplen. then Joined his family.5 The Romneye were not forced to flee hexico et gunpoint by the legendary Pancho Ville. ee e.number of thumbnail biographies of the Kichigen governor report.6 Actually. the famous bandit wee 600 miles ewe: in.e Hexico City prison under e death eentence. He did not have even e remote connection.with the incident. In 5Thomas C. Romney. Th hexicg (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co.. 9 . pp. 102-200. Ehia book. written by Governor Romney’- uncle. deals in part with the exodus of aaekill Romney and his family. it is out of print. but can be obteined on interwlibrery loan from the Salt Lake City Public Library. 6536 fiill auller. Detr it E we. Jan. 1%. 1962. or D. Duane Angel. "The Campa gn speaking of George Romney" (unpublished Ph.3. dissertation. Lepartment of Speech. Purdue University. 1965). p. 18. 1h fact. Salazar. the rebel leader who posed the threat to the colonists. was an enemy of Villa's.7 The Romney family moved often in the next ten years. living in El Peso; Los Angelesc Oakley. Idaho: salt Lose City: flexiord. Idaho: and finally. in 1921. settling permanently in Salt Lake City. Usskill farmed in Idaho. but for most of those yeers and after set- tling in salt Lake City. he was in the construction business. his {our oldest sons were helpers in the business. George and en older brother. Miles. worked as lathers. end the hichigen governor leter boasted of his talent at spitting nails.B Romney attended Roosevelt Junior High school and the Letter Day Saints University High School end Junior college in Salt Lake City. The Romneys'were prominent in Utah athletic circles. George played football. basketball. and baseball in high school. though.with no glowing success. But among his five brothers and 237 first cousinsQ-his maternal grand- 7 v ——v— VWW 7william D. Lnnsford. Enncho Villa (Lon Angelou: sherbourne Press. 1965). p. 276. ' ahehoney. p. 68. 9speeoh by Governor’George Romney before the Hationel Press Club. Washington. D. 3.. Karon 9. 1963. 15 father also had four wives and thirty children .. were boxing champions and several All—American,foot- ball and basketball players. Romney's mother died in 1926 when he was pre- paring to go on a mission to England for his church. hormon young men traditionally give two years to the service or the church. a custom honored by Romney's brothers. father. grandfather and great-grandfather before his. Romney was sent to Great Britain for the next two years. spending most of the time in.Glasgow. The Scots. known for their Presbyterian. whiskeyodrinking ways. were not highly receptive to the dogmas of a sect that taught abstention from all stimulants. Romney's duties consisted primarily of door to door “treating." the distribution of literature. and of speaking to groups in.Glssgow and London. The missionary years gave him an indoctrination to public speaking under trying conditions. Heckling is an inevitable part or British public oratory. and colleagues with whom he worked during the two years abroad describe him as one of the best among them in facing a hostile audience. At this time he developed the forceful. evangelistic style that characterized his speaking when he entered politics almost thirty-five 16- years later.10 While in England and Scotland. Romney corree sponded regularly'with Lenore Lahount. e salt Lake City girl he first not in high school. She had moved with her family to washington. D. C.. in 1927 when her father was appointed by President Calvin Coolidge to the Federal Radio Commission. Romney visited the LaFcunts at Christmas in 1928 on his way home to Salt Lake City to enroll at the University of Utah. He stayed in Utah less than a year. however. He left the University of Utah after one semester and enrolled inks speednriting course at Latter Day Saints Business College in Salt lake City. In.the eutwmn of 1929. Romney and his brother. Miles. moved to Washington. D. C. There George attended night classes at George sashington University and worked days as a secretary to Senator David I. welsh. e hassechusetts Democrat. For'most of the nine months he worked for Senator Walsh. a member of the Senate Finance Commit. tee. Romney itemized aspects of the pending Henley- Smooth tariff bill.11 Lenore. meanwhile. graduated from George washington.and pursued a dranatics career. first —_k w l._,_.__l “— m 1OAngel. p. 60. 11nahoney. p. 93. w W 17 in New York. then in Hollywood. Bomney left Senator’walsh's employ in June. 1930. and became e sales representative for the Aluminum Company of America. His first assignment was in Los Angeles. where he was reunited with Lenore. They were married July 2. 1931. in Salt Lake City. Shortly afterward. Romney was transferred to washington where he spent the next nine years. Bus as C Romney represented the Aluminum wares Associa- tion as well as Alcoa in the Capital. His Jobudid not require his testifying before congressional committees. but under present legislation.he would have had to register as e lobbyist.12 During this time he had his first extended experience with newspaper reporters. Some of his duties involved public relations chores. At this time Alcoa was under investigation by the Federb a1 Trade Commission.ss a monopoly. One of Romney's public relations functions was providing information to newspapernen on the company's position. He was a mem- ber of the National Press Club.'whose membership inc. W 121 ELde Q Po 1°00 13 eludes newsman. businessmen and public relations men.13 After being passed over for promotion to head of the Washington office. Romney left Alcoa in 1939 and Joined the Automobile Manufacturers Association (AHA). a trade association representing every leading automobile manufacturer with the exception of the Ford motor Company. Hitler's troops were invading Poland when Romney went to work in the association's Detroit office. and the industry began to foresee a possible changeover to war production. As the war in Europe deepened. contracts for aircraft engines and other armaments began to pour into the automobile industry. The AMA became the coordinating body for these re- quests.14 The AKA organized the Automotive Council for War Production.within a few days of Pearl Harbor. The Council was charged with coordinating the defense efforts of the entire automotive industry. Romney was named managing director of the unit in January. 1942. and general manager of the AMA the following month. Romney's position.made him a key man in co- ordinating the production of war materials ranging from 13mg... Po 103e 14m” p. 112. 1') munitions to aircraft engines. Laborumanagcmcnt agrean ments were reached and negotiations 31th aircraft com- panies worked out to stipulate that the automobile in- dustry would not continua aircraft production after the war. The war also brought such problems as car pools. baby sitters for chtldrcn of working mothers. housing shortcces. and regulation or retail stare hours. 311 cf Which. for cnc reason or another. often came within the purview of the Automotive Council for War>Prcduct10no By 19h5, Romney had made a name for himself as an executive in the automobile industry.15 The end of the war brought equally compelling problems of reconversion. and again Romney and tho Council were instrumental 1n.produclng a smooth transln tlon. Romney remained.w1th the ARA until 19h8 when he accepted a $30,000 a year position'wlth naah~fie1v1nator Corporation.16 Given the title “assistant to thc presi- dent," Remney‘was being groomed as George w. Eascn'c successor. H13 first year'wlth the company was spent becoming familiar with its automobile and appliance Operations 0 _“. 151b1d.. p. 132. lénichard C. Fuller. (mew York: Vantage Press. 19 ?0 Foson was a Shall—cor enthusiast whose original ideas for prodvcing o corooct, economical car had been interrupted by the war» Those ideas materialized in the Rambler. a small car of European design introduced in 1950. (Tho company had. however. rroduced a car by that name between 1902 and 1905.) During the next six years the model underwent major styling changes. but continued emphasis was put on.producing a lowucost car with better gas mileage than other American cars. The Rambler was not immediately successful. however. and tho firc‘o appliance division.was steadily falling behind its competition. The Kelvinotor divi- sion.wos particularly plagued with labor problems and low employo morale. and faced the closing of its plant on Plymouth Road near Dctroit unless the facility bo~ came dramatically more efficient and competitive than it had boon.17 Romney. than an executive vice-presidcnt. was the cOmpany'o trouble shooter at the Plymouth Road plant. to appealed directly to the employBSo. telling them if the plant did not begin to show a profit they would be out of Jobs. Labor loaders labeled his efforts "V w ——r w—r W 17W. Feb. 19. 1962-. p. 25. 21 ”Romnoyisn.“ snd called him “Romeo Romney" and ”18 For'moro than a your the plant “Lochinvar Romney. went through s series of strikes. In tho end. the foremon.sgrsod to losvs the union snd giro first loyalty to the company. Labor problems subsided and productivity bogsn to riso. but not enough to make the plant competitive in tho appliance industry. Even~ tuslly it was closed and tho Kolvinstor'oporntion moved to Milwaukee. Wisconsin. Unsuccessful in.tnking s significant part of the automobile market one: from tho industry leaders. end with its spplisnco division far behind tho leaders in that field. Nashpflslvinstor, in Janusry. l95h. merged with another sick member of tho sutonobils inp dustry. the Hudson motor Car Company.. George Romney was the heir-apparent to the corporate presidency when the two firms merged to booomo tho Amsriosn.fiotors Cor- poration. The following October'csorgo H..hsson diod. and Romney was elected ohsirmsn.ot the board of directors and named president snd gonsral manager of AEC.19 AA. _ landhoney. p. 165m 191nm. . p. 131+. 22 Backed by only limited resources and faced with the necessity of putting the new corporation on its feet in a short time or seeing it go under. Romney de- cided to concentrate nearly all the firm's promotional efforts on the Rambler. He personally carried the company's sales pitch-economy--to the customer. appearing himself in newspaper and magazine advertise- ments for the car. His theme was a constant campaign against Detroit's “gas-guzzling dinosaurs.'2° In 1957 and 1958 a national economic recession accompanied a slump in new car sales. Unemployment rose and incomes fell. With this recession.Romney‘s campaign against the more expensive products of his competitors caught fire. American.flotore Corporation showed a profit in 1958 for the first time in its history. and Rambler replaced Pontiac for sixth place in new car sales. AMC was the only automobile company 1 The that year to achieve a sales increase over 1957.2 success of the Rambler brought Romney not only state- wide but also national recognition. zolbide. Pe 25e 21"W111 Success Spoil American.Motors?" Fortune. LIX (January. 1959). pp. 97-98. 23 Eglitioal Career Late in 1956. at the height of ASC's growing pains. the Detroit Board of Education asked George Romney to head a citizens advisory committee to help develop a ten-year master plan.for Detroit Public Schools. At the time he not only had his ARC duties to attend to. but he also served as president (bishop) of the Detroit 3take (diocese) of the Mormon Church. He accepted the position. however. and theiommittee functioned for nearly two years before submitting to the board a report listing 182 recommendations. The biggest hurdle faced by the board was pass- ing bond issues for school espansion programs. Shortly after the committee had begun its study. Detroit voters rejected a $33 millionproposal.22 But shortly after the report had been submitted and publicised. and with 13.9 per cent of the city’s labor force unemployed. the Board of Education asked the voters for $90 million for school buildings and received it.23 Romney entered the state political picture in 1959 as serious fiscal problems plagued state government. Earmarking provisions of a fifty-yearvold state con- w ZZDetrgit fires gross. April 2. 1957. ”We. April 7.! 1959- 2h stitution. and a deadlock between Governor G. Hannah Millions and a malapportioned legislature controlled by conservative Republicans. kept the state from using funds in its treasury to pay its bills. as a result some state employee: faced "payless paydays” and the rostive legislature remained in session nearly the entire year. Unfavorable national publicity alarmed citizens and businessmen”?‘4 In may. Romney and.fifteen others not and formed "Citizens for'hichigan“ (CFh). a nonppartisan group bent on solving the state's problems through direct citizen participation.25 The organisation is generally considered the beginning of Romney's political career. Among those early participants in Citizens for hichigan were Dr. Samuel M. Brownell. Detroit superin- tendent of schools: Edward L. Cushman. American Motors Corporation vice-president: Dr. Charles Killingsworth. professor of economics at hichigan State University; Jillian E. Stirton. vice-president of the University of Michigan: and Reward Stoddard. president of the hichigan 2“ 1 Sept. 13. 1959.. A panel dis- cussion involving members of the Michigan.fiunicipal League and the municipal Finance Commission outlined the adverse national publicity and the effect it was having on sale and interest rates of bonds. 25hahoney, p. 291. Slat ional Bank . 26 Elaning the state's probleno on a deteriora- tion of public responsibility among its leaders. Romney decried excessive pertggQEhip on the port of both major political parties. He repeatedly attacked what he called the source of political turmoil in Michigan~~big government. tig usineee and big labor.27 Together with the League of women Voters and the fiichisen Junior Chamber of Commerce. Romney and CFM pushed for a revision of the state constitution es the first step in streamlining state government. The issue was put on the ballot in.April. 1961. and the state's voters approved the calling of a Constitutional Convention to redwrite a basic low that had not been revised since 1908.28 During his association with Citizens for flichiaen. Eomney steadfastly refused to claim alle- giance to either political party. But he wanted to cit in the Constitutional Convention. Delegates were to be elected on e partisan basis from every Senate and House .__..__ _.____ #4.... . . ZGDetroit News. June 11. 19590 27ktroit :zqu‘ Dec. 10. 1959. aahichigen raw 1» 31. 13 district in the state. Rooney had to choose one party or the other. and it surpriood nobody that the auto executive chose the 00?. However. he called himself only an "Oakland County Ecpubiioan."29 He won election from his home Senate district to become one of ninety-nine Republicans to serve in the inn-seat convontion.3O The Constitutional Convention convened an October 3. 1951. in the Lansing Civic Center. Almost immediately the delegates split into three factions- rural conservative Republicans. moderate Republicans. and Democrats. As a leader or the moderates. Banney made a bid for the prcsiiency of the convention but lost to a compromise candidate acceptable to both Republican factions. He was. however. clccted as one or the vice-presidonts along with conservative Eiward Hutchinson. a former state comator. and Democrat Tom Downs. a Detroit attorney whose firm often represented the AFLpCIO.31 Romney was the star attraction of tho convenp tion. Judging by the twelve-volume act of clipping A __.‘ zgcrand Eggiia Bragg. April 15. 1961. 3°miohiggn.fiannal. 1265-66, p. 81. Blfiuskcgon.Chronicle, Oct. 3. 1961. 27 books kept by tho Looth corona (comprising articles from all of the nine oapcro). no other coniilooe xith tho eiccgticn of yrcaiicnt Jtcghcn J. :iatot received onc-fifth the public t: dooney roccivoi, cocauso the] had oorc in coooon at tho outaot. moat observers cxgcctcd tho ooéoratc Ropuo cans and the :oxoczats to form a ruling coalition whom tho most ioyortont issues he? to tho convcntion caio to the fore. int on February 10. 1?62. Homney announcod he would soc; tho governorahip in the {311.33 this onuoanco;cnt alienatci the flococratc. an: mcicrctcs saw the possibility of a strange bodfcliow alliancc between Democrats and conservative Republicans on some iosuoo. sot on “arch lo the Set cit Fr. P to allogci that a "coal" had been made by Homncy. rcprcccnting tho moicratco. with conservat to loaior J. fiaic 22339.33 Ehcthor the word "deal” applies or not. a coalition was foruci cad beooao tho decision-making force on a number of to: provisions of the now ccnotituticn involving the .gi ._ ._ A. __ .. . . 4 -. --. 32W. Feb. 10. 1962. 33% 28 executive branch. legislative apportionment and finance.3u The gubernatorial campaign began in earnest after the Constitutional Convention adjourned on hay 11. As he began his campaign. Romney trailed ins cumbent Democrat John B. Swaineon in a Detroit Ngwe public Opinion poll.35 but by September Republican Romney was out in front.36 In November Romney out- polled Swainson by 81,573 vote537 to become the first Republican to be elected governor of Michigan since 1946. He won re-election in 1964 as Michigan voterl split their tickets to give Romney a plurality of 382.91338 while giving Democratic President Lyndon B. Johnson a margin of more than one million votes. Romney won election to a third term in 1966 by 627.16fl votes.39 w—V _—— 7 V __7+.. Bunlbert L. Stnrm. Qonetitutionrhagigg_;g hichi an 1 61-62 (Ann.Arbor7'—Ifietitute of Public Ad- m n etret on. The University of Michigan. 1963). pp. 117-119. 35Detroit News. May 14. 1962. 36;§i§.. Sept. 9. 1962. 37hichigan flannelI 1263-64. p. 416. 38;g33,. 1965-66. p. 73. Sta... uiifi‘i‘imfi’é22h;%3£;12§§’§§ 3% 322.31'§f°{32%.°‘ The figures were provided while the election results in two house districts were being contested. CRAPIER II 'MP‘VTI‘» nfna vM-‘f'fi‘ .eti fi-Av'l.l.c .5 . Governor Ronneyfe press relations exist within a framework of political and Journalistic factors that determine to acne degree the amount and type of coverb age his actions receive in the state's daily news- papers. Among these factors are the recent political history of the etate, the present relative strengths of the two major political parties. the number and air» culetion of daily newspapers in the state. the number of papers maintaining bureaus in Lansing. and the routine practices employed by Governor Romney in deal- ing with fapitol reporters. These are broad factors. The narrower. more specific factors involved in Governor Bennoyfe relationship with the Kichigan press are reserved for the next two chapters. P i go E ont nichigan is a state in.political flux. Be- tween the Civil har>and 1968. Republicans won thirtya {our gubernatorial elections. while the Democrats won 29 six. A Fucionist was elected in 1832.1 Republican control of the legislature was even stronger during this period. with the legislative branch in Democratic hands only from 1933 to 1939.2 k-lichigazi began a trans. ition toward the status of e two-party state in l9h8 with the election of Democrat C. tenncn Williams to the bovcrnorship. cilllamc remained in the statehoucc for twelve years. winning six consecutive tho—year terms. When he retired in 1960 to join the Lennccy administration cc undersecretary of state for African.effeiro. another cancerot. John B. twainson. took his place. The real eccrgencc or the Democratic party during the Williams years can be soon by comparing the number of Democrats who hold office in the state in 19%8. the year ho was elected. and the naner'who hold office in 1960. the year he retired. then killicms entered the otatohouao. both E. c. senators from cichigan were hepublioana as were fourteen of seventeen congressmen.3 than he left. both senators an: acvcn congressmen were Baccarat”h A. ___ A A vw‘v lmichigan Kennel. l263-64. pp. h29-h32. 211451... pp. 96-97. 3Hichipeg_§aogcl£71997o PP. 656.663. “Acfiggiqnszel. Rim. pp. 161-167. V 31 Four Democratic senators and eight representatives not in the state legislature when Williams entered office.5 In.196o twelve senators and fifty-five representatives served in the legislature.6 30 Democrats served on elected boards of higher education? or the state administrative board in 1943.3 fiemoorats controlled every board of higher education in 19509 and filled every administrative board positioa.1o aespite their success in statewide elections during the killiams administration. Democrats never won control of the leglalature. the apportionment of which greatly favored Republican.rural areas.11 The malo apportionment resulted from considerable social and economic changes that took place within.tho state __ A...— 4“ A. A A A __._ WV ————— '“v‘w- WW _' w 5:7,;crhvizang’amf‘iL 121:. pp. 555-557. 6Vichi~23¥fianu@l. 1959~6Oo PP- 179'191. gunman ,T-Tgnual. 121:2. pp. 695-701. 5:314" pp. 651-653. 9¥1oh eagflgonuel, ggsgnég. pp. 171-178. mag" p. 156. llfierbert Garfinkel and L. J. Fain, Pair Regg- gentation: A Litizon‘a guide to Lexislativg Agoortiog- mgnt_in iiéhiggfifirgggzflzafising: Bureau of 500131 and koliticai"nesearoh. nionigan.$tata University. 1960). p.10 32 between 1900 and 196“. when.o new apportionment scheme was worked out. From a predominantly agricultural state with 60 per cent of its population living in rural areas. hichigan developed into a highly indus- trialized state with fewer than 30 per cent of its rev aidente living in rural nreae.12 The legislature was reapportioned during this period-tho last time in 1952-obut it was done so in.a fashion that meant greater representation for the rural areas relative to their papulation. During the williame administration the Senate was particularly apportioned in favor of out-state areas. For example. one eenntoriol dis- trict. the twelfth. Oakland County. had eight times the population.of the thirty-second. encompassing four sparsely papulated Upper Peninsula counties.13 In the early 1960’s a reversal took place. In 1962. George Romney became the first Republican in fourteen years to win the governorship. That come your the U. 3. Supreme Court handed down the first of sev- eral apportionment decisions that. in Michigan. ro- 12;b1d.. p. 6. 13;b1a.. p. 7. 3 -1 suited in Democratic control of the legislature in 1951;.” “rho Democrats lost that control in the 1966 elections. however. and can a Republican elected to the U. R. Senate. Further evidence that Xichigan has become a two«party state can be seen in the voting pattern of its residents in presidential election years. Michigan voters Show a marked inclination to split their ballots. G. Hennan williane was elected governor in three presidential years. 19h8. 1952 and 1956. All three times the state‘s voters gave hichigan's ales. toral votes to the Republican.precidential nominec.15 The pattern broke in 1960 when.John.F. Kennedy carried the state and Snainson was elected governor. but re. appeared in 1964 when Romney won with a plurality of 382.913 votes and President Lyndon B. Johnson.carried the state by more than one million votes.16 ._._._ w Nam-2.33 vs. %. 369 U. s. 186 (1962). 152mm Faber (ed-h Th New r1: Times oh &(hcw York: heuraw-fii 1 Book -66 . P. “'16. an J fig; * 1'??f.1"’"‘:‘~'fi 3:2:an Fiftynthm ainrllzh languafia agily nnwsrapera with a total circulat1on of ?.351.051 «0912” nrw fiuFlighafi in ‘1cnx fan.17 The atate'a Larqast §a§9r3 era-the fivcning_:gttg1fi_fif:p, with a flatly elm n1 a 15m €31" £772.: ‘31} 00:21:22.. and the :10va :55’“ firm :33. with a ciravlat,an_of 5&9.E10.13 * ”fiaflrfi the naparn are all aa“v162d by ona or hszh of tke'najsr newfigmtnarlng a¢ancias. tha Aesactan tafi Frags anfl finitafi Eraca Intaxnatiannl. 0&1: thir» teen paparfi naintatfi nefls bureaus or fu11-t1ms re- pW w r3 1n «analnv ta eovar 5131 a gavernmant. "Th6 fiwtrfiit “wwa maintains a twanman atar: sugplamentad by fiflfi a: two afi£1tional reportars when tha leaialatara 13 1n session.and at other peak tlmam of governmantal activity. m- ha$ two full-t1ma roportars 1n Lanning. fiaoth fieuspapers. Incorporated. publishera of the Gran? ”afiiés_? .'..O'.1. 133.. 1;:Uv . 319. 1379. if. *~‘21a.. 9. 1259. 35 biranu. $30 reporters serviae Federated Fabiications. . r r - '0‘ O I. r. , Incoryaratel. which publizhcr the in_si*_ fliz J 7.1:“; _. :21 and the “£43.12: 632253-92 ;-*::._.~;*f.rwtv3:1<1 firm. The Aasaoiatefl Frans has n fourwxan barman, uni tnitafi Frans International maintnlfls thrae rapcrtere at th” "I'r ‘ . '.. ‘ '«L2£)1Lt 4-. I. C ..0 state provides press facilities in tha 0-! Capital for the prfins carps. including telephanes and typewriters. 1 press room manater, paid by tha legis- lature. cooriinatea tha distribution or press relsasea fl nd measages that are aant to the press room. the tenura of the reporters varies with the agency, but the wira services show tha graatest turn- cvar. At this writing only ona wire service reporter has been atationed in Lansing for the faur years goverb nor fiomney has been in office. Fight of the tan non» wire service raporters. on the othar hand. have a total of mere than 105 years of experience on ths Capitol twat. Thu ahiefs of the flooth and flefrcitflfiagg bureaus have a cowbined total of fifty-six yeara in Lanfiing. £11 reporters cover other baata besides the executive office. hichigan rafiio and television reporters gener- ally do not cover the Capital as a boat. 20mg attend Governor floaney'a press oonferenoea and pick up press 336 releases each day. but they rely on the wire services for the bulk of their reportage of news of state government. Govegggr Romnez'g Press Routine Although Governor Romney did not become active in politics until he was 53. he had previous experience in.dealing with the press. This experience can. first as a Washington representative of the Aluminum Company of America. than as managing director of tho Automotive Council for War Production. and finally a. prosidont and chairman of the board of American.Motors Cor» poration. In.addition. his marketing of the Ramblor gave him a reputation in.advcrticing and public ro— lations circles as an.cblc calcaman of his idcaa.19 The transition from business to politics. how- ever. brought Romney into close contact with political reporters. According to one reporter who has observed Romney since he arrived in Lansing as a delegate to the Constitutional Convcntion. tho Governor adjusted quickly to his new environment: a) Romney has learned quickly how to get along with (political reporters). At first he was puzzled by us. and. perhaps because he was so freshly out of the executive office at American.MotorI. a little irked by our refusal to be in awe of him. He's now 19"Will Succcao Spoil Amorican.Mctcrs?' Fo tun . LIX (January. 1959). pp. 97-98. 3? grown used to it and seems to enjoy himself with us. something that was not always true.20 Charles E. Harmon. Governor Romney's press secretary. agrees that contact with the Capitol press corps is a part of Romney's Job he enjoys.21 Conse- quently. informality characterizes the Governor's con- tact with reporters collectively and individually. Harmon. a former Capitol reporter for the Booth newspapers. became Romney's chief press aide in Novem- ber. l96#. The Job previously was held by Richard Milliman. who left to become editor of the t as t Times-News. According to Harmon. no rigid rules bind the Governor's dealings with the press. although a number of practices have developed that are generally adhered to. Press Conferences Press conferences form the most regular asso- ciation between Governor Romney and members of the Capitol press corps. When he is in Lansing. Romney usually holds a daily press conference at 9:30 A.H. in W _1 ——.— 20This is the first of the coded responses inp cluded in this thesis. The designation to the left of the quote is the source code. It will remain the same for this source throughout the rest of the thesis. but is drOpped if the source is quoted by name. lenterview with.Charles E. Harmon. press sec- retary to Governor Romney. Aug. 17. 1966. Q “8 his office. Buring legislative sessions and at other peak times of governmental activity, these press con~ foresees are seldom canceled. Even when the Covernor has no announcements or statements to make to the press. he still generally holds the press conference. If his schedule is busy and there appears to he no reason for a press conference. Romney sometimes cancels the meeting. but not until Kareem has checked with the press room to see if the reporters request a press con- ference. Often only one or two reporters have questions for the Governor. They are accommodated in- dividually if the press corps collectively does not request a press confersnoe.22 curing the administration of Governor G. rennen silliams. two press conferences daily. one in the morn- ing an- one in the afternoon. were usually held.23 Since zilliams was governor for twelve years. this pro. cedure became routine. Governor John B. Swainscn.a1so set tries a day with reporters. Cavernor Romney re- tained the two-aaday tradition with regard to press con- ferences during his first year in office. then dropped ‘— ”are. . ZBLawrenoe 3. Hobart. Governor:sgfress_gecgggggx: ._.' lo of Paul tuber (Ann Arbor: Institute of' rsbi c Admin stration. mo. 25. University of hichigan. 1958). p. 100 139 it in favor of the rornin; wasting only. The taver- nor's staff and the press corps nutially agree the oocond press conference was unnecessary since moot news stooning from the executive office was covered in 2. ‘3 the nornlnz nootimg. The afternoon press conforenco is revived occasionally when important news breaks later in the day. Jo set rule deterninos whether or not the Governor makes an Opening statement at a press con- ference. Then he makes a formal announcement. ho roads it at the beginning; of tho scssion and coyotes are dis- tributed to the reporters present. If he has no open- lug statement to make he begins the conference with "I've got nothing in particular in mind. 30 you fellows?" or‘words to that effect. The press conferences are informal. The Governor greets each reporter as he enters. usually by name. He replies to questions by addressing the re.. porter by name. When an announcement is made or when the press conference takes place at a time when most news of state government involves a single issue. the entire session.might be concerned with cno topic. At other times reporters’ questionsnmight cover six to 2“ id. #3 eight issues. Esrmon alerts the Governor to questions he expects to come up during e press conference.25 He and other'members of the Governor's staff supply documents that might be needed in answering questions and attend the press conferences to assist the Governor. The informality of the press conferences ellows the press corps to bring up any subject. If a question is asked that Governor Romney does not wish to answer. he shows no reticence in.doclining to comment. At times the informality evolves into a friendly chat be- tween reporters and the Governor.26 The length of each press conference varies with the issues involved. but most conferences lest between fifteen and twenty minutes. Each press conference is recorded on.msgnetic tape. The tape serves a double purpose. protecting the Governor against possible mis- quotation.and providing Hermon with a verbathm record of Romney's statements on certain issues. Trenscripe» tune are not distributed to reporters, but any newsman ## *— 25mg. 25At one press conference the writer attended. the discussion turned to the Governor's recently decor» eted outer office. and a reporter consented on.en elec- tric ssh tray on one of the new tables. Romney had not seen it. ens asked an aide to bring it in. The Governor and several reporters spent two or three minutes play. ing with thepsdqet. “1 wishing to check on a direct quote can éain.acoese to the tapes through Harmon. Romney makes it a point to know the newsman.on the Capitol beat and tries to anticipate what a re- porter is looking for during a press conference or'en interview. He watches the niohigan press closely. daily reading both Detroit papers. the Eggnd gagidg ggggg, Pontiac grese. and nggigg State Jgggaalp He also reads the new 19% "lav-x93. shzafitagn $91!“: igaiggz, and several weekly news magazinee.27 Private Interviews Governor Romney's practice of holding daily press conferences reduces the number of requests from the press corps for private interviews. Often. however. individual reporters have questions they do not wish to ask at press conferences for rear of tipping off other reporters on exclusive stories. In euch cases. privute interviews with the Governor are requested. Most private questioning of the Governor takes place immediately after a press conference. A reporter can.mere1y “stay after school" when the other reporters have left. Such interviews are generally short and in- volve one or two questione. 2'7 $1313 0 “2 At other times a reporter wishing to ask the Governor e question.nust go through Barman or Romney's personal secretary. Hrs. Eargcret (Peg) Little. Often Harmon or hrs. Little get an answer from the Governor for the reporter. At other times a brief interview or telephone conversation.may be arranged. Several times a year the sovernor submits to group interviews by members of a single bureau. Generally these interviews take place at the end of the year. during an election campaign. or at a time when a single important issue such as the budget dominates the news. Press Releases Press releases. celled "handouts" by reporters. daily cram the press room pigeonholee assigned by name to each reporter. They come from the nineteen.mejcr departments of state government. legislators. lobbyists. the state central committees of the two major political parties, public service organizations. professional associations. universities. and a number of other orpanizations. hany handouts are useful to reporters: others are discarded.23 zgferold Jones Keir. "Government rublic Re- lations ans the Press: The fiichigan Executive Granch" (unpublished E--.9.z~:tor's thesis. bchool of Jourmlim. Hichigan atate University. 1966). pp. 67-68. “‘3 the executive office éoes not issue common: handouts as sore agencies of state government known for the yroiuctivity of their rimeogreph machines. fiatmon. who was on the receiving end of the handouts for several years. generally sees to it that only legitio mate news rather than prepsgsnas is contained in the ore utive reiesee.29 A for subtleties indicate the importance of the executive hendout. lost handouts reach the press room via secretaries or.eeesengers. this is not so with ter402'3 releases. Often. he passes them out to indi- visual reporters as they enter a press conference. then he issues a release later in the day his secretory cells the press room to alert reporters that a handout is coming. when the releases are ressy. the press room manager personally ticks them up free Eereon’s office. poet ereoutive releases involve not: “made“ by the Governoru-ennounoements. appointments. position etetezente. fhese ore timed by Korean to secure the best play from the cavernor's point of view. Important stories or stories thet portray the Governor in‘e favorable light are tisec to espesr in the afternoon papers. so they are released early in the morning. Less iseortnnt news or news that is less favorable to- “ T-—- wv‘ w w ‘T' m w —————. h (‘3 zest-wow vine. :tnmz. 1?. 15:66., ha ward the Governor might be released Just before noon when reporters for afternoon papers era facing a dead- line and are al; oady involved n other broaking nous. Jo compensate. the .e trait 1‘3oe “no”. the state’s only general circulation morning paper. sometimes is given.a break by timing the release of an appointment or announcement to accommodate its later deadline.3° o:e“wo“ W ”av 33 9 ?w*"'fi’hv Frinaril.y booemx e of the job he holds. Govornor Looney is uni ubtecly the state's n.ost important newl- maker. early every action by the Governor, official and unofficial. is of interest to the press. His official actions are nfiwerous and can be broken down into executive functions (administrative supervision. execution of laws. appointpents. udg:et preparation. military commanderwin-ohiof, and ceremonial head of state). legislative functions (veto power. calling of special sessions of the legislature. preporation.and presentation of leg Mlativo pro5ra33. and mossagea to the legislature), and judicial functions (gardons. too prieves. canmutwa ions; . anfl bro cover to 33$ for Opinions ’ 9 from tne attorney general).J1 30314. Blmiohigan.‘anstitutiog, Art.5. 836. 1-19. '— h .1. J t The sonatitufiional $53 tion or too gonornor Of " i A 5 '4'. ‘ "r 2 » . .n "- -- raj . _ ‘- . _ .LiaLigan,LaLo3 him more powerfnl than L92: flvhfi? gov~ V . n, V n ’ 3..., - . n. arnarg in fine Lfiitam onotao. ~9395h.$. wCulfl$luafiro W at" I a . _ . ’ .c. *r ‘ ‘r- irofono,: f political 32193:: pt inhi53n t3~o Liivorn oity, imfioxofi tho onvornnr: : all fifty otatoo oooori- 134 to the cano§ituiionol 903923 VBfitflfi 18 $353 $3 an infiitaiian of thoi: political power. Laly sixtoon fl EOVQrflQrp runkofl highor thaa.tiohig n’s.3a the data use: to compilo tdo Lichigar index. howuvor. was bosoa om the 190; constitution. :ho state's new oonatitution provifioo for cvon.moro axonutivo pow : aha would rank hiohifian highor on tho lfidox.33 factors aims: than his position contributo to governor Lonney‘o potential ao-a nouamnsor. Almost from the boginnina of his politiool caxaer. Romney has boon.praoinontly mentionofi as a.yotential Lopublioon yrsoidentisi eandidate.33 ihis and: to {heinous value fl-A‘A __ ._ ‘ . u ‘— W ‘7 325oesoh a. Fohiooinger. "The Politics of the axeoutJVe,“ £Q;;5_oo to tho Looting; *tatas. ed. Earhart Jacob and fiennoth 5. Vinos gFoetoo: fitt o. Erawn und company. 1965). p. 22?. EBIntorviow with Josoph a. ichiooingory pro- teaser of political aoinoce. aichiroo State university. a“. , , 5 T 5 H_ ' ,Jjuovia a. goose. "shim nepublioan for 1968.” 4?? kn”! ‘3?£E.KET»?1V:- 995' 23p lgéfio $0 300 w. --———...—--—v -iuwmg 4.6 of hio ototohmto on notion). and intonation} aub- Jooto. owl. «min; ho doo- hovo highor poiitiool oopirotiono. not mount for hio uiiiingnooo to mom on ouch ouhjooto. Ho io oioo tho hood or hio ototo port: orgoniootion. om oo ouch to in tho oiadlo of tho GOP'o poiitiooi wot-o om inhuman oontlioto. Fm 1963 to 1966 Room: om hio lioutonont m. 11mm G. Malina.” {mod tho oolo Romano-h pun hooo in Miohiaon oinoo on othor olootoa mama ot tho auto Adminiotrotivo Boom voro Donooroto. tho losio- loturo m oonmnod hr Donooroto. on! o uaority of on. Snpmo Court Juotiooo um moons-.36 Rmoy'o tail: on! his ootivitioo my from tho ototohouoo oloo noko not". Rio doop roligiouo ooh- viotiono. hio total ohotontion from on otinulonto 1n- oluding too out! ooftoo. bio prootioo of footing hoforo 35Miohigon. c t {1963). Art. 5. ooo. 21. Providoo thot moi-nor outonont mom: ho oiootod togothor. 3631mm Court Juotiooo oro olootod on o non- portion: hooio in bMiohigon mt oro. in foot. offlin- tod with tho two mojor politiool portion. mioio 6. oootion 2 of tho 1- . 11. .1 . . _~ 1 providoo thot imumhont Juotiooo no: - ..- - 1 too for ro-oloo- tionhy ortidovit. No provioion io nodo for tho mi- notion of non-inoumbonto :nopt that it “ho in tho norma- proooribod w in.“ This ioovoo tho ammonia: of non-momma to tho port: oomtiono. #7 making major decision.” and his habit of playing s. dozen quick holes of golf at dawn and using three or four balls st ones,38 all have been featured in name-- paper and. magazine articles nationally as well as in Michigan. Feature stories also have been written shout hie wire. whose personal appearance schedulo sometimes rivals hie 01:11:39 and his sons. hitt and Scott. both of whom served abroad as Mormon missionaries during part of Romney's inoumbenoy.” Romney was. of course. no stranger to the state's front page: oven before ho en- tered politics. is president or American Motors Corporation he was a prime newemakor in o ststo whose economy turns heavily on the automobile industry. 37:13 gm; News. Deo. 9.1 1962. Bagiuskegon Chronicle, Oct. 30. 1962. 39W. Oct. 17. 1962. “05:11; Ara; have. June ll. 1966. CHAPTER III THE MICHIGAN DAILY P3333: ATTITUDES TOWARD GOVERNOR ROfifiEY ARD SELF-EVALUATION The influence of newspaper editors and editor- ial writers con.be an important asset or s burdensome liability to any politician. The managers of the press can.0pen.an important line of communication between the candidate and the voters and between the public offiem 93%.and his constituents. They can give the politi- cianh ideas public endorsement or public ridicule.1 Transformed into the typographical makeup of front pages. this influence can determine which side in.on election or a political controversy receives more pub— lic orpoeure. In short. this influence is a factor in the political process.2 This chapter explores the attitudes of editors 1Jamee E. Gregg. ”Newspaper Editorial Endorse- ments and California Elections. 1948-62. " W 921513292: 1. xxxxn (Autumn. 1965). :1. 531+. 2George L. Bird and Frederic E. Kerwin (eds.). ‘ (New York: Prentice-Hall. 1951) PP. 330’331o 25:; and editorial writers of michigan daily newspapers to- ward covernor George Romney. It also contains an evaluation of the Espaablicen sympathies of the P‘zichigen prose and. data relative to the public image of Governor Romney in the state. The purnoso of the chapter is to demonstrate that Governor Romney enjoys the editorial support of the Eichizan,preec.'but even more important. to demonstrate the degree to which the state's press cupnorts him. Ezoct of the date in thin cznptcr stems from questionnaires returned by editors and/or editorial writers representing twenty-one daily mepepsrs of general circulation in nichigan Although the sample nun-bore less than half of the fifty-one doll: papers in the etete. it represents every geographical area in zaichi-gran with the exception of the eastern Upper Fenineula. The two largest papers in the state are in- cluded as well an sons of the mellest dailies. Table l correlates the total circulation or the papers in the cox-pie with the total weekday and Senior circulation of ell dolly papers in.hichigan. ghee. approxinntol: 70 per cent of the total daily circulation and £30 per cent of the total Sunday __ 4*, ._‘__-_;_ v..— _._._ v...‘ 7—. m.— l_.,_ 3;: ea inpendix I}. 50 TABLE l.-Correlation.between total circulation of Michigan daily newspapers and newspapers represented in the sample3 Total State Total Sample Percentage of Total Circulation. Circulation State Circulation Weekday 2.351.091 1.606.856 69.5 Sunday 2.039.664 1.680.569 82.0 f fin... son's Direo1 (Philadelphi circulation in.ths state are represented in the sample. Circulation figures are provided in the graphic illus- trations of the responses to add relative weight to the answers. Table 2 lists the 21 papers comprising the sample and their weekday circulations. This chapter involves almost entirely endorse- ments and criticisms appearing about Governor Romney in editorial rather than in news columns. It concerns editorial Opinions rendered by Michigan editors. No attempt was made at a content analysis of ncuscolumns. Some material appearing in straight news columns is involved. however. Damocratic charges of a "Romney" 51 TABLE 2.-Nane and circulation of newspapers com- prising the sample Newspaper Circulation A126” News...000......OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOCOO 9.825 m r 'ewseeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee 33.162 0 r0 flirflr am Newseeeeeeeeeeeeee 39.679 Ea Cit Times...................oo...u.ou 38.984 Nuseeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee ‘ 6.067 o "a er ~ r.BortorOIOOOOO000.000.00.00 6. 03 EEEroIE Free FreSS.......................... 509. 10 EeFfOTfi IBVIBeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeoeeeeeeeeeeee 682.83“ EscanaE FTOSSeeoeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee 10,229 Maia;e Ball] News”..............u...uo 8.517 J30 3011*0 zen- atrioteeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeo 38.6“5 Kalamazoo Gaz€£te.......u.........o........ 55.091 Lu :3 on Nflaeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee .175 Marguot O M £5 Journaleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee 16.360 Mi m 1 NCWSeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee 13.5 1 Monroe Evglizfi NWSeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee 22.0 1 MUSkEgon GEE? O eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee 47.923 Port fluron T 88"HEL1 eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee 35.1“0 Ste JOSBB Hem d-PrESSeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee 6.369 S 111‘ 18 J0 eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeoeeooeee 8,238 YESIlanti PrQESeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee 11.933 press refer often to news stories. Likewise. it must be assumed that certain facts appearing about Governor Romney in news stories contribute to his public image in the state and therefore help determine the public image factors mentioned in this chapter. A ”Man" ngs No stranger to Michigan readers as president or American.Mctors and heed of Citizens for Michigan. George Rooney received his first extensive exposure as e politician.during the Constitutional Convention of 1961-62. The convention received a maximum of news 52 coverage. and Romney, a vice-president. leader of the moderate Republican faction. and candidate for gover- ncr. was the chief beneficiary. One reporter'who covered the convention recalls: a) I come to realize quickly while covering Con» Con that any story I wrote t. t mentioned Romney high in the lead or ensuing paratrophs cos a likely candidate for page ono. One story was frankly om- berrsssing. On a Tuesday. Romney called in re~ porters to tell them that on.Thur3doy ho would subn sit a proposal for redistricting the state legion lature and Congressional districts. The next day my story‘was not only on page one. it carried n double eightmcolunn banner. The substance of the story was nothing more than this: George Romney hes a plan: but nobody knowsyyct what it is end Romney won t tell until tomorrow. Romney was a nonsmoker not only as a delegate to the Constitutional Convention. but also after Fob- ruary 10. 1963. as an.enncunoed GOP candidate for gov~ ernor.h During the first six months of 1962 Romney's name also appeared in editorials and opinion columns. A number of papers editorially praised Romney for his part in the compromise between moderate and conserva- timo Republicans during the convention that had e major effect on the final product.5 will huller. Detroit _A_. IELAQ E ggumg. FObe 10. 1952. ‘ 52§t¥%§ News. march 18. 1962; Detroit Frog Prggg. march . 9 k: sorinnw Hers. march 7. 9 8 Ann Arbor flows. March 19. $535: ockso Citizen-Patric . ._._“¥ - gm columnist. locked ahead in a piece on January lb, 1962. centered around Romney's birth in hexico and his eligibility for the presidency of the United States.6 Rationolly syndicated columnists noticed him. William :5. white compared him to Wendell 1:311:31... the 1940 GOP darkhoroe,7 and torquis Childs tow a potentially bright political future for Ronncy.8 Some tichigan Democrats credited thepress with Romney's quick rise to political prominence. One of the first to notice with some dismay the amount of exposure Romney one receiving‘was Jerome P. Cavanagh. the 33- yeor-old Detroit mayor and somewhat of a rising star in hichigan politics himself. Cavnnagh said. in a speech in Detroit. that the news media were attempting to "foist" Romney on the public: It has probably occurred to you that it is indeed remarkable that the popular vehicles of communi- cation have suddenly together discovered a per~ sonality whose activities in politics have been so limited that his party identification has been until recently in doubt. Suddenly you have been made aware of the virtues of this personality and his probable availability for the highest offices 6huller'was one of those who perpetuated the story of Pancho Villa chasing the donneys into Texas. 7§gtroit hows. Jan. 25. 1962. 91e;e.. July 6. 1962. 54 in the state and nation. without a long cultiva- tion of public opinion by this individual. or those in whom he confides. he is thrust onto the front pages of most of the newspapers in the nation and the airways treated to long descriptions of his formidable position in the political party to which he. himself. only recently took care to limit him- self to county identification. The analogy must be striking to you.who are doing your best to keep younnlves well informed on issues and candidates. Ask yourself in all fair- ness has it is that the near-total press of the country has so suddenly arrived at the same con- clusion-that a great and outstanding figure is emerging from relative oblivion to the center stage both in your state and in your nation. Cavanagh.asked rhetorically if it were not dan- gerous that "a strange alliance on the part of the proprietors of the press should feed this to the public as news rather than.propaganda.' He told those present to work within the political parties to "eliminate the danger of dictatorship and political monopoly from those who control the vehicles of communication.1° The Detroit mayor concluded his speech with an implied accusation of a deal between Romney and the lords of the press: ngtggit News. Jan. 18* 1962. At the the. speculation was running strong that Romney was going to announce his candidacy for governor soon. He had en- tered the Constitutional Convention vowing not to be controlled by any partisan interests and calling him- self only an ”oakland County Republican." 1°;b; . 55 It is hardly conceivable that the man.now being treated to this colossal effort to solidify public Opinion in his behalf. is not aware of the enormous Job being done by the commercial prose. . . . How did all these powerful interests come to the same conclusion all at the same time? Is this possibly e.miracle? Could this mass circulation.miracle have been achieved by a citizen of outstanding skills. even after years of training and devotion to a political cause. withoutlEnderstandinge and deals concealed from the public. After the Constitutional Convention recessed in May. Romney began hie gubernatorial campaign in earnest and remained in the public eye throughout the summer and autumn. Democratic charges of a press buildup continued. John J. (Joe) Collins. chairman of the Democratic state Central Committee. charged that the Qgtggit Neva tried “to censor the people's right to know” by deleting part of a Marquis Childe column that referred to Romney'e ”deal” with.coneervativee during the Constitutional Conventton.12 Detroit Mega editor.Eartin 5. Hayden replied in.a statement that “the paragraph wee elimi~ nated by our editor in trimming the article to editor» w“ “—— 1;;§i§. Cavanagh'e audience was made up almost entirely of teenage recipients of civics awarde. Ironically. he never'mentioned Romney by name and a reporter covering the speech found only two of those present who knew when the mayor was referring to. 12Detzgi§ gewg. Aug. 10. 1962. 56 ial page space available."13 Collins also said the press as a whole was attempting to give Romney an.un- eullied image and that even his wife. Lenore. was re~ oeiving more press attention than GovernortSwainson's wife. A11ce.1“ After Ronney son the governorship in November. the press was only a few steps away to report his every move and word: he has been the state's top newsmaker since then. .Democrats still decry the amount of news coverage he receives. Zolton Ferency. chairman of the Democratic State Central Committee and Romney's 1966 gubernatorial opponent. told a group at the Detroit Press Club during the campaign that Romney was "more of e publicist and prepagandist than a political leader."15 to :. en ts Democratic complaints of a “Romney“ press are understandable and Justified. at least in considering editorial endorsements during the Governor's three gubernatorial campaigns. 13ml. 1“;b1d.. Aug. 12. 1962. 152§trcit Ego; Eggss. Sept. 8. 1956- 57 the respondents in the sample survey were asked who their papers supported for governor in 1962 and 196“. Since the questionnaires were returned in July. 1966. several months before papers generally make political endorsements. the respondents were asked who their papers intended to support in 1966. Eight responded that they had not yet gone on record. but three of those included remarks to the effect that “the suspense is not too thick.” Table 3 illustrates the sample responses corre~ lated with the total circulation of the papers falling into each category. ions of the twentywone respondents supported a Democrat for governor in 1962 or 1964: eighteen support~ ed Romney both years. one supported him in l96h. and eleven respondents said they again would support Romney in 1966. In addition. those papers supporting Romney most consistently are the high circulation papers in the sample. According to the hichigan.Press Association and the Republican State Central Committee. no record of all editorial endorsements for Romney has been compiled. The sample is only indicative. since thirty daily pap- ers are not represented. The sample does. however. re- present 70 per cent or the weekday circulation in the state. 58 TABLE 3.--Gubernatorial endorsements of the sample correlated with total circulation Item Total of Total Sample Circulation Endorsed Romney in 1962 and 1964 18 1.581.811 Endorsed nobody in 1962. Romney in 1 9.825 1964 Paper does not enp dorse statewide can» 2 15.220 didates Intend to endorse Romney in 1966 ll 1.398.265 Not yet on record in 1966 8 193.471 As a supplement to the above index. editorial endorsements were correlated with population. The six- teen.most pepulous counties in.Miohigan each have a population exceeding 100.000. These counties are Wayne. Oakland. Macomb. Kent. Genesee. Bay. Berrien. Calhoun. Ingham. Jackson. Kalamazoo. Monroe. Muskegon. Saginaw. St. Clair. and Washtenaw. The total popula- tion of these counties in 6.130.056. or 78.2 per cent 59 of fiichigun's total population of 7.823.19h in 1960.16 Twenty-two daily papers of general circulation are print- ed in theae counties. fourteen of which are included in the sample. The editor. managing editor. or Capitol bureau chief of each of the remaining eight newspapers was interviewed by telephone to determine who the paper supported for governor in the 1962. 196a m 1966 elections. The results paralleled theprevioue index: Nineteen of the twenty-two papers supported Romney in all three elections: one supported him in 1964 and 1966 but no candidate in.1962a and two papers do not for» rally endorse statewide candidates. None of thejapern .upported the Denocretic candidate in any of the three elections. F1 to ia Reacti t can Gov , The sample survey indicates editorial reaction has been.genera11y favorable toward the issues and policiea aesociated with Romney as governor. However. the pattern is not as consistently pro-Romney as that created by the number of editorial endorsements the Governor received during his three campaigns. On some issues the sample eplitalmost evenly between those who -—w rm. 15U.S. Bureau of the Census. U S Cervus f o ulati n 6 . Gene P 1 at on C . £_22_g%3. v.5. Governaent Printing 0 D.C.. 961. ‘ his-5". £1?le ti.) :3‘ 131:. . 13:51 in 32' {392.33 or" 21:21:34,353 sari those who 1:19,: f“"§'3-€"':1:3?€ 323,33 3335313311932. rotors 3:91:37: tow-five” cc rpcr‘i‘io News. tte ro,ev:‘~oo were sored, "721332; 336.23 been the ove:m~sll ch-orisl reaction of yorr payer toe-r": um Taverns: no: so: IwM 32'}. 'c or reactive?“ ‘ 37c remorse-s aeron- strata} a. 3:333: tire over-a1}. motto”. $1.:th 13333211633 poritire. torso ”or"! all? furor-r. “tie.” c3333. two neutral. Fore of tits {New in the {33:33:73.3 re?” -rts ed a. negative rams tics: toward 3‘: oromor Former. Tits ear: con ren- cror "13:13“ :3 who reptile-:33. posit}. so representei a total siren): tior: of l,<3‘23,€?2 or 33?.5 per cent of the total. simulation of the cattle art-'3. 65.?! est cent of the totel circulation in the state. Tetlc t illustrates the respomes cor-rented with total circular: on. Editorial teaction on specific lowest 1' tram tor e313. {wartime-s xi meter of specific actions of iiiovcrnor Emmy have proviso! roterial for editorial cargo-at is the 3 wire press. the re toefisnts were seize: 373: state the car-3 ioriel reaction of their momma-positive or flflffltiVQU-O‘EO each or sir issues closely associates with 3.730313333er Farmer. in s are 0&‘363 the papers had not cement :3 eiitorislly on one or more of the issues. Meir reaper-wee ere moor-lei in themphs below so “no 61 comment." TABLE 4.- Over-all editorial reaction to Governor Romney correlated with circulation Reaction Total of Total Sample Circulation Positive 16 1.56;:692 Negative if 0 v? Generally positive 3 28.751 Neutral 2 1h.413 Vifi Legislative Record Governor Romney did not have a legislature of his own.exact political coloration during his first two terms in office. Although Republicans controlled both houses in.l963-64. the Senate was malappcrtioned and was ruled by rural conservative Republicans who some~ times Opposed Romney. The Senate was reapportioned in 1964, a year that saw Democrats win control of both houses. The respondents were asked the editorial reaction of their papers toward Romney's legislative record. Table 5 illustrates their responses. 62 TABLE 5.-—Editorial reaction toward Romney's legis- lative record correlated with circulation Reaction Total of Total Sample Circulation Positive 20 1.594.923 Negative 0 No Comment 1 11.933 0n the basis of the sample. support for Romney's legislative record is solid. All twenty papers.who had commented editorially on Romney‘s legis- lative record reported a positive reaction (although three indicated parenthetically they had taken issue with some of the Governor's specific legislative pro- posals and programs). The twenty papers represent 99.h per cent of the total circulation of the sample and 67.5 per cent of the total state daily circulation. T B orm One of the most controversial issues in.Michigan for more than a decade has been tax reform. While still associated with Citizens For*hichigan. Romney advocated tax reforms that included a state income taxi During his first term in office Romney suffered a 63 political defeat when.he called the legislature into special session to consider his tax reform program and the lawmakers rejected it. The issue has divided pol- iticians in the state. but not along party lines. It has also divided the press. as table 6 indicates. TABLE 6.-Editorial reaction toward Romney's tax re- form program correlated with circulation W Reaction Total of Total Sample Circulation Rositive ll l.OO#.012 hegative —*I 8 ‘ figg8.260 No Comment —A- 2 lh.58# “* Editorial support for Governor Romney's tax reform program among the papers in the sample has been cool. but still a majority reported a positive reaction. The two metropolitan papers. the Detroit Egygland the getggig Egegngess. split on the issue. the former reporting a positive reaction and the latter a negative reaction. John.Millhone. a Free Pgess editorial'writer‘who consented to being quoted dnectu 1y. indicated on the questionnaire that the negative reaction referred to Governor Romney's handling of his. tar reform pregram rather than its substance. Since 64 he Tree Press accounts for the bulk of the circu- lation (509.Q10) of the eight papers reporting a negative reaction. the graph points up the fact that the remaining seven are small circulation dailies. All seven are. in fact. less than 20.000 in circulation. and all but one are printed in small out-state communitiss where conservative Republican opposition to tax reform is strongest.17 Coldwater Governor Ramsey's Opposition to Senator Barry Goldwater as the Republican candidate for President was a matter of record even before the 1964 Republican nat- ioual Convention.1a Romney did not support the top of the *0? ticket during the campaign. Goldwater questions ed his party loyalty in a letter after the election. asking the Kichigan governor "There were you. George. 17Because some questions on the questionnaire solicited material involving opinions of the responr dents and involved some areas not necessarily public record, the writer agreed not to identify respondents unless the" indicated they had no objection. In the case of the Estroit “one, however, circulation figures identify the respondent: and in this particular case the editorial reaction is a matter of record. But to keep from possibly compromising the writer's agreement. the same liberty is not taken.with other papers. 3_8*‘.o+mi ’- "nnrq 713mb. 1 fl , I, s .. .-, .l . {J ., —. , .. .‘, xv ’1 _ ‘1 . . 3.96“ ‘5. 65 when the chips were down and the going was rough?"19 When the votes were tallied. Goldwater lost Michigan’s twenty-one electoral votes by more than.a million papular votes and Romney won.a second two-year term in the statehouso by the fourth largest plurality in the state's history.20 The press again divided over Romney's disavowal of Goldwater. but sgain.a majority of the sample supported the Governor. TABLE ?.-Editorial reaction to Romney's disavowal of Goldwater correlated with circulation Reaction Total of Total Sample Circulation Positive 11 l.h#5.h39 Negative 7w “* 92.881 No Comment W3 68. 536 w w Table 7 shows the sample responses. The big circulation.papers supported Romney. while seven.small circulation.dailies criticized the Governor. 19Ann.g;bog News, Dec. 1. 1966. 2°fiichigan.fianual. 1963-6h. pp. #29-h32. W Darin: the Spring and early summer of 1966. Romney. who visited Vietnam the previous fall, made a nrnbor of statomonts on the nonfiuct of the war there. sis remarks elicited a large editorial response from the daily press. It was not so much what Romney said that orozptod this editorial response as it was what he did not say. A writer for the fietroit flowg concluded that Romney vaoillatod. clarified himself. and zoominsu 1y changed his position to the point nobody knoW'whoro he atooa.21 Romney's wavering between ”hawk“ and “dove" proved to be frequent fodder for editorial oartoonista.22 Table 8 illustrates the sample editor— ial reaction toward Governor Rooney's Vietnam state- ments. Vietnam'ras the only issue on which a.maJority of the sample reported a negative editorial position toward Governor‘nomney. The twelve papers criticizing Romney's Vietnam statomonts represent 85.6 per cent of the total a trio ciroulation.and 53.3 per cont of the total weekday circulation in the state. Hot all criticize: Romney for the same reason. One said tho 21-min...“ «t “hid, J. Van Susan. Sgtroit Jowé..noo. 16. 1956. 22333 Appendix D. 67 Governor didnit know enough.about the situation to comment on it. and three said he was ”too indefinite.“ Ono respondent regarded Romney's statements as "campaign talk for 1968." {either of the two papers reporting a positive editorial reaction gave a reason for its position. TABLE 8.-Editorial reaction.to Romney‘s Vietnam state- ments correlated with circulation W fiv— Beaction. Total of Total Sample Circulation Positive 2 5;.990 Negative ‘W’ “;é“’ 1.37p.109 Afl Nowbonment ;V i77.;;% Special Interests Governor Romney's first political exposure was as a nonppartisan. Citizens for Michigan.was organized on a non-partisan basis. Romney blamed the state's financial crisis in 1959 on excessive partisanship. big business. big labor and big government. and called for the end of the influence of minority pressure groups in state government.23 The sample respondents were asked 23Detggit News. June 27. 1959. 68 what their papers had said editorially on whether or not Romney lived up to his ideals of independence in office. Table 9 shows the responses. TABLE 9.-Editorial reaction toward Romney's claimed independence of special interests correlated with circulation Reaction Total of “Total fiVfi Sample Circulation Positive l; 1,522.82“ Negative 0 W. “'“"” W Partially Independent 3 36.531 fl No Comment V"“’ 2 fl - 47.501 To this graph another item under ”reaction? was added because three of the respondents indicated their editorial positions reflected only a partial indepenn dance on the part of Governor Romney. The majority. however. had commended Romney for political indepenp dance. Those papers represent 95 per cent of the total sample circulation.and 6h.? of the total state weekday circulation. The respondents were asked the editorial reaction of their papers to a sixth issue-the possi~ 69 bility that Governor Romney might leave the statehouse in the middle of a four-year term to run.for'President in 1963. Only two or the twenty-one papers had commented editorially on the subject. Several indi- cated they would approve of such a move should it de- velop. but said they would not go on record until that time. Ironically. the two papers that had editoriall- sed on the subject both criticized Romney for being too politically ambitious. Sinoe nineteen papers had not commented on.the issue. it was not used for analy- sis in this study. Editorial Reacticn on Specific Issues: NonpStructured Responses A more Opennsnded approach than that used above was utilized to determine which issues associated with Governor Romney had been.most criticised by the sample papers and which had been.most applauded. The reopen» dents were asked. "Rhat policies er'actions of the Gov- ernor have been.criticised in your editorial columns most severely? Which have been supported most ardently7' Respondents were asked to give one or two examples of each. Following is a complete list of the issues criticised by the papers in the sample. preseno ted in no particular order: 7O 1. His tactless treatment of other Republicans in the early stages of his career. the timing of his tax proposals. and his espousal of lowering the voting age to 18 2. Failure to take advantage of present laws to get a better administration of driver's licenses 3. Veto of a bill to abolish the office of county coroner in.hichigan. and statements on Vietnam h. Federalostate relations in the social wel- fare field . 5. Fiscal reform 6. Veto of a bill to abolish the office of county coroner 7. his "namby psmby" Republicanism and his lack of support for other Republicans. especially Goldwater 8. Fiscal reform and personal interference in local elections 9. His double talk and his ”preaching" 10. Vietnam statements 11. His eye on the presidencn in 1968 while askgng Michigan.voters for a third term as governor in 190 12. His vagueness on Vietnam and his failure at times to realise his obligations as a party leader 13. His habit of sounding off on international problems without a real clear pattern to suggest it. His failure to propose a specific tax re- form preposal. his tardiness in.namine a state mental health director. his compliance with new pregrams of state aid to church related schools. and his inconsis- tencies on Vietnam 15. His espousal of a state income tax 16. Tax reform 71 Five of the twentyuone papers had not editor- ially criticized Romney on.any issue. Eliminate Viet- nam and tax reform. and Romney has not been criticised by a significant number of the sample papers cn.any other issue. Some papers criticised the Governor only cn.minor. often.prcvincia1 issues. such as driver’s license administration. and for vetoing a bill to abolish the office of county coroner in.hiohigan. Three papers listed Romney’s failure as a partisan.as . one of their prime criticisms. Following is a complete list of the issues supported most ardently by the papers in the sample! 1. Removing tolls on the hackinac Bridge. which Romney has advocated - 2. His general views on traffic safety 3. Realistic approach to state problems h. Fiscal Judgment 5. His antiesocialistic views 6. Fiscal attitudes and traffic proposals 7. His strength.as an administrator 8. Administrative reform 9. Tax reform 10. Tax reform 11. Tax and governmental agency reform 12. Tax program. appointments and legislative programs 13. Legislative programs and role at the 196& Republican convention 1“. for program and reduction of hackinac Bridge tolls 15. Basic thesis on federalism Six respondents listed no specific issue on which they had strongly praised Romney editorially. and again provincialism entered the picture as two papers had most ardently supported the Governor in his attempts to lower the tolls on the hackinac Bridge. Evaluation of Editorial Reaction on Specific Issues On the basis of the sample survey. Governor Romney enjoys the over—all editorial support of the state's daily newspapers. He enjoys this support on the most controversial issues facing the state. ins eluding tax reform. The issue on‘shioh he has been criticized nest severely has been his statements about the conduct of the'war in Vietnam. an issue of direct national rather than state importance. no single issue appears to have rallied editors behind the Governor. and no single state issue appears to have alienated than from him. Only tax reform significantly divided the press. It is the only issue ' appearing on the respondents' list of "most severely criticized" as well as ”most ardently supported“ 73 issues. still. a maJority of the papers in the sample supported the Governor on fiscal reform. Although nineteen or the twenty-one papers reported either "positive" or "generally positive“ over-all editorial reaction toward Romney. the questionnaires indicate no single issue is responsible for this support. It is even‘difficult from the re. sponses to discern.a combination of issues that hart won the Governor this overhall support. This pattern. or lack of a pattern. of editorial reaction.to specific issues suggests the possibility that such individual issues are of less importance than the traditional Republican sympathies of the Michigan.presa in account- ing for Governor Romney's favorable position in the state's editorial columns. Thus. the following attempt was made to determine the degree to which the Michigan press favors the GOP. The pulse of the Michigan press suggests a def- inite Republican heart. The degree of Republican sympathy is probably immeasurable. although the twenty- one editors and editorial writers returning the questionnaires provide some indication. They were ask- ed to classify the Eichfihn.press as a whole into one of 'four categories ranging from “solidly Republican“ to 74 'non-partisan." Their responses are illustrated in tabla 10. TABLE lO.-Respondents classifications of the political sympathies of the Michigan press Total of Total Sample Circulation Solidly Republican 0 Generally Pro-Republican 13 l.h38.568 _..._ m *— w Objective. with only a slight tendency to fever 6 1&2.824 the Republican.party Noinartisan 2 25.#6h Although none of the twenty-one respondents classified the Michigan press as "solidly Republican." nineteen gave the press a GOP direction. Thirteen. a majority. classified the press in.Michigan as "generally pro-Republican." and six said there was at least some tendency to favor the GOP. Only two respondents said the Nichigan.press is nonvpartisan. The weight of the majority responses is enhanced by circulation figures. The thirteen.papers calling the Michigan.press "gener- ally pro-Republican" represent 89.h per cent of the total sample circulation. and 60.8 per cent of the 75 total state weekday circulation. lore than 90 per cent of the respondents representing 98.? per cent of the total sample circulation said the Fichigan press was at least slightly pro-ncpuhlican. As was done with editorial reaction to specific issues. the respondents were given the opportunity for a less structured. more open ended expression of their observations in this area. In this case. the respon- dents were c'hed to censure Romney's treatment by the Richigan press with the treatment given his two pre- decessors. Governors G. hennen‘willians and John B. Swainson. both Democrats. The respondents were asked ”would you say Rooney enjoys a better press than willians or Swainson? Why or‘vhy not?“2h Fifteen respondents indicated Romney has a better press than did his two predecessors. Two said Romney's treatment in the state’s press is the same as that given Williams and Ssainson (the same two re- spondents. incidentally. who labeled the hichigan press ”nonspartisan"). Two said Romney's press is about the same as Williams' but better than.3wainson's. One re~ spendent said Williams had a better press than Romney. w— w WWW 2&30 graphic illustration was attempted because the responses were unstructured and some necessitated interpretation. not all fell neatly into the categories in which they were placed. 76 One did not answer the question. Fore significant than the raw total of respon- dents allowing Ronney the better press are the reasons they gave. Eight of the fifteen said it is due at least in port to the Republican.noture of the Kichigan press. Six of the remaining seven commented to the effect that "Romney has done a better Job.” indicating a personal if not a political preference for the Goverb 2101'. pg: figmnez Image A discussion of the public image maintained by Governor Romney in Richigan is appropriate here for two reasons. First. the prose. no the prime vehicle by which information about the Governor is communicated to the people. must bear a large share of the responsibil- ity for this image. Second. editors must have some knowledge orret least opinions on.fionney'e image among their readere to meet their Job demands. The questionnaire respondents were asked "that aspects of the Governor'o administration or personal life do you think contribute most significantly to a favorable public image? that aspects have hurt his image?" By compering positive and negative aspects it 13 possible to construct an indication of his public image. if not a truly scientific profile. Pollowinc is a coopiofie list of the ponitive factors given by the editors: 1. The intezoation of his personal philosoghy with his administrative actions: his canoern.with human. mom]. values: 2. Cood worn a 3. Integrity. fiocal responsibility 4. Honesty and his charming'wifo 5. Personal energy and political stability 6. His "morality” stance. His positive approach. reflecting neither doctrinairo liberalism nor conservatism to most state problems 7. His integrity 8. His evidence of a sense of conviction.and dad cation: his willingness to grasp unpleasant prob- lens 9. His business stooges. his recorfl as gover- nor. and his upright personal life 10. Personality. sincerity and willingness to work 11. His consistency on tax reform: his dio~ avowol of John Birch support; his obviously clean personal life 12: The man's personal energy and sometimes blunt manner of speaking 13. His obvious sincerity and peroonol integrity 14. Image of strength. morality and drive is. His administration‘s freedom from any hint of scandal: his image of non-smoking. non—drinking. athletic Christian good behavior 16. Romney has been blessed with a very favor- able economic climate. His personal life benefits from his ability to project an image of honesty and whole« sameness 17. Church associations nonpsmcking and non- 01‘ l] 11': iii-'3 It. To has a captivating personality. con- vincing and pleasing in television appearances. frankly religious. devoted to family life. and is aided by a~ talented and charming wife 1%. Eillingncss to listen to public views but colds; changes his own 20.‘ His over-all career 21. file intellectual honesty According.to the above observers. the positive factors in Governor Romney's image add up to a clean living dynamo possessed of high intellectual and moral qualities and a keen scnsc of dedication. The negative aspects reported form the following list: 1. Foreign.poiicy statements 2. His failure to run the first time for gover- nor in support of other GOP candidates 3, His image hasn‘t been hurt 1;. L‘ninfomed rot-arias on certain subjects 5. none 6. Tends to hip—shoot, particularly when in the national spotlight; he in learning politics rapidly. but at times is still too arbitrary 7. 350515 8. Charting his mind on some policy matters and his low boiling point Y9 2. fiicrumbltioa for the prerlicnzy cal his doubtful Republicanism 10. fiin religion.anong Eearoec ll. Efforts to rice two hcrccc--ctate and gustlomla-at tho cams: tin-.3 2. His tollcccg to Shake my the "naxubunka" in his party 13. His sensitivity to criticism 1%. verve pronouncements on topics outside his rcnl aron 15. Imrly in office. some political naivtex the fooling he was running the administration like an.auto on pang; rare recently an nannyional recalcitranoc 16. €13 insistence on moralizing. injecting re- ligious convictiOne into his speeches l7. Jone 1;. do damage to his cage -... 19. signing of the 1955 Exployucnt Sonscncation 20. Home garticulcrly 21. His political -cbitione are a bit strong 3n the negative side. Romney’s tendency to comment freely on areas outside his concern an govern nor. his "rrccching” and his sensitivity to criticism have been noticed. significantly. however. six re- sponfiemta aoifi no aspects of hie cdoinietration or personal life have hurt his public image. CHAPTER IV THE GOVERNOR AND THE CAPITOL PRESS CORPS! COVERING GEORGE ROENEY Governor Romney's most frequent contact with the press comes through the Capitol press corps. e group whose competence use highly prsised by one of Romney's predecessors. chortl: sfter he left the stetehouse in 1961. G. Mennen willisms compiled for the University of Michigan's Institute of Public Adminis- tration s resume of his twelve years as hishigen's governor."In A dovernor's Notes. Williams called the Capitol press corps "the best in the country." and said “I couldn't hold anything from them. I didn't try- at least not often.“1 it this writing George Romney has been hichigan's chief executive for four years. His erper~ iences with the Capitol press corps. however. hsve covered five years. dating beck to the sutumn of 1961 when he csme to Lensing to help draft s new constitu- 1G. Mennen Williams. Governor's ' tee. Insti- tute or Public Administration. ’ ty of Hichignn (Ann Arbor: University of Michigan. 1961). p. #9. 80 81 tion.for the state. This chapter explores the working relationship betseen.Governor Romney and the press corps with emphasis on such key aspects as accessi- bility. clarity. t1uctuation.or positions. and sensiti- vity to criticism. The material is drawn from written question- naires completed by reporters. personal interviews. and newspaper clippings. All demonstrate the unique problems and advantages newsman encounter in reporting on Governor'Romney. 8even.of the nine Capitol ro- pcrters quoted in this chapter have covered Romney since his days as a Constitutional Convention.delegate. with few exceptions. they are not quoted by name. Unlike Governor willians. Governor Romney's view of the Capitol press corps is not a matter of res- onfl. But his techniques and his personal mannerisms in working sith reporters are. Although Romney's politi~ cal experience prior to 1959 was limited to nine months as an assistant to Senator walsh. he gained a.side knowledge of public relation during his thirty-year business career. According to one Capitol reporter. Romney applied this experience to politics with such success that by 1966 b)There is only one genius in political public re- lations in.Hichigan and two masters. Paul Weber (former press secretary to Governor williams) is 82 the genius and the two masters are John hurray (former speech writer for Williams and Weber's successor) and George Romney. Romney's experience and ability in the area of public relations help frame this chapter.. so do four factors outlined by Charles Harmonies being what he considers most important for Romney's ”good“ press in Michigan. These factors are: l. The Republican.nature of the hichigan.press. although Harmon said he did not believe this alone would account for favorable press comment on any state- side 60? candidate or official. 2. Governor Romney‘s accessibility to re- porters. 3. The personal relationships Governor Romney has developed with some newsmen that have helped him understand better the Job of the political reporter. ‘ 4. the presidential aura surrounding Romney that contributes to his importance as a news source and to the amount of press exposure he receives.2 The four factors given by Harmon are not system- atically discussed in.this chapter. The first and the fourth factors have already been discussed in this thesis. The second factor. accessibility. has been 2Interview with Barman. Aug. 17. 1966. 33 previously mentioned but receives greater treatment in his chapter. The third factor. personal relationships with reporters. is not singled out for comment. but becomes apparent in this chapter. particularly in re- lation to accessibility. c 351 t 0n.no point were the reporters interviewed for this study more strongly in.agreement than that each of them has as much access to Governor Romney as he needs for his reportorial assignments. This accessibility can be of critical importance to reporters because a short telephone conversation or interview with Romney can make the difference between.a routine story and a major one.3 harmon.listed the Governor’s accessibility second only to the Republican nature of the hichigan press in accounting for Romney's good press in Michigan. Romney‘s policy of holding daily press confer~ ences and his availability for interviews when request- ed by reporters are prime factors in this accessibil- ity. The ease sith.vhich reporters can get to Michigan's chief executive is not a Romney innovation. During his twelve years in office. Governor Williams set an example of accessibility by holding two press 3m. p. 83. 8h conferences a day and maintaining constant communi- cation sith the press corps through his press secre- tary. Paul Weber.“ Romney continued the tradition of accessibility. though not reluctantly. according to Harmon. meeting with reporters. at least in hichigan. is a part of Romney's Job he enjoys. no data on the relative accessibility of state governors was turned up in the review of the literature for this study. but william C. Kulsea. Capitol bureau chief for Booth newspapers and a veteran of 27 years covering state government. believes no other governor in the country is more accessible than Michigan's: Talking with state political reporters at governors' conferences and conventions throughout the country. I've come to realize nobody has more access to their governor than.we do. Most of the boys are amazed at how frequently our man holds press conferences and how easy it is to get to him with a question privately.5 Governor Romney's accessibility harks back to his initiation into Hichigan politics at the Constitu- tional Convention. Gne reporter told of an incident illustrating how far Romney would go at that time to accommodate a reporter: “Hobart. p. 10. 5Interview with William C. Kulsea Booth hens- papers Capitol bureau chief. Aug. 10. 1966. 85 c) I had some questions about right to work lose and started the interview alone in,e hallway. He was quite willing to discuss it and we soon ended up in his office. Before I was through. he was called to the floor for a vote. Easemen'were not allowed on the floor so we completed the interview by 1 series of notes carried back and forth by 98303. Because of his position. a comment by Romney‘ included in.e news story can determine whether the story is displayed on.psge one or buried on the inside of the paper. A case in.point occurred on.July 21. 1966 'when Romney held sn.unsnnounced meeting with warns County grand Juror Judge Edward Piggins. A reporter who heard of the meeting recalled: a) The meeting was in the Governor's office. I waited outside and interviewed thy-participants es they left. Then I phoned Romney for a comment. Peg Little (Romney’s personal secretary) caught him going out the door. put him on the phone. and for five minutes I pumped out enough details to develop a story that ran.under the main headline the next day. Without Romney's commentary it would have been.e very routine piece. With it. it Jumped up in importance. In the opinion of most reporters interviewed. Romney's accessibility is true across the board. he does not play favorites. though. as the following list of quotes points out. some reporters seem to have on advantage in covering the Governor. All the responses were to the question. “Does Romney hsvo favorites. rec porters to whom he is more accessible?" 86 c) Sure he has favorites. but it isn't a question of accessibility. He shows his fevertiem in his degree of answering questions. For in- , stance. to any given question. I think I could get a more complete answer than some other reporters and a few could get more out of him than I could. Some can ask the more ticklish question rithout rising his ire. I think this has developed from the treatment he has received from the individual reporter and from the paper or papers he represents, He has a long; mmory and some unkind cuts seem to stick in his crew. He will devote more time to his favorites-‘and with a man like Romney thie is important. ; a) I don't think Romney shows an excessive degree of partialityu—at least not the kind that President Kennedy allegedly displayed toward his pets such as Charles Bartlett or Joe Alsop.‘ he’s undoubtedly friendlier to the reporters he knows best. I imagine that if some guy called up and said 'thie is Joe Schmuck. I'm a reporter for radio station Elie and I'd like to speak to the Governor.' he'd probably be turned down.unlcss he could pre- sent a solid case for why he had to get in touch. d) I don't believe the Governor has favorites unless they might be echo of the Vashington people who have been around the fringes helping with his national telecasts and Hashington appearances. But those guys are simply keeping in touch to get on the bandwagon if lightning hits him in 1968. Here anybody on the beat short of a bum can get in to see him if it's necessary. a) You. I think in the honest answer. but I only know one reporter this would apply to and he has tried unsuccessfully to avoid this position. t) No. Rooney doesn't seem to show revertiem. but his eteff members seem at times to be more oo~ operative with some media (sic) thanuwith others. It hasn’t to my knowlefige worked to anyono's great or consistent benefit. a) Romney's accessibility appears to depend on the reporter's initiative without playing favorites. He is much better in that respect thantwilliama or dwaineon. 87 Although accessibility is the rule. Romney hes not adhered to it in.all circumstances. His most noted deviation.oame-during a meeting of Republican governore in June of 196b. The meeting. held in Cleveland. pre- ceded the Republican national Convention by less than a month and the prime tapio of ooncern.wao the impending nomination of Senator Barry Goldwater for the presi- dency. Governor‘williem Scranton of Pennsylvania openly sought the nomination in en effort to block Goldwater. and Romney'waa being mentioned to a possible dark horse candidate. A reporterwwho covered the meeting said it was one of the few times he over new Romney dodge the press: a) There'waa a lot or epeouletion that Romney would announce and try to head off Goldwater'l nomination. Nixon had privately endorsed bin and many other governors who were afraid of what Goldwater'would mean in their states were urging him to run. naturally. the reporters present wanted to get to Romney to find out what he planned to do. with all this suspense. Romney merely sent Dick Eilliman (his press secretary at the time) unannounced into the press room to state informally that Romney'would do all he could to block Goldwater short or running himself. On other trips out or the state Romney‘e access to reporters has been.moro limited than it generally is in Lansing. At the National Governors' Conferenoe meeting July 5-8, 1966. in Los Angeleo. Romney was constantly sought after by reporters. According to 88 maroon. requests for private interviews were too numerous to grant. and only nationally syndicated columnist aoscoe Drummcnd interviewed Romney privately. Romney held only one cpen press conference during his four days in Los Angeles. and two closed sessions limited to about six reporters each.6 Hero. of course. limited accessibility is not necessarily contrived by Romney. but rather follows from his increasing national prominence and the accompanying demands of e larger number of reporters. it this writing it has not affected his accessibility to reporters in Lansing. During the 1966 gubernatorial campaign.he did not grant interviews in.iichigan.to any except niohigan.re- porters because of the demands of e large number of national newsssn.7 In summary. Capitol reporters have little trouble getting to the Governor because of his frequent press conferences and his availability for private interviews. It is an aspect of his press relation much appreciated by reporters because it helps them do their Jobs better. when he is out of the state. Romney's accessibility is more limited. 6Interview with Barman. Aug. 17. 1966. 71b; . 89 Clarity Physical accessibility does not assure a re- porter of any easy time in covering Governor Romney. As this section demonstrates. Romney's speaking style and personal mannerisms. whether inherent or contrived. often make it difficult for a newsman to report the Governor's statements. This is particularly true of reporters with little experience in covering Romney. To help state the problem. the following column by James Breslin is excerpted from the New York World Journ§;_iribune of December 9. 1966. entitled “The Language of Politics.“ Hc.(Ronney) is a distinctive looking man. His hair. nearly white at the temples. turns to steel gray and is thick and brushed straight back. Hie eyebrows are protruding and bushy. His chin is square. His face was peeling from the sun in Puerto Rico. He was dressed in a light blue suit and a pastel striped tie. When he was introduced. everybody in the crowded ballroom stood up. Many did this as a form of greeting. But many . . . also were standing up for a better look at where their money will be 801118 in 1968e Gov. Romney's speech took about 17 minutes. 0n the way in from.theairport. he was enthusiastic about his speech. He said. 'This gives us a mile- stone. It presents a concrete position.‘ He Opened the speech with a Joke. He said that New York had smog and ‘now we know why Bobby Kennedy talks through his nose.‘ The peeple did not laugh. and many cringed. Gov. Romney smiled good naturedly. Then he went into his prepared text. In the first sentence he said. '. . . dispels any doubts' and he ended it with 'radical change.‘ He cons tinned from there. On the second page he said. 90 '. . . The third and better‘way is to accept the fact. the necessity and the desirability of change- to embrace change and to shape it by applying the provon principles of the past and innovating new methods to shape a better tuture.’ Mr. Romney went on. He said 'Aladdin'e lamp.’ We waited for him to say 'Alice in Henderland' or 'Like TopEY. . .' but he disappointed. He did come through with 'product of inertia' and then took the great one.'the 'etraw that broke the camel's back' and dressed it up to say: '. . . a straw-by-straw move that will someday surely break the back of individual initiative.’ while Romney spoke. a political reporter who had covered the Romney speech in Charlotte. N.C.. opened a notebook and produced a quote from th governor'which read: . 'Knowing as much as I do about Vietflam. and I do know a great deal of it. I've concluded that I'm not going to make specific preposale until I've had the opportunity to satisfy myself on certain.points that I don't know enough about.’ The notebook was closed and attention was re- turned to Romney. He thumps the leotern.when he talks. And. living up to his billing as an evange- list. he said this country certainly does go with God: '. . . the matchless problem-solving power embodied in.the divinely-inspired Doolaration.of Independence. . .' Yet his vodoezis ordinary. even uhen.he makes it loud. But what the man said is a question. You can follow George Romney when he talks if you pay real good attention. The problem is that when you are finished paying real good attention to one of George Romney’s sentences. you are left with nothing ex- cept a man who is running for President and who seems to have not the slightest ability to use his own.language. 0.0000000000QOOOOOQOOO0.0000IOOOOOOCOOOOOOOQO0.0... Listen to them forte while. these politicians who want to run us but don't know how to talk to us. and you begin to think that Marshall McLuhan may not be putting everybody on at all. He could b: pointing out a fact. words are going out of s y e. Yesterday George Romney equawked about a credi- bility gap in government. Maybe there is. But maybe the real gap in this country is a communicae tion gap caused by these high-class illiterates in 91 office. How can.men.lead successfully when they don't eveniknow how to express themselves in the language of the land? And now. George Romney. governor of Hichigan. leading candidate for the Republican.nomination for President. left everybody with this: 'Xou. as national and social leaders. are best qualified to innovate. initiate and organize the political. social and economic action necessary to strengthen the root sources of total problem- solving action.in.Anerica and thus preserve.America as the last best hope of earth.' fireslin's column.aptly describes the problem of trying to transform a speech by Romney into a news story. Although Romney speaks with much expression and constant gesticulation. his language is complex and his thoughts sometimes impossible to follow. His state- ments have a rambling quality reminiscent of President Eisenhower. He was compared to Eisenhower by nationally syndicated columnist Joseph Alsop: At intervals the node of utterance is almost too bad to be truec-the abstract words too numerous and nearly meaningless. the syntax too close to President Eisenhower on a bad day. the sincerity too close to striking thg note of an.advcrtising man's 'sinoere' necktie. It is the author's cpinion.after observing Romney during press conferences. hearing speeches and reading several hundred of his statements during the last five years. that the Governor is not careless in the use of language: rather he strains. often un- Byew Zorn World Jougggl ggibung. Dec. in. 1966. 92 necessarily. for the precisely correct word to eXpress his point. He draws semantic differences that are often.arbitrary and confusing. For example. a nichigsn statute was revised in 1965 to allow public employee in the state to Join unions. During the summer of 1966 several strikes by teachers and other public employee occurred and a number of contract negotiations were under way. In.trying to illustrate the distinction between the public and private sectors. Romney said public employee have no right to “collective bargain- ing.” the word normally used for laborunenagesent negotiations in the private sector: rather they had only e right to “collective representation“9 Following are comments by Capitol reporters on Romney's clarity and the effect it has on the content of the news stories they turn out: a) There has been trouble interpreting his words ever since he formed Citizens for hichigsn in 1959. He likes to talk in concepts that can mean whatever is most convenient at the time. 'Citizen Participation' is an.exanple. 'Strengthening the family as the basic social unit' is another. 'Return to the principles upon which this nation was founded' is a third. And he loves to describe himself as being ‘ss pregressive as Teddy Roosevelt. as liberal as Lincoln. and as conserva- tive as the (U.S.) Constitution.‘ that in hell does that mean? It merely allows him to identify with all three of those deities without having to 9s 1.sw New . July 20. 1966s 93 go on record.as being for or against anything. he also harps on the subject of 'breahing up excess concentrations of power. whether among business or labor.' That's a dandy ideal. but I. for one. pre- fer to hear about specifics. and with Romney those are usually lacking. h) Occasionally Governor Romney has made him- self incompletely understood and has had to clarify a position later. His position on Vietnam. 1 think. has never been better than fuzzy in details al» though I can understand the general tenor. host of the time he is reasonably clear and frank. I've not found him evasive. d) Romney likes to drag a veil of‘words around knotty subjects that come up in questions. If he wants to hide an answer. or to ward off more digging questions. his tendency is to launch into an exhaustive background on the question and delay direct answers. The man has a habit of the 'de- layed answer.‘ apparently a thought process which forces him to snub a new question to answer the ' first. For example. he answers one question for a few minutes and seemingly runs out of steam. or extra points. The next question comes along. but instead of talking to it he picks up a new thought on the first. and so ad infinitim. c) The biggest problem of clarity is the trait he sometimes displays of starting one thought. and- denly reversing the field. half-starting over. and finally completing another thought.= The result is two incomplete statements in your notes. making it rather difficult to come up with direct quotes. i) His answers are unresponsive. and too often thin or hackneyed. He suffers from limited intellectual resources and a lock of any feeling for the language. e) One of the biggest changes in Romney over the last four years is that he nor watches his semantic accuracy. is used to shoot from the hip when he talked to the press.. He now thinks before “hntalks and.ueighs the impact of his words and the phraseology. He now hides more answers..or delays then with.a ‘no comment.‘ 9h 3) You have to note precisely the'uorda and phrases he use: to catch their exact meaning. He draws shades of difference in his selective word usage. A casual reading of what he says in speeches. . . or'oomments can.produce a misunder- standing or*n distorted interpretation of his views. fie uses words carefully for the most part. even defensively and protectively. You can.under~ stand him. but you.must pay careful attention to exactly what be $838. All of the reporters interviewed said Romney’s selection of words sometimes leads to confusion. but very in their opinions on the degree of diffieulty in understanding what he says.‘ Source “d". cited above. added. "You have to pay as much attention to how Rooney says something as you do to what he says.“ To further illustrate the problem of clarity involved in covering Governor Romney. and to set the tone for a later ueotion.dealing with the difficulty experienced by reporters in.pinning Romney down to specific positions. the following transoription.of a press conference that took place June 14. 1966. is presented. In some ways it was not a typical press conference. It ran longer then.moet press conferences. almost #5 minutes. The entire period was devoted to one subject-Vietnam. More than.a usual amount of Romney‘s comments were read from e.prepered text. But it illustrates his nee of the language and his straining to make certain his points are clear. 95 The day before the press conference. Romney appeared on the Columbia Broadcasting System public affairs pregrem “Face the Hetion.“ where he made a number of statements about the conduct or the war in Vietnam. Romney we: dissatisfied with the news stories emanating from the interview. some or which attributed a hawkish position to him.1° Be used the press eon- terenoe to ”clarify" his position on Vietnam. The complete transcript of the press conference ran.nore than 3,000 words. most of it denoted to Romney's statement and reestetement of one basic point»- that the United States didn't have a clear out polio: in Vietnam and it needs one. Questions by reporters are interpolated because they were only partially audible on the tape. Pounce by Governor Romney are also interpolated. The designation “panes" means e halt of between five and ten seconds. "Long pause” designates a pause of ten to fifteen seconds. Governor Romney: Let me read you this. (He reads from prepared notes) Lack of time on 'Feoe the Nation' television broadcast last Sunday pre~ vented me from fully developing the discussion started on the conflict in south Vietnam. do n result some accounts have reported no as advoo eating an escalation of our Vietnamese military effort. This is not exactly accurate. In the time available I made theoabesio points: _..__ # loixetroit £32 22383. June 13h 1955. 96 Oneoeand these are all quotes here from the transcript. 'In keeping our commitments in South Vietnam. I think the President made a mistake when he involved us in actual military combat on land in South Vietnam. - 'Tuo. The one legitimate basis of our being there is that the peeple end overnnent of South Vietnam.want us there. I don t believe we have a right to move into South Vietnam for the purposes of getting at China. 'Ihree. By going in-there by land we have in- volved ourselves in a conflict over’which control is in the hands of the Chinese and Russians and not in our control. I don't think you can bring the enemy to the conference table by fighting the type of limited conflict the Giap (sic) and the North Vista namese have been advocating all the way along. They are the ones who indicate they are prepared to fight for ten to twenty years. 'Four. As far as I can see. we neither have an adequate policy in terms of military result nor’an adequate policy in terms of negotiated settlement. he need to make up our minds which our objective is. I think this ambivalent position.we are in weakens both efforts. If we sincerely seek a negotiated settlement. we should determine the basis on.which our allies in the Far East and other parts of the worldtmuld support and participate in a negotiated settlement. we need to know what they will help us do in.&outh Vietnam. just as we need to know with certainty whether the South Vietnamese people really want us there and whether they are willing to play their full part in winning the military struggle and an even greater struggle of building a nation after the military conflict is ended. The tremendous cost of this conflict to the United States includes not only the direct loss of men and heavy eXpenditures of the conflict itself. but also our position in most other parts or the world where the effectiveness of our alliances and relations generally are being greatly weakened. In addition. the war is preventing us from devoting the time. energy. and means needed to prevent South Vietnamese situations from exploding in other parts or the world.' 9? Question: (Governor. did you have the Opportunity to make all these four points? Is this the transcript you're reading to us?) Romney: Yes. After the prorran.'we-(long pause)-dwe continued the discussion. particularly Kartin Agronsky and I. and we snent a half an hour discussing these additional points that I made in my discussion.with him. but there~~but there was not time to get on the air. and I pointed out- (pause)--and I would have pointed out on the air. the things I have pointed out here. an elaboration-- (long pause)—-one of the most basic points that I was making. One of the most basic points that I was making was that our program was inadequate either from a military standpoint or from the standpoint of a negotiated settlement. and we don't really have a policy that is adequate in either field. . . Question: (Governor. were ten asking for an increase in the military-) Romney: no. I did not. I did indicate- Question: («carrort? Bombing of Eanoi and Haiphong?) Romney: No sir. I did not. In the regular program I indicated in answers to questions about the inadequacy of the military efforts-~that we were bombing individualu-(long pause)—~gasoline trucks-(long pause)-and that if we really wanted to be effective in shutting off supplies. we ought to deal with the basic source of supply and I referred to the-~(pause)~~the supplies in Haiphong. but I didn't indicate how to deal with then. (pause) But that was only in the discussion of the fact. the basis point that the present program is neither.adequate from a military standpoint or from the standpoint of a negotiated peace. And that the inadequacy in both directions renders both ineffective. how the questioning-~the the time permitted questioning on the one point but didn‘t permit questioning on the other point. And the other point was dealt with-(peuee)~neftor the pro- gram ended and we continued- 93 Questions (Then you weren't calling for an escalation of the fighting, the bombing?) Romney: I didn't use the word escalation. I never did. I did indicato that (several words in- audible) and if after determining what I indicated we needed to know, (pause) we decided that our policy should be on.adcqucte military policy. than we ought to make it adequate. 1 old indicate that. But I didn't indicate that that was necessarily what we ought to do. Again. let me road the four basic pcintc I made in the program. (ficre Romney repeated the four points in their entirety.) 000......OOOQOOOOOOIOO.DOOOOOOCOOOOODIOOOOOGII0.00. Questions (I: it accurate to say you.would like to see a greater military effort?) Romney: Inaccurate! That's not exactly accurate. Carl. (Rudcw. Dctrofizmcws) the only basis of indicating that. and incidently that‘s been indicated in headlines more than.anything else. in stories I've read. But the only basic or indicating that was that when they questioned on about why the military effort was not an.adequntc effort. I said in here (referring to transcript) that neither the military effort nor the nego- tiate-«when they questioned me about that. I pointed out some examples of inadequacy don't oven involve necessarily escalation. I dealt with the supply situation. I pointed out the fact that we're not even r king a meaningful cffcrt to cut off supplies at the present level of activity. ansticn: (Did you offer an alternative to the prescnt policy?) Romney: No. the point I'm trying to make here -~(long pausc)-that as for as I can~~ that number one. we made a mistake in getting there. inaccr two. the control of this conflict is no longer in our hands. as a result of being thcrc. it's in the hands of China and flussia.‘ And number four (sic). we’re imp-the military effort we are making is on the basic of the enemy strategy. not our strategy. And number four. that we don't have an.adcquatc policy either in terms or military result nor a negotiated ccttlcmcnt. And that we need to make up our minds which wcy-which we are going to do. Because the inadequacy on both side: in an incdc. quota control. 9? Question: (The word escalation has no part of your whole program?) Romney: It did not. no sir. it does not. Question: Hell Governor-- Romney: Until you make up your mind. Bill (Kulsea. Booth Newspapers). But my point is at this point we don't have an adequate policy either ":9. y 0 Question: (Governor. is all this from the text or is what you have in your hands an expansion of your remarks after the show?) Romney: No. the first part is from the tape. the basic points that I made in the course of the prOgram. That's from the tape. Now, the last part expands the deficiency of the negotiated settlement in the way the military part got dealt with on the program itself. Because they focused the questions on the military aspect after I made the statement that it was neither-othat we neither-due neither have an adequate policy in terms of military re- sults nor an adequate policy in terms of negotiau ted settlement. That statement was made pretty early. In this part of the questioning--(long pause while Romney thumbs through the transcript) --'As far as I can see we neither have an adequate policy in terms of military results nor an adequate policy in terms of negotiated settlement.‘ Then after that the questioning focused pretty much on the adequacy of the military. Question: (inaudible) Romney: Of course not. that's all. Just a case of time running out and-- Question: (And your main criticism.militarily is failure to stop the flow of gasoline and other supplies to South Vietnam?) Romney: The gasoline part? Well. let me read it to you. Let me read you‘uhat I said-~(long pause)--page 18--let me read the whole answer to his question. 'I don't think that we should have involved ourselves in.n laminar in South Vietnam for that purpose.‘ He asked me this: 100 'Lon. you reject than the administration position enunciated repeatedly by President Johnson that it is in our national self-inter- est to be in South Vietnam and to resist chinese Comm? st sharession at that place?’ (And I repned) I do think re--that our being there to be legitimate must be on the basis of the people of south Vietnam wanting us there to assist them in their resistazoe to such aggression. Now as far as the current pregram is concerned. I don’t believe that our current program represents a clearocut policy. As far as I can see, we neither have an adequate policy in terms of military results nor an adequate policy in terms of negotiated settlement. our policy is somewhat in conflict in those respects and if we areo-as long as we are in there from a military standpoint. unless the South Vietnamese people and government make it clear they don't want us there: and we really need to know that very badly. Recent developments. I think. have caused many people to be uncertain.as to whether the people of south Vietnam really want us in there. '(oontinuing from the transcript) how if they really eant us in there. then in my opinion.se should do a more vigorous military Job than'we are doing now. But I mean this: I think it is ridi- culous to be sending our bombers to bomb individual trucks carrying gasoline from torth Vietnam down into south Vietnam.shen we ignore the fact that 65 per cent or the petrolium. oil and lubrication pro- ducts used by the Yiet Gong and the north Vietnamese uilitary are located in a half-mile by a mile area in the port of naiphong. and we are in the ridicu- lous position of trying to bomb gas tanks carrying fuel down'when we ignore this big ooncentration.‘ (not reading from the transcript) Now there are many ways of dealing with that concentration. other than bombing it. I didn't advocate-~(long pause)- 1 just said we were ignoring it. (returning to the transcript) ’The supply ships of north Vietnam and the Viet Cong are going into the herons River and up into Cambodia and the supplies are being shipped in there. If we really need to-dwe really need to make up our minds as to :o-zhat our real objective is gong to be here. And I don‘t think we have. I thi h as have an ambivalnnt policy at this time.‘ Now- Question: (inaudible) 131 Romney: hell I-look-(long pausc)o-all I was pointing out was the inadequacy of the military policy. of our policy to-is going to be an in- adoqzate military policy. iut ti: o prevented.my pointlnu: out the inadequacy of our no oticted pone. approach which I said was Just as inadequate. And that we need to moan no our mind Which road we it! rain: to go. And wa haven't made up our mind. an iar as 1' m concerned. lho adminisnration is neither rains cozzn one road or the other and the result in we have got an.ineixcctivc approach in both fields. in my opinion. And we need to make up our mimic. Question: (that other ways are there to deal with supply depots in horth Vietnam besides bombing?) Romney: Look. well. there's. there are many other'ways. ihere'a quarantines. There's shutting off chips coming in there with oupplies. There are~-(pauso)-many other ways than bombing. cucstion: (ahich would you recommend?) homneyu Loos. Roger (Lane. Ugtro .rooa),-(lonp pause)-my basic point is not- (pence)~ua soecific military tactics. Ky basic point is that we have-dwe haven't made up our*mind8 as to how we are going to deal with this situation. we're trying to go in two directions at one time. And as a result of trying to go in two directions at one time, we're in an ineffective position. 90 made a mistake in getting in there. we're in.a ccnilict that we can' t control the magnitude of. .9 re following the strata ry of the enemy, basically. And we don' t have an adequate policy either for military results or a negotiated nettle- ment. Anfl we need to make up our minds. Now. in the process of making up our minds. we need to know two things that in my Opinion we don't know clearly. another the eouth Vietnamese peeplo really want us in there and whether they're really prepared to play their full part. and the effort after the military conflict: and the second thing that we need to know is on.what basis would. the nations of the.- our allies in the Far East and other parts of the world. help us to bring about an honorable and satisiactory settlement of this conflict. We need to know those two thinao and we don't know them. 132 Question: (Do you think the South Vietnamese want us there?) Romney: Well. I think there are many ways by which you can Judge that. I'll Just say this. that when they can‘t conpose their differences in war time. there is good reason to wonder'whether or not they can compose their differences in peace time. As a rule. when your very survival is involved you get together a lot easier than you can when it isn't involved. But they've got an election coming up and it seems to ne-(pause)-that we should do all we can to enable the people of that country to express themselves effectively in the election and to elect a government that will reflect their view- points in respect to the-(pause)-dwhole situation. Question: (Then you feel our presence there should be determined by the effort put forth by the people on their own.beha1f?) Romney: Well. that's only one. I said there are tso things that we need to know. I said we need to know what our allies in the Far East and our allies in other parts of the world would support and help us in.doing. That's only one aspect of it. Question: Governor. how do we know if the South Vietnamese people support their government and shether or not they can compose their differen- cos? Romney: Why. we certainly have many represen- tatives in there and we have many people in there representing us. But I think the acid test cones down to the character of the effort being put forth by the nation itself and this effort is declining. it isn’t increasing currently. it's been falling DC! and our role has been increasing greatly. But again. Roger. I'm not hinging this solely on what the people in South Vietnaneseo-Vietnanu-think: equally important. it seems to me. is the question of what our allies in the Far East and our allies in other parts of the world would be willing- (pause)-to-help us do. Question: (Then. Governor. do you think we should start clearing up our present policy in some ways :33 Romney: we don't have a clearbcut policy. We don’t have a clearucut policy. Question: Let me put it another way. Governor. (you're not talking about escalation. deescelation. or-o) Romney: Sure. end in.my opinion we need to know two things in shaping that policy and we dont know those two things clearly. And there is good reason to be concerned about both or them and we got to determine-get the answer to those two things and we ought to establish a definite policy. then we ought to work to accomplish that policy. But we don't have e policy. except an.ambivelent policy. that ere in conflict to an extent. We cen~- (At this point the questioning on Vietnam stopped and after several questions on state matters the reporters left the Governor's office.) The problem faced by a reporter in condensing and reporting the above multitude of words is con- pounded by the fact that transcripts are not routinely supplied them. although formal statements by the cover. nor are usually available in press release form. +rank eee The preceding section.deale with Romney's use of the language and the problems of clarity it presents to reporters. A third aspect of Romney's daily deal- ings with the press carpoo—eeide from clarity and accessibility-oi: hie frankness. It is en aspect that goes to the heart of his value as e news source. because it determines the degree to which Romney allows himself to be put on.record. 10# During a press conference he often calls on.his personal secretary. Mrs. Margaret (Peg) Little. or one of his aides to supply figures. memos. or letters to help him answer completely a question by a reporter. When background material is requested he makes it available. Although he answers nearly all questions put to him. he shows no reluctance to decline comment on.a subject for political or personal reasons. Generally. reporters do not ask questions they do not expect him to answer. When a ”tricky” area does come up. however. his favorite gambit for fielding it is to remain silent for a moment. swivel his chair to one side and rock back while breaking into a slight grin that sometimes develops into a short loud laugh. then look the questioner in the eye with what one reporter calls "almost a death wish."11 and say. "I'm not going to answer that now.” or merely “no comment." The press corps gives Romney high marks on frankness. but does not rate him cum laude. Following are some comments and experiences in this area related by reporters. a) Yes. he's evasive at times. but. I suspect a lot more frank than most of his predecessors. He’s wily enough not to allow himself to be led down a path of questioning that could trap him. He used to parry questions by saying. "That's a very 11Source e. 105 'iffy' question.and I'm not going to get involved in such an 'iffy' area.“ Lately. that word has almost been discarded from his vocabulary. but for a long time it produced groans at press conferences. d) Late in 1963 Romney learned enough to know that shooting off his mouth on.all issues could be fatal. and that once a word left his mouth it was recorded diligently. So he became familiar with the "no comment.” "we're working on it.” “it won't Jell until next week.“ etc. This helped him get off the spot. If he were asked a question about an accurate fact. like the appointment of somebody we knew was imminent. he would say “let‘s wait and see e 0 He often becomes evasive. He used to take offense at questions but has learned to curb his personal feelings. and either laughs off a personal or embarrassing question. or says "no comment.” Does he tell the truth? Well. that's hard to say. although I believe that on occasions he has bent the truth a little in answering a query. He uses words and phrases that come out wholesome but if you know what's what you decide he isn't telling the truth. c) Early in his first term in office he was not as evasive as he is now-«and he got himself into some corners. How he is much.more aware of the in. pact that whatever he says is going to have. He has become more cautious. taking time to think be- fore talking. Byjand large. reporters expect governors and other high officials to be evasive. up to a point. . . . I don't believe in news management. but I can see some reason for holding back on information until the time is opportune. I believe Romney's answers are truthful. and I can't say that I felt that way all the time about some previous governors. e) He is evasive except when it suits his pur- poses to be explicit. His answers are usually truthful. but as he sees the truth and in his own frame of reference. g) He is usually forthright and communicative unless for obvious and understandable reasons (perv sonal oerolitical) he chooses not to answer. His answers are truthfully worded. if you pay careful attention.to exactly what he says. 136 f) Although I'm not sure he’s any different from any of his predecessors. he has a habit of playing coy. playing dumb. or ignoring or evading embarrassing questions. 3) Any evasions I have noticed have been underb standable because of his position. So far as I have determined. his answers have been truthful. One reporter. who calls Romney‘s truthfulness ”above average for e politician.” recounted the following incident in which he believed Romney deli- berately deceived reporters-cor at least tried to: a) The occasion was in.l964 and a coalition of conservative Republicans and Democrats had Just pushed a reapportionment bill through the Senate that was not in the best interests of what Romney wanted done. Romney went to the party's convention in Grand Rapids and gave a stirring. ringing speech in which he denounced these eleven or twelve Repub- lican apostates as 'a band of quislings.' None of the so-called quislings was at the convention and it's a good thing because Romney had the delegates so stirred up they would have lynched any one that had been there. Later. all of the 'quislings' ex- cept Billy Joe (senator John P.) Smockens repented and deserted the coalition. I asked a question one day long after the convention that dealt with the 'band of quislings.' Romney interrupted and inn sisted he never referred to a 'band' that he had talked of only one 'quisling’ and hadn't named him. we were at laggerheads. I was sure he spoke of a 'band' and wouldn't back down. But he had the power and the influence of being governor behind him. He insisted I was wrong and made it stick that morning. Later. I dug out a cepy of the speech. I had been right. But it was too late and so Romney-neither through lapse or'a bluff-chad beaten me. Ihe consensus among the press corps members is that Romney is evasive. but less so than previous governors. and his answers are generally truthful. 137 They say he was less evasive earlier in.his political career. but learned the danger of being cornered by on inaudiciouo comment. Sensitivity Governor Romney'e volatile reaction to criti- cism has been almost e trademark since he entered Michigan politics. It is to be expected from e men who defends his positions with religious tenacity. On e number of occasions this sensitivity to criticism has been reflected in his reaction.to newspaper etories and editorials critioiel of him. Primarily booeuee of incidents that took place early in his political career. Romney earned a reputation for being overly sensitive to prose criticism and making his dieo epprovol known. In the course of researching this thesis through interviews. newspaper files and personal ob- servations it become clear that thie sensitivity hoe cooled. The reporters interviewed who had covered Govu ernor Romney since the Constitutional Convention ell agreed the hyper-sensitivity he eometimee exhibited on e political novice in not no evident today. As one ,reporter. source "d“. put it. “It took Romney 3 while to understand.what we are here for.” One incident forms the basis of Romney‘s ro- putetion for e quick tamper with the prose. At this writing. almost five years later. the incident in- variably comes up whenever Romney‘s sensitivity is discussed. The occasion.wae the 1962 Constitutional Con- vention compromise between.moderete and conservative Republicans that ended a factionel stalemate and largely determined tho convention's final product. A: leader of the moderates. Romney we: instrumental in this compronieeolz 0n.heroh 17. e story appeared in the Detroit Free Press under 1 headline reading "Deal Throne Con- Con Into Political Uproar.” The story. written by Free Press Capitol reporter James Robinson. said Romney admitted making a “package deal“ with the rural conservative delegates in order to assure the achieve- ment of 75 per cent of the goals he had heped to see the convention accomplish. Romney was quoted as having defended the agreement as “the fine art of con- ciliation." Although an editorial in the March 17 edition praised the compromise. a story the following day. torch 18. by the paper's politics writer. Roy 12__2_Su re... p.- 27, 109 Courage. pointed a d suel picture of Romney's role in the compromise: Despite what George Romney says to the contrary. the fact that he is en.ennounced candidate for governor virtually has crippled his leadership in the Constitutional Convention. Romney. in Justi- fying his 'conpromise' deal with Republican con- servatives on key convention issues, said he acted to insure the best possible document. that was left unsold. however. is that since he has become a candidate he has been in no position to oppose the old guard elements within his own party. It was no secret among reporters covering the convention that Romney. who was trying to maintain.en image of being above partisanship in his campaign for governor. was angered by the stories.13 The climax. however. did not occur until several months later after the convention had adjourned and ettention.nae focused on the election campaign. Romney was invited to the Eree Erese office in Detroit for e group inter- view by nembere or the paper's staff. According to one of the reporters present. Romney appeared hostile' to Robinson and when.the subject of the Constitutional Convention compromise came up “he really lost his temper. he Just blew up.“ The reporter said the session ended in a "shouting match between Romney and Frank Angelo" (Free gross managing editor). Thus. Romney cane to the etetehouse with a 1323t£git Rena. torch 18. 1962. 113 reputation for protecting strongly what he felt were unfair or inaccurate stories. Although nothing com. parable to the Ergo gross incident occurred again. Romney is known to have protested several stories and editorials since he became governor.1h He has written letters to the editor.15 and on one occasion called an editorial writer personally and for an hour die- cussed a piece he had written.16 In 1965 he pro» tested to a wire service reporter his account of a verbal disagreement he had with state Democratic chairman. Zolton Forency. his criticism being that he had not lost his temper as the reporter's story indi~ cated.17 Ecmney is particularly sensitive to stories that indicate he is quick to anger. One reporter wrote a story that described Romney es "angry“ during a meeting with Democratic legislative leaders. The next morning 1“Source e. 15source d. 15source k. l7source f. 111 c) I was called. in. stood at cttention. end given a near-tearful plea from the Governor to the effect that he doesn't get angry. 'I wasn't engry.‘ he ineioted. 'I‘het'e port of Zolton Forency’ 8 party line. lie wants to create tilt“. prescion that I get angry end blow my top. But I don't get angry. that's a darned lio.’ By thin time Romney was so angry with me he m pounding his desk: with his fist-«am incongruous situation. Our meeting fimlly ended and I was dismissed. whether that chewing out influemsd :19 in future stories. I'm not sure. I doubt it. I've de- scribe& him as 'angry' on at least two other occasions. not because I'm trying to noodle him. not became I' a: buying the Bolton Ioremy line (if there is such a thing). hit purely because I be- lieve he was angry. other reporter: interviewed acid the Governor had been displeased by stories and alumna. though to their knowledge he had not gono over their head. to editors in protesting a story: :1) He has been angered by pieces written by our people. especially early in his adminietntiu when he couldn't understand thy we did thing; the way we did. He didn't have much conception of the purpose or aim of a newspaper reporter's Job. and had some idea that a piece didn't convoy hie mot thoughts on a story or a development. Ei- staff peeple over the years have related to me that 'the governor didn't like that piece you had lost noek.’ but it never went beyond that. None of my editor- ever told no that the man had complained to than about a piece we had written. and there have been some rough ones over the years. e) no hoe expressed dimntent with e for stories. some by me and some by others who write for my paper, but I have never known him to con- plein to my editors. He has notoriously con- plained to the Free Press about coverage by tumor Capitol reporter James Robinson and others. B. in quick to retort when he disagrees with a story. He is extremely sensitive to whet he considers criticism. He takes outrage quickly. In recent years he tends to speak ambiguously. His ego- tism is e factor. I once asked him 'whet have you lcsrned about government in the Constitutional Convention that surprised you the most?’ his reply: 'tcll. I had considerable experience in government before this. you hnow.‘ a) He takes stories quite personally and is inclined to adapt the attitude that whenever you present the other side of a story you are attempting to chhcrrsso or undermine him. Ye doesn‘t like to be described as getting 'ancry' even though he entered the Job with a reputation as e notorious blowtop. That reputation has diminished coon siderably during his his four years 3 office. but he's still sensitive about it. Thus Rooney is sensitive to criticism. though not as openly as he was when he entered politics. And he is particularly sensitive about references to his sensitivity. 1 l Footnoninggyonitions A e. t- C 1 Reuters of the Capitol press corps consider themselves to have a "watchdog" function in state goveinmcnt.1a is recorders of history, they ere con- cerned with facts-ufscts that can be transmitted with confidence to their readers. Governor Romney's positions on state and national issues ere of critical importance to newspaper readers. But reporters fece e AL“ ‘1 .7.— —-—_—. V‘— 10Albcrt Kaufman. "The State Capitol Political Reporter: A Study in Attcrpts to Influence the Legisc lativc Irooess" (unpublished haster's thesis. Depart- ment of Political Science. hichigan State University. 190“). P0 52. 1"!" ,gx problem in interpreting and reporting Rooney‘s posit- ions. is demonstrated in on earlier section of this chapter. ouch of the rrobleo store from the Governor's ambiguous language. or equal importance. however. is his reputation for fluctuations in position statements. The following illustration. provided by 3 Capitol reporter. points up the problem and offers one Opinion about why Romney so easily seems to change his pace: :3.) One of the biggest troubles with George Romney is that he will say one thing in one place. reporters will report it. then he'll go somewhere else and insist that he was misquoted at the source of the story. Koo often.we in Lansing are stuck with the problem of not knowing what he said in the original instance. Therefore. we are used by ham to send out the denials and we don’tnhave the ede- quote background to ask the questions that might pin.hin down. The reporter offered the following example which took place Just prior to the 196& Republican rational Convention: Romney went out to San Francisco to make a pitch before the platform committee. This was at a time‘when he was trying not to alienate the'whole party by opposing'toldwoter and what he stood for in the area of civil rights. but at the time heroes aloo concerned with preserving his own image an a great civil libertarian. There were at least 100 reporters covering these sessions. They came from the country's top newspapers. Only good news- papers send reporters to such functions in the first place. ihero was Tony Lewis from the'flgg York Times, for instance. and top names from other papers and wire services were there. Romney's proposals were duly reported. Ration- wide the word went out on what he stood for. The next do.. Romney. obviously diotlrbed by the re- ports. called a press conference in Lansing and tried to 'straiahten out' what he was prepoeing in ten Francisco the day before. Hone of the re~ porters in Elam-sing had been at the San Francisco meeting. They could only go sheepliko to their teletypee and telephones and send out the new Gospel according to Romney. find Romney tried to make his denial in front of those hundred or'moro sharp reporters. they would have skewered him. And he would well have deservea it. Instead. he rot away with his denial. mhie appears to me to indicate an unewarenesa that the world is covered with an instantaneous news network. fie seems to feel that words spoken in Sen Erencisco will never pet back to his home territory. Lither that or he's cynically using reporters for hie own advantage. Vietnam is the issue most often associated with Homrey'e reputation for occasional inconsistency. It was to "clarify" statements he had made on Vietnam that 50 ney called the press conference transcribed in the earlier section on claritg.19 The Governor‘s statements on Vietnam c uprised the only issue on which a majority of the sample in the previous chapter disagreed with him editorially.2o On December 16. 1966, the Detroit News carried an article by editorial writer truce B. Van Dueon out- linin; Romney's inconsistencies on Vietnam. All of the folloxing dates and quotes are taken from that article. .2, “U.“ 11.1%;v123.’ P095 ' ”item. P.66 - use -L" 0n.April 23. 1965. in Amsterdam. Rolland, Romney was quoted as saying ”Our major objective there is to keep South Vietnam from being overrun by those who would deprive it of its freedom." fluency also said "In broad principle. the action we are taking is the only one we can.take.” After returning from Vietnam the following December. Romney called the war "morally right and necessary.“ and said. “Our inter. vention has saved South Vietnam from defeat and tyranny. . . . It probably has prevented e shift in the balance of power greater thee it Hitler had cons quercd Europe.” But on July 7. 1966. at the National Governors' Conference in Les Angelea. Romney said. "I think getting involved in.e land war on the ecele we're involved was e mistake and is a mistake," Van Duscn said it was difficult to tell whether Romney'was a “hawk” er'a ”dove“ because on I‘lai‘ch 16. 1965 he said in New York the United States should be wary of a negotiated eettlement. calling it ”e very unfortunate thing to attempt.“ and adding he had”fclt for a long time we should make e stranger stand.” But only two weeks later in Holland the Governor was quoted as saying “we ehculd be ready to talk and negotiate at any time.” On February 8, 1965. Romney saw "no alternative“ to Fresident Johnson's decision to bomb North Vietnam. But the following October he told the Illinois Chamber of Commerce that 0.8. strategy was "inadequate" because ”it is a military strategy for attaining military goals,. . . to protect the status quc rather than spread freedom which should be our real objective.“ Van Dusen concluded. ”In sum. it is unfair to say the Governor's views on Vietnam have been.uncertaru They have been certain enough. but consistency is something else again." Like Source 9a". the reporter quoted below believes Rooney's tendency to shift positions reflects a lack of awareness of the of the function of the news- man who report his actions. he introduces a new element. however. a fear or newspapermen early in the Governor's political career. d) Often he gets fuzzy about what he means. probably because he hasn't figured out what he wants. or means. to say. His views on Vietnam are in point. He seems to pick up new ideas and View: as he goes along. often to confound his listeners and make them know what he is talking about. He is groping on.Vietnam and has been.for a long time. Until a couple of years ago. he was cone sistently confusing to some of the better informed members of the press. he had been feeling his way along and he wasnit sure what would happen after the words came out. This can be attributed to his fear of newspapers and newspapermen.and a lack of preparation. hhile he was with Citizens for hichigan and in the Constitutional Convention he found he could handle this type of work lightly and without too much preparation. and. so to speak. live off his reputation.as a rising star in state politics. He changed seemingly fron.week to week on positions. hoping the boys wouldn't notice the change. He dislikes to be reminded that a position. say this week. is different from the position he took on.a similar issue a couple of Anonths ago. whatever the reason for Romney's fluctuations. they have been perceived by the press and present problems to reporters charged.with covering Romney over a long period of time. The reasons for Romney's changes of position.are not within the scope of this thesis. but they would be of critical importance to any study of Romney the political man. (3:1. 7 Ar! " ‘0‘" I .n' . -¢ 4.. 44. Li‘wl- '- h 3 W newspaper clippings. press conference tran- scriptions and written obsefvntions of reporters. cannot fully express the style of Governor Romney in dealing with tha prnss. They say nothing of the man's charisma, an abstract quality net easily measured which. in tha Opinion of the anther. plays a key role in tha Governor's day to—déy ralations with rayortars. Although the fiata on the views of editors and aditor» iai writers toward Romney firmly ¢stabiiahos a Repub- lican press in.fiichigan. it doea not warrant the objective conclusion that an: fiepublican governor $3913.14 have! the support (if the prams. But such a conclusian can.be mado at least with subjective con- fiflence. The study doaa not attempt to analyze the political motives of Governor Romney in.daaiing with the press. Yet to believe that he is not at times palitioaliy motivated would be naive. ' The fact that an.ofticia1 uses the press to disseminate his own ideas to the public does not test the social responsibility thecry of the press. Because of hie position his ideas arc of concern to the public. whether they are distributed for politiesiiy-motiflatefi «17 reasons or not. Abuse results only when the press gives itself over to the establishment. Douglass Cater called this "the basic conflict of interest that exists between government and the press:“ Hero I would simply point out that the offic- ial and the reporter are moved by fundamentally different compulsions. The official's first ro- sponsc to a newsworthy event is assimilativo. Ho attempts to relate it to the broad body of record on.which he precariously builds his policies. The reporter's first impulse is distributive. Ho seeks to communicate the newsworthy event as speedily and tidcly as possiblo.1 In this particular study of the official and the reporter the following factors in the relationship are brought out: 1. Governor Romney's business career in Fachington,and Detroit gavc him a background in public relations and experience in dealing with the press. but his dealings with political reporters dates only from 1961. E13 techniques and mannerisms changed during his years as governor. and Capitol reportero believc these changes were the result of acquired knowledge of working politics and the role of the press. 2. Romney meats almost daily with the press in cn.atncsphcro of informality; Bio press conferences are not highly structured and no rigid rules bind the 1Cater. p. 17. 120 length of the session or the issues discussed. This plus his availability for private interviews has given him a reputation.for accessibility to the press. 3. lbs Lichigan'press is strongly oriented toward the Republican party generally and Governor Romney specifically. His Opponents have charged that a "flonney" press exists in the state. Over-all editorial reaction toward Romney has been favorable though he has been'sidely criticized on issues such as fiscal reform and Vietnam. h. Editor§s opinions indicate the image Lichigan readers have of Romney is positive. They see him as honest. efficient and dedicated. but perhaps lacking in personal warmth. 5. Because of his position as governor. the presidential aura surrounding his. and his own political public relations abilities. Capitol reporters regard Romney as an.important newsnaker. His most appreciated quality. from their standpoint. is his accessibility. 6. Governor Romney presents some distinct problems to the reporters covering him. His language is often complex. awkward and confusing. He is sensi- tive to criticism. stories that describe him as angry. and accounts which he believes do not accurately depict 121 his positions. He has changed direction on some key issueo. particularly Vietnam. and has a reputation for efforts at “clarifying" statements attributed to him in newspaper'acoountu. These factors. added together and supplemented by the background material presented 1n.thla thesis. form a description of Governor Romney's relations with the Lichlgan press. They do not allow confident d13- oussion of Romney's motivation: or objectivon. They do not comment on Ramney the political man. Pike fiorrioon 1623-H spartan Village riohimon State University East Lansing. hichigan Bear Sir: Please excuse the informality of this correspondence co the result of a graduate student's poverty and the logistical problem involved in contacting more than 50 editorial writers in hiohigan. I’m.in.tho middle of c maetorb thesis on.covornor Rooney's press relations and would appreciate about five minutes of your time in.helping mo determine how well he curvivee in the otate'a editorial columns. Enclosed please find a ehort questionnaire. The on. swore to the questions can hopefully be answered in u word or two so as not to become an imposition on you. I would appreciate your prompt attention and if you want to expand on any of the questions. please feel free to do so. I don’t think an: of the questions are particularly controversial. but I will not identify either you or your newcpapor in my thesis unless you indicate in your reply that you have no obJectione to my doing so. Thanks in.advance for your help. Sincerely. a! t .‘J K133 £33323 C) 122 l. 2. 3. 4. 5. A??? {1.375 : )IX 3 ‘-"“- that has been the overusll efiitorial reaction of your paper to Governor Romney-positive or negative? who did your paper support in 1962 and 196k for Governor? Have you gone on record tor’e sendi- date yet this year? Vhst has been the editorial reaction of your paper- positive or negative - to the followings .. Romney's legislative record? -— Hie tax reform proposals? .. His disavowal of Barry Goldwater in 196”? .. Hie statements on Yietnam? - Hie statements about not being dominated by party or special interests? use he lived up to them? - The possibility that he might leave the stetehousc in the middle of his next term to run tor*President? that policies or*eotions of the Governor have been criticized in your editorial columns most severely? which have been supported most ordently? (One or two examples of each is sufficient). that aspects of the Governor s administration or personal life do you think contribute most oignifi~ osntly to a favorable public image? 123 5. 7. 8. 9. 10. what nepeote have hurt his image? cold you say Ron ney enjoya a better press than Williams or awainsonxdid? Wy or why not? how would you characterize the Hichigan press: o-i olidly Republican? u-O-enerally pro-Republican? o-Objective. with a slight tendency to favor the GOP? --Bi-pertisan? how does Romney rank with local. national and V other statewide figures as a tapio for editorial comment in your paper? would you classify Romney as liberal. conserva- tive or middle-of~the-road? 12a ‘IH- Uri... “-7 ... ' ,i 85' '. " .- ,’-. I’m 1. how long on the Capitol beat and who with? 2. that problems peculiar to Romney himself have you encountered in writing about him? Any policies or practices of his make your Job difficult? 3. Son is he as a news source? Is he evasive. does he take offense at questions at times? how truthful are his answers? 4. Bow accessible is he. How many times have you interviewed him other than at formal press con- ferences? what were the occasions? 5. has either he or’members of his staff ever protested a story you wrote. or a story carried by your paper? Does he complain to editors about stories? 6. Khet contrasts or comparisons csn.yyou drew between.fionnoy's methods in dealing with the press and those of tillians and Swaineon? How does he compare in effectiveness? 12; 7. what specific changes in Romney's deal» inge with the press since he first hit public life point up the fact that he has matured in this re- spect? ’4 Does Romney have favorites-areporters Ito ..). whom he's more accessible? 1.36 ’DO 1"“. - .-nr“.v. ‘1 Is. 1")" Big 53*}‘1-213'i-A} ieriok E. (ofle.) Low York: Prentioa~ Cater. oofifilowe. The Fourth Trncch Of Tovgrooggt. -mM~a-M v: , T Boston: “ourstoo L-A.Iin oo.. 1939. if“: ‘ inner, ;'n“oli. 443 ,o: '5 N "7' -‘ . 1 1. ‘ ’4 a: (33:2; w.-. Fuller, Richard C. .eorw A Horn: Vantage tr-er arfinke arbor: ant Fain L J To r ”noraoo - §;::‘3‘~. ”’nififlqun...t 11;:19.to {Lb-“~59 lfitivgg 513390??? 03’}; 6321“»; in 2-30.“: :f'fii'lo 1433*; maglnfi‘ :ureau o. coo a and iolitioal Research. Richigan State University. 1960. lg... fiohort. :awreoco A. Toverwor‘e Preoe Teoreter : vrgfilo of TAMI 41*m". Aha Aroor: Ire itute of gublic AdJiflfStratIOng A0. 25. Shiveroit: 1 II Jooch, Forbert. and Aimee. Zenneth fl. {ede.) Folitiog .; the Aroricon “tot. . Boston: little. I‘C.n EYE—z. :00. '9}. Ledoford. billion D. 175“""‘“*“ ”1113. LOS Angolnst oherbourhe EreEA. ”I965. ' To A: Fahoney. tom. iomney, Thomao C. The Forno ‘ r rake City: oeeeret BooA $0.. 1933. 12? 128 Aiebert. Fred 3.. Peterson. Thoodoro. and A‘ohrnmm. wilbur. Four Linearies of the Press. Urbana: University of Illinois” iraal. 1956. Bturm. Albert A. Cogg?it1tiap-*uhing i A shiva . 1261-62. Ann.Arbora institutoo Aub ic Administration. university of .3ichiAan. 1963. Bhalen. William J. The Latter ?:av ainta 13 the Aodezg Dal v?gr1d. Haw Xorku John Day 00.. 90“. willlflua, G. riannon. A Govggnot'a fates. Ann.Arbor: Institute of rubiic Administration. University of hiuhigan. 1961. Directories A * A Son' ' Qgrs an; " A -~ ” 3h fldClphial A. W. A:or& :on. Inc.. 1966. Public Documents Atato of Aichigan. Constitutio . Art. 5. Sec. 21. State or niohigan. Office of the Secretary or Stnto. Fichi.nn Hanua ‘6 66. state of Biohiqan. Cffice of the Secrctary of State. Unofficial 1966 slantion returns as or UQGQMUQT 15. 1166. U. 3. Coma: ress. special Cosmittce on CaApaiAn Expendi~ tures. frerin~sl_lnve¢ti~ation or Camnai v: . Cdnd Cong.,—§d Afi$3.. Articles and Poriodicala Gregg. James E. "Eewspaper Editoria1 Endorsement: and Cnlifcrnia Elections. lgafi-GE.” J u 32g2§g311, XXXXIX. (Autumn. 1965). 5 129 Jones. David B. “This Republican for 1968." New York Times Magazine. February 23. 1965. 20. Newsweek. February 19. 1962. “Will Success Spoil American Motors.“ Fortune. LIX. (January. 1959). 97-98. Newspapers Ann Arbor News. March 19. 1962. Detroit Free £3953. March 16. 1962; March 1?. 1962: September 8. 19623 June 14. 1966. Detroit News. January 1#. 1962: September 13. 1959: December 10. 1959: May 14. 1962: September 9. 1962: March 18. 1962; January 25. 19623 January 18. 1962: August 10. 1962: August 12. 1962; June 10. l96#s December 16. 1966. glint Journa . February 10. 1962. Grand Rapids green. April 16. 1961. Jacks C - a r t. March 19. 1962. W. October a. 1961. New York World Journal Tribune. December 9. 1966. December 1 . 19 e. ‘ - Saginaw News. March 17. 19623 July 20. 1966. Unpublished haterial Angel. D. Duane. “The Gmeaign Speaking of George Romney.“ Unpublished Ph.D. dissertation. Department of Speech. Purdue University. 1965. Files of John Murray. School of Journalism. Michigan State University. East Lansing. Michigan. 130 naufnan. Albert. ”Ihe State Capitol Political Re- Portern A fitudy in Attempts to Influence the Legislative Process.“ Unpublished Laoter'e thesis. Department of Political Science. Michigan State University. 196“. heir. Gerald Janos. "Governeent Public Relations and the Frees: The fiichipan Executive Branch.“ tnpubiished Lester's thesis. echool of Journalism. Richigan utate university. 1966. George. franecription of press conference. George. epoech before the National Preee Club. hashington D. 6.. Karch 9. 196). Interviews (Dated) . Feraonal interview with Bud Veetal. Capitol reporter. Booth Newspapers. Inc.. Lancing. micnigan. June 28. 1966. i. Personal interview with Charles E. Kareem. prose eecretury to Governor Denney. Lansing. Michigan. Aiguat 17. 1966. . Personal interview with Joseph A. echleeinger. professor of political ecienoe. hichiaan etate university} zest Lansing. flichisnu. Deceaber 26. 1906. . Personal interview with Killian C. hillard aulcea. Capitol bureau chief. Booth Menopapere. Inc.. Lansing. Fichifen. august 10. 1966. InterViewa (Lniateé) Baird. Capitol bureau chief. Federated Pub- lications. Inca Cir-cries E. Eamon. press secretary to governor Leorge Romney: Donald Hoenehell. director. Legislative Service bureau: iiilian C. nulsea. Capitol Eureau chief. Booth fiewepapere. Ino.a Hover Lane. reporter. Detroit Free Fresg; Robert Longstatf. reporter. Booth bewepapere. Ino.a Robert Pope. reporter. Detroit News; James Robineon. former 131 roporter._ggtggit {rqg ?;,333 Carl fiudow. Cooitol bureau oniof. tetra t 223;: ion ohawvor. reporter. gotouit :goo_;rescc Al fianfinor. roportor.‘aosooiatod Erase: End Vestal. reporter. rooth .cmopoporo. Ino.| Robert Vogcs. reporter. Associated Press. ”'TITifi!IflITI\IIfllT9IiLfiI‘ fifiiuijfijujiflfluifli'fififfi