Romney Desertion Rumor: Some Cold Water
by Ryan Sager
Mon, 23 Apr 2007 at 5:11 PM
updated Mon, 23 Apr 2007 at 5:21 PM
NHInsider.com kindly cites your humble blogger in an item passing on the rumor that Barbara Comstock, a Mitt Romney advisor and former Justide Department spokeswoman, is getting set to jump ship the moment Fred Thompson's newer, hipper presidential ship sets sail.
As NHInsider recounts, I've long argued that the campaign most damaged by a Thompson run will be that of Mitt Romney — he's the weakest candidate on the Republican side, and he's trying to sell himself as the "true conservative." If Mr. Thompson enters the race as the true conservative, that pretty much eliminates the need for Mr. Romney.
Anyway, so, a high-profile departure from the Romney campaign to the Thompson not-yet campaign would be a great story. Is it true? There's a great argument to be made, but a source in the Thompson campaign gives me a flat, emphatic denial...
Here's the short version of why a Comstock switch from Romney to Thompson seems plausible:
* Ms. Comstock's business partner, Mark Corallo, is Mr. Thompson's unofficial spokesman — running an unofficial press operation for Mr. Thompson's unofficial presidential bid with an unofficial ($0) salary. Together, Ms. Comstock and Mr. Corallo make up the crisis-management firm of ... wait for it ... Corallo Comstock. Things could get awkward around the water cooler if the two are working for competing (and official) campaigns in a few months' time.
* According to NHInsider, Mr. Thompson's wife, Jeri Kehn, is a close friend of Ms. Comstock's.
Still, despite these veritable smoking guns, a source in the Thompson camp tells me: "There's no truth to that, whatsoever."
UPDATE (6:25 p.m.): Hotline also has Mr. Romney's camp saying: "It's nonsense."
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