New Romney Aide Shows Deepening Ties with Hill GOP

New Romney Aide Shows Deepening Ties with Hill GOP

The media, frustrated with Obama’s struggles in the polls, have recently tried to spin, against most real evidence, that the Romney campaign is “in trouble” and in desperate need of a “staff shake-up.” Never mind that Romney, who has been outspent 3-1 the past three months and has been subjected to a withering negative ad barrage is essentially tied with Obama in the battleground states. Or, that he raised $35 million more than Obama last month. The media, and some of their DC GOP allies, simply insist that the Romney campaign is in trouble and seek out any shred of evidence to confirm their view. Their latest “sign” is the return of 08 Romney aide Kevin Madden to the 2012 campaign. 

The New York Times dutifully spun the news on Friday:

Kevin Madden, a Republican communications expert with long ties to Mitt Romney, will become a more frequent and visible spokesman for the presidential campaign, a source close to the decision said on Friday.

The increased responsibilities for Mr. Madden came in the wake of criticism from nervous Republicans about Mr. Romney’s campaign team. The Wall Street Journal said in an editorial that the campaign “looks confused in addition to being politically dumb.”

What The Times reporter, Michael Shear, failed to note, however, is that Madden was a long-time aide to top Hill Republicans and a close aide to Speaker John Boehner when he was Majority Leader. Virtually every “profile” article on Speaker Boehner, in fact, will include a positive quote from Mr. Madden. 

The media may console itself that Madden’s hire is a sign of a “staff shake-up” in Team Romney. I think, however, its a sign of deeper ties and closer coordination between the Hill GOP and Romney.  

This weekend The Hill reported on the growing bond between Romney and Boehner:

Mitt Romney and John Boehner have known each other for years, but the bond between the would-be president and the House Speaker has become stronger in recent weeks, according to GOP insiders.

The two men have not appeared many times in public, but sources say they and their staffs are in constant contact.

And yes, that article also quoted Mr. Madden. Romney doesn’t need a “staff shake-up,” but closer coordination with Congressional GOP could make for a more powerful campaign. That’s what the Madden hire was about. 

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