GOP 'war room' revs up as Romney hits the airwaves

[Ron Burgundy]

Inside the Republican shadow operation at the Democratic convention site, there was plenty of diversity.

Three GOP members of Congress — a Cuban-American, a woman and a Jew — were among party people who joined Mitt Romney on the party's shoot-from-the-sidelines attack on Barack Obama on Tuesday. They argued that the Illinois senator is a celebrity rock star not ready for prime time in the Oval Office.

Speaking in both English and Spanish, Rep. Lincoln Diaz-Balart, R-Fla., said the nation is thirsting for McCain, calling the Arizonan "somebody who puts country above party."

A throng of reporters drawn by Romney — a strong contender to be McCain's running mate — attended as the quartet dished a series of GOP talking points on taxes, trade and energy. Reps. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., and Eric Cantor, R-Va., also appeared, though the media focus was squarely on Romney.

The swarm of news media so overcrowded the GOP facility that party operatives scrambled to find a new venue for Wednesday's session featuring former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, Wednesday's featured McCain surrogate. Such surrogates — including Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty on Thursday, another potential running mate — are so high-profile as to guarantee plenty of media coverage, even though it's the Democrats' show.

Romney stayed relentlessly on message as he also addressed a gathering of print reporters, made several satellite interviews with local affiliates, followed by appearances with the major networks inside the convention permitter.

At the same time, a youthful squadron of GOP staff aides was poised to churn out a series of rapid response e-mails to reporters. Republican National Committee Press Secretary Alex Conant fills reporters Blackberrys and e-mail inboxes overnight with stories that reinforce GOP convention themes.

Tuesday night's program, however — featuring a plea for party unity by Obama's rival Hillary Clinton — ran counter to one of the GOP's themes of the week: that the Democratic Party remains bitterly divided as the general election campaign kicks off.

Romney mixed praise for Michelle Obama and ailing Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Ma., with stinging attacks on Obama and his running mate, Sen. Joseph Biden, D-Del. He deflected questions about his prospects of being named McCain's running mate.

"He's a charming fellow. He's a celebrity worldwide," Romney told a Toledo, Ohio interviewer. "But he's not ready to lead the United States of America."

The five-minute interviews — sent out via a broadcast truck in the parking lot — are part of a GOP strategy to insert Republicans and McCain into the news media's convention narrative, including local stations that are typically thrilled to get such a high-profile politico for a their news broadcasts.

As he left, Romney shared a moment with former rival Giuliani. "Being a surrogate is a lot easier" than campaigning for president, Romney quipped with a laugh.

Romney then hopped into an SUV and was whisked to the convention site for a round of interviews on CNN, MSNBC and Fox News Network, among others.

"I'm here to make a few points for the good side," Giuliani said as he prepared to give a radio interview.

source: AP - http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080827/ap_on_el_pr/cvn_loyal_opposition [link]