If Mitt Romney doesn't get nominated, he can lay part of the blame on his council of advisors, but as always, the buck ultimately stops at the candidate. From Politico :

A well-publicized weekend photo-op for Mitt Romney turns out to have been missing a piece of information that might have undermined its credibility: the unemployed single mom at the center of the event was the mother of a Romney staffer.

[...]

The campaign did not disclose the relationship, Madden acknowledged. But he added "reporters were given unfettered access to meet with Mrs. Sachs and talk with her when she invited them into her home." [Well, that makes it all better, doesn't it?]

He said the campaign was open about Elizabeth Sachs' allegiance. "She is, of course, a Romney supporter who was identified by the campaign because she believes … Romney is the best leader for America’s future and the best prepared to help revitalize Michigan’s economy," Madden said.

What a pantload. Romney's meeting with Elizabeth Sachs was a phoney baloney political stunt, using a one-degree-removed operative in an attempt to tug a few heartstrings to secure a few more votes.

If a candidate is having trouble looking authentic, the last thing he should do is use a campaign staffer's mom as a political prop. Hillary had planted questioners, which was bad, and the now Romney campaign has their own political plant to help forward its "message".

I wonder how the Three Hour Romney Infomercial (also known as the Hugh Hewitt Show) is going to spin this. It wouldn't be the first time Hewitt's advocacy has taken him around the bend. Although the site is closed, a conservative called Hubris wrote the following satire on Hewitt in the wake of the Harriet Miers nomination, a nomination that the talk show host full-throatedly supported:

Sh*t Sandwich Suprisingly Tasty; I Give It A B+

I know what you’re thinking: "Why should I try a sh*t sandwich?" I might have felt the same way a few days ago, but now I’m a believer.

I was chatting with an administration insider over the weekend. During a sidebar in the conversation, it was intimated to me that President Bush’s favorite late-night snack was a "sh*t sandwich" with tartar sauce on the side. That encouraged me to give it a shot with an open mind. I know the president is intuitive yet discriminating in his choices, and isn’t afraid to go against the conventional wisdom. He also needs a lot of energy to get up early and fight the GWOT each day.

So I tried it. The verdict? Earthy, no-nonsense flavor. The tangy contrast of the tartar sauce is initially off-putting, but like Bush, I’m in this game for the long term. I’ll give it some time to grow on me. It’s easily a B+ snack.

UPDATE: My insider friend just called me again; apparently I misheard his end of the conversation, it was a fish sandwich. Well, that shouldn’t surprise me. In addition to introducing bold new ideas, Bush has always shown an appreciation for the traditional eating values that made this country great in the first place.

By the way, I'm actually a Hewitt listener and fan, but every now and then the cheerleading goes a little too far.