Tax Whisper

If you link to it from here, it will get buried. The new digg algorithm detects coordinated digg up calls from other sites.
 
EDIT: MSNBC chimes in: http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2008/01/25/609835.aspx

I've thought a lot about this, because at first I was freaked out like everyone else and was convinced Romney had answers being fed to him. But then, when you think about it, it's clear what happened.

Russert basically asked "Will you do what Reagan did?" but ended his question. The point of his question was, obviously, will you raise taxes like Reagan did?

When somebody, maybe Williams, maybe a producer, heard him finish the question without including the main point, they whispered, "He raised taxes."

Mitt answered back right away, "I won't raise taxes...." Whether Mitt heard the whisper or just knew what Russert was getting at is conjecture.

But then Russert went on to rephrase the question, including the tax part. MSNBC noted it and mentioned it in their live blog, but obviously once somebody told them it was their own network trying to help their own moderator, they pulled it, only making the conspiracy seem that much more nefarious. But it's pretty obvious this is the deal. In hindsight they should have just said "Oh, somebody needed to help Tim out, haha."

Sorry, I would have *loved* to have had this crazy earpiece mic scandal, but it's pretty clear somebody felt Russert needed to be more clear in the intention of his question.

Watch the youtube and you'll see what I mean:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jP0vewX-ES0
 
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Russert is known for Gotcha questions. Unless there's evidence to the contrary, this seems like it was fed to Romney and not to Russert. His 2nd part was going to be the Gotcha part if Romney said he agreed with Reagan. Remember the Gotcha on McCain's Meet the Press interview?
 
Josh, suggesting the voice was Russert is ridiculous. It is so obviously not Russert. And so obviously another voice telling Romney how to answer.
 
Russert is the gotcha guy as people here already mentioned, so it would make no sense for another mod to tell Russert the question was about taxes. I am pretty sure Russert knew what he was trying to throw at Romney, he was trying to get him to say "I would do what Reagan did because he was the best president ever."

His 2nd part of the question was even lined up as a gotcha, even though Mitt said right off the bat I will not raise taxes, as if he knew Russert was throwing him a curve ball. I think that is what makes the whisper all that more important to this whole thing.

Let MSNBC come out and tell us what their view is at least. If they want to say it was just a mod clearing up the question to Romney so be it.
 
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