Romney, Reporter Spar in a Staples Store

Following presidential candidates from state to state as they shake hands, kiss babies (and backsides, some might say, in the figurative sense) and promise to be the Best Prez Ever! must get tiresome for reporters on the campaign trail. In this clip, it’s hard to say if the grind got to AP scribe Glen Johnson or whether Mitt Romney’s claims about eschewing lobbyists made him snap, but things get tense in a Columbia, S.C., Staples store when Johnson challenges Romney over his assertion that he doesn’t include lobbyists in his senior strategy team. 

This video, posted by CBS, also includes footage of a revealing interaction between Johnson and Romney’s press aide, showing the perpetual power struggle between reporters and publicists in which interview access and positive media coverage represent the currency of the realm.

Follow this link to watch the clip: