It should come as no surprise that Mitt Romney's "storm relief event" today in Ohio was a campaign event masquerading as a compassionate response to Hurricane Sandy.
However, what is surprising? That those mainstream pool reporters traveling with the Romney campaign reported the exact same thing in real time on Twitter.
Here's CNN's Jonathan Karl not pulling any punches by noting the anti-Obama wear being passed out at a non-partisan "storm relief event." Oh, and look, cans!
Here's Politico's James Hohmann describing the scene with surprising straightforwardness:
Here's The Washington Post's Philip Rucker, who was present and equally disquieted about Romney playing a biographical film at a "storm relief event," responding to NPR's Ari Shapiro, who shows off his press pass:
As for NPR's Ari Shapiro? He had plenty more daggers to share as well:
Oh, and as for Shapiro's filing for All Things Considered? Well, just take a listen here.
And here's The New York Times' Michael Barbaro with a snarky photo and observation:
The consensus? Mitt's "storm relief event" in Ohio, which had already been planned as a campaign rally previously at the exact same location, was exactly what you'd expect it to be:
a political rally masquerading as disaster relief.
When mainstream pool reporters traveling with a political campaign shoot straight and call out inauthenticity, you know some serious bullshit was underfoot. When those same reporters who hobnob with the campaign and dine on their catered food shoot daggers on Twitter, aghast at what they're seeing?
You know Romney has gone beyond desperate. In Ohio.