Ghost of Visit Past haunts Team Willard in Jerusalem

Man in London points, laughs at Romney. Photo: Stephen Crowley/NYT

After receiving a public drubbing at the hands of the British press and public officials then earning his own humiliating hashtag (#Romneyshambles) on Twitter, Romney hastily retreated from London headed for Israel. There, he was immediately met with reminders of his very big, very bad couple of days developing a "special relationship" that was nothing short of an American embarrassment.

Then, as though cultivating a hostile press had inexplicably replaced the campaign's previous goal of cultivating good will among allies, the Mitt wits broke agreement with its traveling corps and barred them from covering a $50,000-a-plate fundraiser.

Now, there's nothing inherently wrong with alienating a complacent press, particularly the American stenography pool that passes for press in this country. In fact, given the slovenly reportage that leads to such inSAnity as "truth vigilante," one might believe shaking them out of their doldrums is a good thing. However noble that may be, it's certainly impolitic ... especially for, well, politicians. Isn't there a saying about hell, fury and news people scorned?

Exhibit A: Why a politician might not want to piss off a group of writers ...

Presumptive Republican Presidential nominee Mitt Romney must be very sure that he will prevail in the end because he is creating a press narrative that is like an almost too simple jigsaw puzzle. He is all-but saying to editors that they need to scrutinize him and find out more about what he is not disclosing. And he is all but assuring that all major news organizations (except perhaps Fox News) will be assigning reporters to fact check his every assertion and to probe more than ever every aspect of his life.

How else can you explain the campaign breaking an actual agreement with the news media and reusing to let reporters into a Jersualem fund-raiser?

Exhibit B: Class, welcome to Narrative-Setting 101 by, well, the narrative-setters ...

This adds to the narrative emerging of Romney as someone whose words can’t be trusted because he will change positions or in this case discard a previous agreement, almost as if he’s saying “Well, waddayagoingtodoaboddit?”

And kiddies, break out the jammies, a comfy pair of slippers and a healthy serving of comfort food because we're about to find out if the American media is up to, or even willing to take on, this quite-obvious-to-anyone-with-a-brain or, in the case of Fox Entertainers half a brain, challenge. One can only hope they are. Back taxes, please.