Mitt Romney got exactly the boost he needed Wednesday in the form of an endorsement by former Florida governor Jeb Bush, a move that came as GOP leaders and rank-and-file Republicans appeared to be coalescing around his presidential candidacy the day after a decisive primary victory in Illinois.
But amid the celebration, the Romney campaign faced a sudden distraction that underscored his lingering challenge in attracting conservatives to his cause.
His wife, Ann, also rushed to her husband's defense, calling the Etch A Sketch slipup a "distraction" from the economic message her husband is trying to deliver.
She told CNN's Piers Morgan that Fehrnstrom was merely referring to "how we're going to change focus, and we’re going to change, you know, what we're going to do in the organizational sense of changing. Not Mitt changing positions."
Romney has long fought perceptions of being a flip-flopper on issues like gay marriage and abortion. Instead of basking in his Illinois primary win and a high-value endorsement from former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, Romney instead was left to clean up the gaffe.
The episode, which will likely haunt Romney just days before Saturday's primary in Louisiana, began when Fehrnstrom was asked on CNN if the primary fight might force the candidate so far to the right it would hurt him with moderate voters come November.
"I think you hit a reset button for the fall campaign," he said. “Everything changes. It's almost like an Etch A Sketch. You can kind of shake it up and we start all over again.”
His comment opened the door to a firestorm of criticism from his rivals.
"It actually revealed what everybody knew or suspected but now know: Gov. Romney is interested in saying whatever is necessary to win the election and when the game changes, he'll change,” said
GOP rival Rick Santorum, who held up an Etch A Sketch at an event in Kenner, La.
Newt Gingrich ripped Romney in Lake Charles, La. for not having "the decency to wait until they get the nomination to explain to us how they'll sell us out."
But amid the celebration, the Romney campaign faced a sudden distraction that underscored his lingering challenge in attracting conservatives to his cause.
His wife, Ann, also rushed to her husband's defense, calling the Etch A Sketch slipup a "distraction" from the economic message her husband is trying to deliver.
She told CNN's Piers Morgan that Fehrnstrom was merely referring to "how we're going to change focus, and we’re going to change, you know, what we're going to do in the organizational sense of changing. Not Mitt changing positions."
Romney has long fought perceptions of being a flip-flopper on issues like gay marriage and abortion. Instead of basking in his Illinois primary win and a high-value endorsement from former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, Romney instead was left to clean up the gaffe.
The episode, which will likely haunt Romney just days before Saturday's primary in Louisiana, began when Fehrnstrom was asked on CNN if the primary fight might force the candidate so far to the right it would hurt him with moderate voters come November.
"I think you hit a reset button for the fall campaign," he said. “Everything changes. It's almost like an Etch A Sketch. You can kind of shake it up and we start all over again.”
His comment opened the door to a firestorm of criticism from his rivals.
"It actually revealed what everybody knew or suspected but now know: Gov. Romney is interested in saying whatever is necessary to win the election and when the game changes, he'll change,” said
GOP rival Rick Santorum, who held up an Etch A Sketch at an event in Kenner, La.
Newt Gingrich ripped Romney in Lake Charles, La. for not having "the decency to wait until they get the nomination to explain to us how they'll sell us out."
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