E-mail updates
Follow on Twitter
Subscribe to RSSApril Fools' Day Prank on the Gov
MILWAUKEE, Wis. – Even presidential candidates, it seems, can be taken by an April Fools’ joke.
Today in Milwaukee Mitt Romney fell prey to a good one by his staffers, who captured the moment on camera with help from Sen. Ron John and Rep. Paul Ryan, both Wisconsin Republicans.
The prank, as re-told by Romney at a pancake breakfast here, unfolded as follows:
"Downstairs is a room just like this one, and it was all set up. They had the black material," Romney said, gesturing to the large ballroom in which his event took place Sunday morning, framed with black drapes to hide the candidate until he is introduced.
"We’re standing back there. You wonder what happens before we get started — we’re all three standing there," Romney said.
As Romney recalled, his staff said to him, “We didn’t get much of a turnout this morning. It’s really small, but it will be okay.”
Ryan was the first to emerge from behind the curtain. Romney could hear him say, “Let’s welcome Ron Johnson and Mitt Romney, the next president of the United States.”
“And so the two of us go out there and it’s completely empty,” Romney continued. “There’s nobody there. I thought, Oh, boy, this is gonna look really bad on the evening news, let me tell you.”
The video of the incident – shot by campaign staffers – shows Romney, known to be a prankster himself, turning bright red as "Born Free" blares in the empty room and he realizes he's been had.
"Oh jeez, you guys are bad," Romney can be heard saying on the camera cell phone.
To those who attended the pancake breakfast Sunday, Romney joked, “This is known as forgive but remember. I’ll tell ya. We’re gonna remember this."
At a lunch stop at Culvers in Johnson Creek, Romney Gave the prank high ratings but said he prefers playing the jokes himself.
"I think they’re much funnier when I do them on other people than when they do them on me," Romney said. "But this was very good. Very very good, this was classic."
Leave a Comment:
Great blog post! I found another good one here: #mce_temp_url#
I heard speculation on Morning Joe this morning that maybe the whole thing was a setup. And I could picture that: "Mr. Romney, we HAVE to do something to make you appear human. How about staging an April Fool's joke on you? Just try to act surprised when you walk in..."
Actually, Mitt's real "April Fool Day" will be Nov. 6, 2012, when he isn't elected.
And really, Mitt, lose the jeans. Stop insulting the Canadians by wearing half of a Canadian Tuxedo. And stop trying to look like you're one of the 99%. You just aren't.
I guess if Romney is elected - everyday he'll get pranked - good times ahead for mischievious foreign leaders...
Ah ha ha, you guys are all so funny with your "The real joke here is the republican candidates" or whatever obvious, lame joke you tried to make. So clever, so hilarious. I bet you are all that guy who cannot resist the chance to say "Is that for me?" anytime someone walks by you with food. I bet when your neighbor is washing his car in the driveway you shout "You gonna do mine next?"
Face it, democrats. You're lame.
Sorry, not all democrats. Just those of you who get on these boards and try to sound smart or funny but just end up embarrassing your party.
Unlike you teapublicans who let your candidates embarrass your party!
Palin/Cain/Barbour/Trump/Bachmann/Christie/Newt/Santorum/Paul/Pawlenty/Romney...etc
Romney, was and is the best candidate the republicans have to offer. If that not comforting to the Democrats I can't imagine what would be.
It is comforting. At least if we lose, contraception will probably still be legal, the president won't owe a lot of favors to some rich casino owner like Newt would, and we won't have to worry about basing our economy on some shiny rocks.
Those guys...Why that is just a hoot and a holler, that is.
It would have been funny if Romney was told his Cayman Bank got raided and all money is frozen. Would love to see his face then.
At least his staff has the sense of humor that he so obviously lacks.
I don't get it. On April 2, will Mitt not be a fool anymore?
The media missed the REALLY funny joke his staffers played on Mittens:
"Mittens! Mittens! Somebody stole your magic underwear!!!"
you can use the same fork that you stick into Zimmerman , after the April grand jury indictment , to stick into Mitt Romney , in November , because the GOP and their Republican Crime Watch Captain are both done. Well, get used to it . . . your power is gone, your base is dying off , and your candidate is a joke. Four more years, OOOOO Noooo . . . it will be at least 40 more , or about the same time Zimmerman will be up for parole !!!!!!!!!! LOL !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Too funny in that George Zimmerman is a proud brown Latino and a registered Democrat.
Your headline should have been, Democrats or just plain stupid
Obama - running for re-election.
Romney - running for election.
Santorum - running for election.
Gingrich - running for election.
CLEARLY the joke is on us.
And how much did the recent joke played on Romney cost the taxpayer? Is this the kind of leadership that Americans can expect if Romney is elected?
I think Americans deserve better. The GOP constantly complains about Liberal spending but it must be okay for Romney's staff to spend campaign to play a joke on Romney.
The real joke is going to be on America if Romney is elected as president.
The April Fools day joke is nothing short of Pork Barrel Spending.
Either this was a set up, or Ryan is the worst prankster that ever lived. Notice that the minute Romney walks from behind the curtains he is already laughing.
How juvenile. April Fool pranks are for little kids not adults running a company, campaign, or a country.
The real prank is the one played on America by the media pimps that promoted Obama over Hillary and by Obama on voters. The Apologist in Chief shows plenty of flexibility for his secret lover Putin but is incalcitrant toward cutting the deficit, cutting government down or being fiscally responsible for the sake of his children and grand-children. The High Narcissist evidently can't get away from the mirror long enough to see the problems this country is facing and develop real solutions for them instead of sound bites for his minions to spew.
“Romney’s staff played an April Fool’s joke on Romney. They told him his private jet needed to be repaired so they got him a loaner. But was only a Cessna!”I laughed….and I laughed….