Ruh roh...art imitates life:
The hit AMC TV show “Mad Men” took a not-so-subtle swipe at a Romney Sunday night — George Romney, the father of presidential contender Mitt Romney, that is.
In the 1960s-era series, the character Henry Francis, who in previous seasons worked as a political aide for New York Gov. Nelson Rockefeller, calls Gov. George Romney, who led the state of Michigan from 1963-1969, a clown.
“Well, tell Jim his honor’s not going to Michigan,” Francis says during a work-related phone conversation in Sunday’s episode. “Because Romney’s a clown, and I don’t want him standing next to him.”
Some media outlets are calling this "blasting" Romney, but seems fairly mild to me. Your mileage may vary.
But there was one person who took great umbrage to this throwaway line (and honestly, weren't viewers paying more attention to Betty than Henry this last episode?) and that's George Romney's grandson, Tagg, the eldest of the Romney sons.
Tagg tweeted his unhappiness this morning:
First of all, "lib media"? Give it a rest. "Mad Men" is not the media. It's a show--a fictional show, at that. Set in the early 60s when your grandfather was, in fact, the governor of Michigan. And I'm sure it's hard to hear, but there were obviously people who didn't like him. Just like EVERY. SINGLE. POLITICIAN. EVER.
Gotta grow a tougher skin, Tagg, if you want to play in the big leagues. You don't see the Kennedy kids clutching their pearls over the endless movies and teleplays on their families, none of which are entirely glowing with praise. You don't see the Nixon kids getting the vapors over "Frost/Nixon". You never see Chelsea Clinton taking umbrage at the startling number of hatchet jobs against both her parents.
It's part of the game. Those freedoms that your dad professes to want to protect as the highest officer in the country means dealing with those slings and arrows as people exercise their free speech.
Toughen up or get out.