Oh, OK: Romney's Only Doubling Size of Mansion

Joe McQuaid, publisher of New Hampshire’s Union Leader, was at the Red Arrow Diner in Manchester during a recent visit from Mitt Romney, and he got a bit of much-needed clarification on an issue that’s been bothering some people: Why in the world is Romney giving his foes fodder for complaint by quadrupling the size of his California beach house? Easy answer: The story isn’t accurate, Romney explained. In truth, his application was to simply double the living space by adding a second story.

Of course, if you include the additional nonliving space—including a basement and a garage—then you get to the “quadrupling.” Even so, McQuaid thinks Romney should make an official statement to clear the issue up. “Accuracy in media is more than the name of a group. It ought to be what we in the profession strive for, rather than to have the story fit a preconceived notion,” McQuaid writes. “We sure cannot afford to pick any more of our presidents based on assumptions.” (But in a snarky post on Wonkette, Kirsten Boyd Johnson notes, "Mitt Romney still appears as out-of-touch with the vast majority of hobo Americans as ever before.")