Romney staffer denies campaign disarray

                                                                           (Image Credit: Charles Dharapak/AP Photo)

A top strategist for Mitt Romney confirmed Sunday night that “speeches go through lots of processes and editing” after Politico first reported there were competing versions of Romney’s Tampa, Fla., convention speech.  The speech Romney ultimately delivered was criticized for failing to mention Afghanistan.

Stuart Stevens has been one of Romney’s closest advisers and is the person – besides Romney – most responsible for many aspects of the  campaign’s direction and message.

Much of Romney’s inner circle has been with the former Massachusetts governor for years. Stevens, who has had side trips as an author and auteur, worked for both Bush campaigns and Romney in 2008. He oversees speech-writing and ads for the campaign.

A detailed report in Politico Sunday also painted Stevens as the subject of frustration among Romney staffers after the candidate failed to receive much of a bounce in polls after his convention. Some conservatives outside the campaign, including columnists like George Will and radio-show hosts like Laura Ingraham, have questioned the direction of the campaign and its larger message, crafted by Stevens.

Romney has shied away from specific proposals for what he would do and instead made President Obama and the economy the laser-like focus of his campaign.

Read Politico’s report here.

Stevens, it turns out, was largely responsible for Romney’s speech, as Politico first reported. He called for a re-write days before it was to be given and called in new writers who reportedly had never met with the candidate.

When ABC News asked Stevens whether he would put Afghanistan back in the speech if given a do-over, he said, “I just don’t think that way.  I don’t think it would matter one vote.”

Stevens also stands by the campaign’s decision to have Clint Eastwood take the stage, and isn’t concerned whether that was a defining moment of the convention last month.

“Listen, I think Clint Eastwood, having Eastwood on your side and what he said about the president is incredibly powerful. He came out and gave a strong stance, and I think it was great,” Stevens said, “We’re talking about this when the Democrats had a floor fight over God?  Give me a break.”

Stevens also brushed off the criticism from conservatives outside the campaign, including Ingraham, who said this should have been a “gimme election,” given the economy and unemployment rate.

“It’s just not how politics works,” he said. “I never get mad at people who criticize.  I love her passion.”

Stevens argued that the Romney campaign is on track and that Obama’s post-convention bounce of 7 points in the Gallup Daily Tracking poll has already evaporated to 3 points.

“The president had a terrible week last week,” said Stevens, pointing to continued images of unrest and the events in Libya.

“If anybody turned on the TV and feels better about the president after last week,” he said, “I’d be surprised to hear it.”

Get more pure politics at ABC News.com/Politics and a lighter take on the news at OTUSNews.com

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Eva Longoria talks about cheating and denies 'Desperate Housewives' feud

Eva Longoria is making media rounds for the upcoming series finale of "Desperate Housewives" on May 13 and the actress recently dished about how she dealt with being cheated on and an alleged feud between the "Desperate Housewives" cast.

In an interview on the Lifetime talk show "The Conversation with Amanda de Cadenet," Longoria talked about recovering from infidelity.

Longoria does not mention her ex-husband, NBA player Tony Parker, by name during the episode but Longoria reportedly found hundreds of text messages from another woman on Parker's phone, who turned out to be the wife of one of the NBA player's teammates. The reports were never confirmed by Longoria, Parker or their spokespeople.

Longoria and Parker, who met in late 2004, wed in Europe in 2007. The couple's divorce was finalized in January 2011. The two had no children. This was Longoria's second marriage. She was married to actor Tyler Christopher from 2002 to 2004.

"I am so secure in who I am. I really am! And I'm not conceited. I just think, 'Wow, okay, that's the life you want to live,'" she told host Amanda de Cadenet. "It wasn't about who he chose. I mean, I had moments, 'Am I not sexy enough? Am I not pretty enough? Am I not smart enough?' But in so many of those questions, I immediately stopped and said, 'No, don't start doing that.'"

The interview aired on May 10 and Longoria explained after she confronted the person about why they cheated, "It was definitely not about me and 'the why' did say that."

"It didn't make me feel better but it helped me understand," she added.

Longoria also appeared on "The Late Show With David Letterman" on May 9 and the 37-year-old actress was asked about by Letterman if the "Desperate Housewives" cast gets along.

We all get along," Longoria said.

"I thought there were fights and stuff," Letterman asked.

"I know, everyone says that," Longoria added.

Letterman then asked, "Didn't one get fired?"

Longoria laughed and said, "Yes, I forgot about that one."

Letterman was referring to Nicollette Sheridan, who filed a wrongful termination lawsuit regarding her exit from the ABC show. A judge declared a mistrial in March and Sheridan was granted a retrial for the lawsuit, which is scheduled for September.

Sheridan had claimed that her character, Edie Britt, was killed off in retaliation for complaining about a confrontation with show creator Marc Cherry. She had demanded $6 million in damages for alleged battery and wrongful termination.

Longoria reportedly split from her boyfriend Eduardo Cruz in March. The "Desperate Housewives" actress had been romantically linked to Cruz, a 26-year-old singer and the younger brother of actress Penelope Cruz, since early 2011.

Check out Longoria's appearance on "The Late Show With David Letterman" below.

(Copyright ©2012 OnTheRedCarpet.com. All Rights Reserved.)

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Occupy plans mass protests, denies link to powder scare

  NEW YORK -- Occupy protesters are spreading out to picket at banks and other New York City businesses to mark International Workers Day, or May Day.

The group is also denying it had any link to white powder sent to several banks on Monday.

Events and disruptions are planned in cities across the United States and the world on Tuesday.

Several dozen protesters gathered at Bryant Park in Manhattan Tuesday morning. They planned to march to financial institutions including Chase, Citibank and Bank of America.

Another group picketed outside New York University to protest the university's expansion plans in Greenwich Village.

Occupy leaders said they planned "creative disruptions" in New York throughout the day.

Events are planned in cities across the United States and the world on Tuesday as well.

Some say they're willing to get arrested, staging surprise actions to make their point - that financial inequality is destroying our society.

The biggest known plan has the support of thousands of union members.

About 100 unions are listed online as planning to participate in a rally starting at 8 a.m. in midtown Manhattan's Bryant Park. Organizers say the park will function as a staging area for picket lines fanning out across midtown to spots where labor organizations have ongoing disputes.

Michael Belt, an organizer for 99 Picket Lines, said his group will target a range of locations, including banks like Wells Fargo and JP Morgan Chase.

The New York Police Department is bracing to respond to the protests, which come a day after a lawsuit was filed by five people who said their constitutional rights were violated when officers kept them inside an area surrounded by metal barricades for nearly two hours on Nov. 30 as they tried to participate in a demonstration.

The Occupy movement in New York has relied on demonstrations and marches around the city since Nov. 15, when police ousted hundreds of protesters from their base in Zuccotti Park near Wall Street, where they had camped since Sept. 17.

Paul Browne, the police department's chief spokesman, said recently that his department is "experienced at accommodating lawful protests and responding appropriately to anyone who engages in unlawful activity, and we're prepared to do both."

Meanwhile, police say the white powder contained in several envelopes that were mailed to various bank branches in New York City turned out to be non-toxic.

Police say seven envelopes were sent Monday to several Wells Fargo branches, a JP Morgan Chase branch and an office building.

"This is a reminder that you are not in control," the message said. "Just in case you needed some incentive to stop working, we have a little surprise for you. Think fast, you have seconds."

Police say the suspicious envelopes caused evacuations of several bank branches, but no injuries were reported. Police had no suspects.

The envelopes were sent on the eve of the planned May Day protests around the country.

Bill Dobbs, a spokesman for Occupy Wall Street, said the prank had nothing to do with their protest movement. He said the incidents distract from the May 1 events.

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Lawyer: IMF chief denies NYC sex-assault charges

  By COLLEEN LONGNEW YORK -- The leader of the International Monetary Fund, a possible candidate for president of France, was yanked from an airplane moments before it was to depart for Paris and arrested in the alleged sexual assault of a hotel maid, police said.

Dominique Strauss-Kahn, 62, was arrested on charges of a criminal sex act, attempted rape and unlawful imprisonment. He had been taken off the Air France flight at John F. Kennedy International Airport on Saturday afternoon by police officers.

Strauss-Kahn's lawyer, Benjamin Brafman, told The Associated Press that his client will plead not guilty at his expected Sunday afternoon arraignment.

"He denies all the charges against him," Brafman said. "And that's all I can really say right now."

France woke to the news Sunday with a measure of surprise.

Strauss-Kahn was expected to be the main challenger against President Nicolas Sarkozy, whose political fortunes have been flagging, in next year's presidential elections. The arrest could shake up the race and throw the long-divided Socialists back into disarray about who they could present as Sarkozy's opponent.

"It's a cross that will be difficult for him to bear," said Dominique Paille, a political rival to Strauss-Kahn on the center right, on BFM television.

"It's totally hallucinating. If it is true, this would be a historic moment, but in the negative sense, for French political life," Paille said. Still, he urged, "I hope that everyone respects the presumption of innocence. I cannot manage to believe this affair."

It wasn't clear why Strauss-Kahn was in New York. The IMF is based in Washington, and he was due in Germany on Sunday. His attorney declined to answer questions beyond saying his client denied the charges.

Strauss-Kahn checked into the luxury Sofitel hotel not far from Manhattan's Times Square Friday afternoon, police said.

The 32-year-old maid told authorities that she entered his suite early Saturday afternoon and he attacked her, New York Police Department spokesman Paul J. Browne. She said she had been told to clean the spacious $3,000-a-night suite, which she thought was empty.

According to an account the woman provided to police, Strauss-Kahn emerged from the bathroom naked, chased her down a hallway and pulled her into a bedroom, where he began to sexually assault her. She said she fought him off, then he dragged her into the bathroom, where he forced her to perform oral sex on him and tried to remove her underwear. The woman was able to break free again and escaped the room and told hotel staff what had happened, authorities said. They called police.

When detectives arrived moments later, Strauss-Kahn had already left the hotel, leaving behind his cellphone, Browne said. "It looked like he got out of there in a hurry," Browne said.

The NYPD discovered he was at the airport and contacted officials at the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which runs the airport. Port Authority officers plucked Strauss-Kahn from first class on the Air France flight that was just about to leave the gate.

The maid was taken by police to a hospital and was being treated for minor injuries. John Sheehan, a spokesman for the hotel, said its staff was cooperating in the investigation.

In sexual assault cases, it is procedure for detectives to look for DNA and forensic evidence and signs of trauma.

The accusations come amid French media reports about Strauss-Kahn's lifestyle, including luxury cars and suits, that some have dubbed a smear campaign.

The married father of four is known as DSK in France, but media there also have dubbed him "the great seducer." His reputation as a charmer of women has not hurt his career in France, where politicians' private lives traditionally come under less scrutiny than in the United States.

In 2008, Strauss-Kahn was briefly investigated over whether he had an improper relationship with a subordinate female employee.

The IMF board found that the relationship was consensual, but called his actions "regrettable" and said they "reflected a serious error of judgment."

The IMF employee left the fund and took a job with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development.

Strauss-Kahn issued an apology, writing in an email to IMF staff that he showed poor judgment but didn't abuse his position.

Caroline Atkinson, an IMF spokeswoman, issued a statement Sunday that said the agency would have no comment on the New York case.

She referred all inquiries to Strauss-Kahn's personal lawyer and said the "IMF remains fully functioning and operational."

Strauss-Kahn's offices in Paris couldn't be reached when the news broke overnight in France. One of his allies, Jean-Marie Le Guen, expressed doubt about the case.

"The facts as they've been reported today have nothing to do with the Dominique Strauss-Kahn that we know," Le Guen said on BFM television. "Dominique Strauss-Kahn has never exhibited violence toward people close to him, to anyone."

Strauss-Kahn was supposed to be meeting in Berlin on Sunday with German Chancellor Angela Merkel about aid to debt-laden Greece, and then join EU finance ministers in Brussels on Monday and Tuesday.

The IMF is responsible for one-third of Greece's existing loan package, and his expected presence at these meetings underlined the gravity of the Greek crisis.

Strauss-Kahn took over as head of the IMF in November 2007. The 187-nation lending agency provides help in the form of emergency loans for countries facing severe financial problems.

He won praise for his leadership during the financial crisis of 2008 and the severe global recession that followed.

More recently, he has directed the IMF's participation in bailout efforts to keep a European debt crisis, which began in Greece from destabilizing the global economy.

Before taking the top post at the IMF, Strauss-Kahn had been a member of the French National Assembly and had also served as France's Minister of Economy, Finance and Industry from June 1997 to November 1999.

More recently, Strauss-Kahn was seen as the strongest possible challenger to Sarkozy. He has not declared his candidacy, staying vague in interviews while feeding speculation that he wants France's top job.

He sought the Socialist Party's endorsement in the last elections, in 2007, but came in second in a primary to Segolene Royal. Royal, the first woman to get so close to France's presidency, lost to Sarkozy in the runoff.

After Sarkozy won, the new president championed Strauss-Kahn as a candidate to run the IMF. Sarkozy's backers touted the move as a sign of the conservative president's campaign of openness to leftists - but political strategists saw it as a way for Sarkozy to get a potential challenger far away from the French limelight.

Royal, who continues to harbor presidential ambitions of her own, was cautious about the allegations, saying Sunday that Strauss-Kahn has the right to the presumption of innocence.

Strauss-Kahn is credited with preparing France for the adoption of the euro by taming its deficit and persuading then-Prime Minister Lionel Jospin to sign up to an EU pact of fiscal prudence.

A former economics professor, Strauss-Kahn joined the Socialist party in 1976 and was elected to parliament in 1986 from the Val-d'Oise district, north of Paris. He went on to become mayor of Sarcelles, a working-class immigrant suburb of Paris.

His first government post was industry minister under former President Francois Mitterrand.

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Associated Press writers Cristian Salazar in New York, Martin Crutsinger in Washington and Angela Charlton in Paris contributed to this report.

(Copyright ©2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.) Get more New York News »

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