Report: Behind the scenes of Mitt Romney's vice presidential search
— -- The New York Times reports on the details behind Mitt Romney's secretive search for a running mate.
Based on interviews with campaign aides who spoke on the condition of anonymity, Ashley Parker and Michael Barbaro have the scoop:
For the potential running mates, the vetting process began with a telephone call from Mr. Romney, followed shortly thereafter by another from Beth Myers, a longtime Romney confidante who is overseeing the search. The candidates filled out a form authorizing the release of financial documents and background information. A team of lawyers is responsible for assessing each prospective candidate.
Many hands are involved, but the research is done by separate teams, so that only Ms. Myers and Mr. Romney have access to the full picture at all times.
Mr. Romney has taken a hands-on role. He checks in with Ms. Myers over the phone roughly every other day to discuss his thinking. And the candidate, a Harvard-trained lawyer, reviews some of the background information himself.
At the end of every day, confidential materials (tax returns, investment records and real estate documents) are returned to a secure vault inside the Romney campaign headquarters in Boston.
