"I have not urged my own children to enlist"

Thus spake Governor Romney, when asked by a Herald reporter whether, as part of his campaign to encourage Massachusetts residents to sign up for the National Guard, he has brought the campaign to his 24- to 35-year old (i.e., eligible) sons.  The article is entitled "Mitt backs war, but his boys are safe at home."  Romney is a stalwart supporter of President Bush's Iraq policy and has not, as far as I know, voiced any of the concerns mentioned by fellow Republicans John McCain, Chuck Hagel, and others.

Is this cheap "gotcha" journalism?  I really don't think so.  If an elected official like Romney is willing to go public with his support of Bush's Iraq policy and urge other people to send their wives, husbands, mothers, fathers, daughters, and sons into the National Guard - where, of course, they stand a reasonably good chance of being called to serve in Iraq - it seems perfectly reasonable to ask whether Romney himself is willing to do the same.  And if he is not willing to do so, he had better have a really, really good reason why the Guard is the right choice for other people's flesh and blood, but not his.

UPDATE: Turns out the Herald put a blurb for this story on today's front page, in a can't-miss bright red box that says "The Herald asks Mitt: 'If you support the war, why aren't your boys over there?'"  You gotta love the Herald - they get a lot of things wrong, but every now and then they really nail it.  Also, FWIW, I cross-posted this over at Kos and it made the "recommended diary" list, so lots of non-MA folks are hearing about this.  How's that landslide looking now, Governor?