Romney Hires Alex Castellanos

Squeaky-clean Mitt Romney hires an attack dog — Alex Castellanos :

"The truest spots, most factual spots, are the negative and comparative," [Castellanos] said. "They inform the voters much more than a bunch of fluffy positives often do."

Widely considered one of the country's more influential Republican image-makers, Castellanos has produced television spots for President Bush, presidential candidate Bob Dole, and former senator Jesse Helms of North Carolina. Romney's move to recruit him sends a strong signal that the governor plans to mount a serious national campaign for 2008, political observers say.

Castellanos has generated controversy and, at times, hiccups for his clients by producing ads later exposed as misleading or factually incorrect.

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