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Mankiw to Advise Romney Campaign Only Four Times per Semester

MANCHESTER, NH - Mitt Romney announced at a press conference today that Harvard professor of economics N. Gregory Mankiw would be joining his campaign as an adviser, but that the two would be speaking only "four-at most five-times" this semester.

"We'll make a great team! Professor Mankiw knows that the way to sell textbooks is to always release new editions, and when it comes to selling myself to Republican voters, I take the same approach," Romney said before mouthing the words "healthcare" and "abortion" and then winking.

Romney told reporters he was not at all concerned about the lack of face time he'd be getting with Mankiw, explaining that the former chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers under George W. Bush had assured him that the entire teaching staff of Ec 10 would be at the disposal of the Romney campaign.

"Most of the best economic policymaking is done in section, anyway," Romney said, explaining why Kimberly Lin, a second-year public policy student at the Kennedy School of Government and Ec 10 TF, had been placed on his public schedule at 12pm every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for the next 12 weeks.

Romney touted Lin's qualifications, saying that the Chinese national spoke understandable English and always went over the readings. "Because sometimes I just don't have time to do them," Romney said.

Romney also conveyed his excitement that Mankiw would be arranging guest meetings with other distinguished Harvard economics faculty members. "Two weeks from Wednesday-or was it Friday?-I don't know, sometime soon, Mankiw's got me meeting with Marty Feldstein!" Romney exclaimed.

"Oh, I'm not exactly sure, but I think he was a pretty big deal during the Reagan administration, or something," Romney said, when pressed by a reporter who exactly Feldstein was.

The Republican presidential candidate did express hesitation that one of his four meetings with Professor Mankiw was scheduled for the
Monday before Thanksgiving. "I might be ducking out of town a few days early for the holiday," Romney said, explaining that he hoped he would be able to get the notes for that meeting from a friend.

Still, Romney was confident that his economic-policy team would serve him well in his bid to secure the GOP nomination.  "Have you looked at the other candidates?" Romney asked. "The curve is going to be super low."

Professor Mankiw was unavailable for comment.

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