Romney Finds Advisers Both Help and Hurt

Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney greets people after speaking at a Father's Day Brunch Sunday June 17, 2007 at the Burlington, Iowa Golf Club. (AP Photo/John Lovretta) (John Lovretta - AP)

Running against better-known candidates such as McCain and former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, Romney has also had to broaden his name recognition nationally _ a task that can be accelerated through affiliation with better-known figures.

In Mankiw's case, he once served as chairman of Bush's Council of Economic Advisers. He is now co-chairman of Romney's Economic Advisory Council. Romney also has an Advisory Committee on the Constitution and the Courts, a National Faith and Values Steering Committee, and a National Hispanic Steering Committee.

The op-ed piece to which Mankiw lent his name said, in part, "This is most far-reaching and thoughtful reform of our immigration system in four decades and one that will significantly enhance American competitiveness."

Former Rep. Vin Weber, R-Minn., who serves as Romney's policy chairman, signed onto a similar op-ed last year in The Wall Street Journal. It proclaimed the only way to solve the country's immigration problem was to pass a comprehensive bill that includes "status for the illegal immigrants already here."

Romney disagrees and said earlier this month during a Republican debate: "It's simply not fair to say those people get put ahead in the line of all the people who've been waiting legally to come to this country."

Campaign photographs of a preparation session for that debate showed Romney taking notes during a round-table session with an array of advisers _ including former Massachusetts Gov. William Weld and former Massachusetts Lt. Gov. Kerry Healey.

Weld is also raising money for Romney, while Healey plans to head to Iowa to campaign on his behalf.

Last fall, Healey spent much of her unsuccessful gubernatorial campaign explaining her principled differences with Romney over civil unions, embryonic stem cell research and access to emergency contraception. And last week, Weld was back in the Massachusetts Statehouse, voicing his opposition to a gay marriage ban supported by Romney.

The ban was defeated, prompting Romney's campaign to issue a statement urging passage of a federal gay marriage ban.

Madden, the Romney spokesman, said: "I've never met a voter who walked into a voting booth and pulled a lever for a candidate because they have a certain adviser as part of their campaign team. I believe voters vote for a president based on that person's ideas and their vision for the future."