In last night's episode, Henry Francis calls GOP presidential hopeful Mitt Romney's father a "clown."
CAUTION: This article contains plot details of Season 5, Episode 3 of "Mad Men."
Francis is heard telling someone on the phone that he won't let his boss go to Michigan "because Romney is a clown and I don't want him standing next to him."
The Romney in question is the late George Romney, Mitt's father and the governor of Michigan in 1966 (the year in which this season takes place). Henry Francis, Betty's second husband, plays a political staffer. Though Mediaite describes his position as that of a "political advisor to New York City Mayor John Lindsay," he's actually the director of public relations for New York Governor Nelson Rockefeller, per the show's website.
The quip came at a tense moment in Episode 3, the second week of the season (the first week featured a double episode). With Betty facing a health scare and awaiting her test results, every phone call to the Francis residentcarried the promise of either relief or horrible news. This call, however, just brought a bit of election year teasing for Mitt Romney.
George Romney served as governor of Michigan from 1963 to 1969, when he went to Washington to serve as Nixon's Secretary of Housing and Urban Development. Mitt recently won the Republican primary in the state by a narrow margin after repeatedly mentioning how much he enjoyed the height of the trees there.
UPDATE: Tagg Romney, the candidate's son, has responded on Twitter:
Watch the clip at the top of this article and let us know what you think in the comments.
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