I told the editor I didn't know, and began calling sources in the Romney campaign and staffers for Gov. Rick Snyder. The guv, who endorsed Romney, is strongly in favor of the bridge.

But nobody in either camp knew how Romney stood. Most didn't return my calls. Finally a reporter for The Blade asked Romney, who just grinned and refused to answer.

Later, the campaign released a wishy-washy statement: "Governor Romney believes that it is up to the people of Michigan to decide if another bridge is in the best interest of their state. Governor Romney has confidence that Governor Snyder and the Michigan Legislature will come to an agreement on this issue."

That is exactly what they have been unable to do. Now, it is true that presidential candidates shouldn't meddle in purely local and state affairs. But the nation's most economically important border crossing is both a national and international issue.

Calling Romney's evasion a default of leadership, the paper said that as a result, they couldn't endorse him, "not yet and maybe not at all. ... Mr. Romney won't get to evade tough issues as president. He shouldn't play duck-and-dodge now," the newspaper wrote.

Apparently Romney, who used to be accused of constantly changing his positions, now finds it better to have none whatsoever. However, he might want to think twice about this one: The Pennsylvania primary is April 24, and the editor-in-chief of the Toledo paper also is in charge at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

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