You've made some good points below, some which I hadn't thought of.
Maybe the ambush is going the other way.
I can't believe Reid is stupid enough to do something like this unless he knew Romney was hiding something. Then again, I can't believe Mitt could be this stupid unless he had something to hide.
Both of these men have achieved high positions and have held them for long periods of time. It is difficult to accept that either is a fool. The only hypothesis that fits the facts is that Reid knows the truth, and Romney is trying to hide it.
Maybe Mr Romney should seek some advice from Donald Trump.