CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Mike Rowe makes his living doing dirty jobs as the host of a Discovery Channel show called “

He’s handled snakes on the Lake Erie Islands, cleaned out the bowels of sewage plants, and picked up roadkill in Akron with the Ohio Department of Transportation.

One job he won’t do is endorse a candidate for president. Even if he appears with him on stage at American Spring Wire Corp. in Bedford, Heights. Even if the candidate refers to Rowe as “my friend.”

That’s the magic, it seems, of television.

Rowe appeared onstage with Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney after Romney’s campaign sent out press releases announcing that the popular TV host, Ford pitchman and former opera singer would appear with him on the campaign trail.

Plain Dealer politics writer

that Rowe would “offer his support” during the event, which is what Romney’s people told him. And no wonder they characterized it that way: Rowe, as Gomez noted, had written Romney a letter pledging to vote for him if he read the whole thing. A campaign aide later Tweeted a photo of Romney reading the letter.

A deal’s a deal, right?

Not so fast. A local lawyer representing the

called The Plain Dealer to say Rowe wasn’t really offering support. Rowe apparently is not allowed to endorse anyone by contract (Obama supporters apparently buy Fords and watch TV, too.)

And, indeed, Romney explained clearly that Rowe was there to share ideas, not stump.

“Mike Rowe as you know is a guy who has made a name for himself by doing things that other people don’t want to do. Really ugly dirty jobs, like standing with a politician,” said Romney, getting a laugh. “He’s nonpartisan. He’s not here to support me. He is not here to add support to one campaign or another. He’s here to talk about his ideas about how to help America create more jobs.”

So the celebrity friend he brought out on the campaign trail can't even offer his support for Romney?

Maybe it’s better this way. The last time we saw a celebrity actually supporting Romney, an empty chair stole all the headlines.