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"Why the hard put down?" some are asking. Well the "he's my friend" admiration society seems to have been running a bit one way lately with McCain going after Rudy over multiple days on the torture issue as just one example. I think two things are at issue(aside from some possible annoyance at being McCain's target). First, McCain is most viable in NH where Rudy is trying to move up. Raising the argument that McCain is holier than thou on campaign finance may put a crimp in his appeal to Independents and remind the base of one of McCain's least popular(at least with conservative) achievements-- McCain Feingold. Second, it should come as no surprise that Rudy doesn't just feign indifference when attacked. Although I'm sure he enjoys the concession that he is indeed the frontrunner he's not going to encourage others to take shots. We're in the last 60 days before votes are cast and friend or no friend, this is big time politics. (Unlike Hillary Republicans don't whine, they hit back.)

UPDATE: And to top it off McCain's mom did some Mormon bashing (h/t Marc Ambinder). Sometimes less is more. A lot less. And Matthews and McCain yucking it up doesn't look great, I gotta say.