Quin, this story came out back in March, we debated it then, and
it's only becoming a story again because Drudge--who's known for
his pro-Romney sympathies--decided to link to it. For people that
are suspicious of McCain to begin with, it will reinforce their
suspicions. Others will dismiss it as DC gossip. Since I have no
insider information, there's nothing really more for me to say.
On Iraq, as I said, I think McCain went overboard with his
comments, but there is no doubt that Romney wanted to have wiggle
room on Iraq last year. That's why we were talking about how McCain
was going to lose anti-war independents in New Hampshire. As for
why McCain didn't attack Brownback or Huckabee on the surge,
clearly, he went after Romney because Romney was his chief rival. I
mean, it's like saying why didn't Romney go after Duncan Hunter for
being protectionist on trade.
Look, I feel like you've turned me into a full-time defender of
McCain here just because I feel the need to add some sense of
balance to the blog. There are plenty of legitimate gripes to have
with McCain, but what frustrates me is the hatred for McCain is so
intense that many conservatives are trying to argue that we should
all rally around Romney, overlooking his many deviations from
conservatism--not just in the past, but now.
Right now, Romney is defending government mandated health
insurance as a conservative position. Right
now, Romney is supporting a $20 billion bailout for the auto
industry. Right now, Romney is touting the basic idea that
government infastructure projects are a way to create jobs--only
objecting on the basis of the fact that they don't offer short-term
stimulus. Right now, Romney is attacking
McCain for voting against "the AARP-backed Medicare prescription
drug program" --a multi-trillion dollar piece of legislation that
conservatives have been complaining about for years.
That's just in the last few weeks--not in a 1994 Senate race or
2002 race for governor. Had McCain taken any one of the positions
mentioned above, conservatives would be frothing at the mouth in
rage, citing it as further evidence of his liberal, RINO
tendencies. Yet because of the animosity they have toward McCain,
conservatives are being blinded as to Romney's severe faults as a
conservative.
topics:
Trade, Iraq, Conservatism, Medicare
