Groan. This is why I hate moderate Republicans, compassionate conservatives, etc. No matter what a GOP politician does, he will be slammed by Democrats as an extreme right-winger. So you might as well get your money's worth, I say. Call for the abolition of the federal Department of Education, zero out the National Endowment of the Arts, denounce Medicare as socialism -- at least do something to merit the inevitable "extremist" label. Otherwise, people will get the idea that the being middle-of-the-road is "extreme," which makes liberalism "centrist." What then is deserving to be called "left-wing"? Pol Pot, maybe.