Among the criticisms of Newt Gingrich, as noted in Quin Hillyer’s post, is that Newt supported RINO Dede Scozzafava for a congressional seat in a New York special election. This would be a fine criticism — and as far as it goes, I agree. But alas, many of my conservative friends who are making this criticism did exactly the same thing when the geography shifted to Delaware. My great friend Quin was decidedly a strong supporter of RINO Mike Castle over conservative Christine O’Donnell in the primary for the Delaware Senate seat. Quin was not alone by any stretch of the imagination. All manner of conservatives virtually formed a conga line to support the SEIU’s favorite RINO Mike Castle — from the pages of the National Review to the Wall Street Journal to Senator John Cornyn and Karl Rove. Mark Levin, Sean Hannity, Senator Jim DeMint, and yours truly took one whack after another for supporting O’Donnell, who, interestingly, was finally selected by the rank and file voters of the Delaware GOP over the RINO Castle. Fair enough. 

But to suddenly go after Newt Gingrich for supporting a RINO Republican congressional candidate — someone already nominated by the local GOP — when those pointing to this as a defect raced to support a RINO primary candidate over a conservative — rings more than just a tad on the hollow side. And as to Quin’s citing of various Newt criticisms by others in this space, one can only say that if we are in fact down to Newt or Romney, Romney’s flaws are well out there. Indeed, he would not only be accurately described as a RINO — but if one is going to fly speck him as the ex-House staffer did Newt (anonymously, of course, because his bread and butter depends on it) we will shortly just agree to leaving the ballot slot against Obama a blank. Because there isn’t a soul out there who can make the grade.