Mitt Romney hit a low point in his campaign today. Commenting on a letter that former Sen. Bob Dole wrote to Rush Limbaugh on behalf of Sen. John McCain's "mainstream conservative" credentials, Romney said "It's probably the last person I would have wanted write a letter for me."
If we take Romney's statement at face value, there are some 6.6 billion people whose support he values more. A short list of people who are ahead of Dole in Romney's mind would include Osama bin Laden, Kim Jung-il, and Carrot Top.
For the record, Dole's letter called for Limbaugh to support "our major candidates." He listed many of McCain's conservative credentials but did not endorse any particular candidate. Instead, he concluded "Whoever wins the Republican nomination will need your enthusiastic support."
It's a testament to how far the Republicans have lurched past conservatism and into radicalism that one of their leading candidates would tear into Dole, who would seem to be the personification of conservatism.
Update (2/5): Responding to criticism from Sen. Thad Cochran and former Sen. Rick Santorum regarding his alleged hot-headedness, Sen. McCain said "in all due respect to a couple of those people that are criticizing me, they’re not the most respected members of the United States Senate." A classy remark that, um, exactly proves their point.
Cochran had earlier said of McCain, "The thought of his being president sends a cold chill down my spine...He is erratic. He is hotheaded. He loses his temper and he worries me."
Last week, Sen. McCain and Gov. Romney were wrapping themselves in Pres. Reagan's mantle. This week, they and their surrogates are shredding Reagan's eleventh commandment.
