Mitt Romney: I’m a Real Conservative, Not One Of Those Federalist Wannabes
In an exceptionally lame effort to position himself as the presumptive nominee for the conservative wing of the G.O.P. in ’08, Mitt Romney described as “disingenuous” John McCain’s combined support for traditional marriage and traditional federalism. Per Bill Sammon:
Romney was less charitable to McCain [than he had been toward Newt Gingrich], who on Sunday told ABC News: “I believe that the issue of gay marriage should be decided by the states.” McCain also said, “I believe that gay marriage should not be legal.”
Romney seized on the remarks.
“That’s his position, and in my opinion, it’s disingenuous,” he said. “Look, if somebody says they’re in favor of gay marriage, I respect that view. If someone says — like I do — that I oppose same–sex marriage, I respect that view. But those who try and pretend to have it both ways, I find it to be disingenuous.”
Time was when appealing to states’ rights was a federalist opinion, or even a conservative one. Now, at least according to Romney’s version of conservatism, Real Conservatives don’t need states’ rights any more than FDR liberals did. Everyone knows that anything worth doing is worth shoving down the whole country’s throat, so anyone who advocates “leaving it to the states” is a poseur or at best, a wimp.
Tom Maguire happily admits to being equally “disingenuous,” as do I. After attending the Lawyers Convention of the Disingenuous Society last week, I suspect there may be a lot more disingenuous Republicans out there than Romney might think. Are we really stuck with Giuliani and McCain? I think not. Gay marriage aside, if all federalist conservatives band together now the Coalition of the Disingenuous (or should that be, the Coalition to Have it All 50 Ways?) should be able to line up something better in time for the ’08 primary. You in?
November 22nd, 2006 at 10:01 am
Doesn’t “Romney of Massachusetts” say all that needs to be said about his Conservatism?
November 22nd, 2006 at 10:22 am
Possibly. Then again, if he is serious about his alleged conservatism in other respects, living in Massachusetts could help explain his general antipathy toward federalism. If I lived there I probably wouldn’t care much for states’ rights, either.
November 22nd, 2006 at 4:40 pm
Oh, waaah.
November 22nd, 2006 at 7:24 pm
I’m generally a federalist, but in the case of gay marriage, I think there is a strong case to be made for a national rule, otherwise the issues involving gays who marry in one state and move to another one will be a never-ending irritant.
December 24th, 2006 at 2:38 am
The Peculiar Religiosity of Barack Hussein Obama, Jr….
The thing that really bugs me about all the harping on Mitt Romney’s religion is that it keeps steering the discussion away from so many other serious issues. Instead of having to defend things like Romney’s obsession with universal health……