Paul Weyrich liked Mitt Romney; now he doesn't

Paul Weyrich, co-founder of the Moral Majority, made a splash last November when he endorsed Mitt Romney for president. Now he's part of an organized campaign urging the man who bested Romney in the Republican primaries and caucuses, John McCain, NOT to make the former Massachusetts governor his running mate.

There was no love lost -- at all -- between the McCain and Romney forces in the final stages of the GOP contest. But Romney earned some goodwill from his rival when he quickly folded up his campaign after getting waxed in Feb. 5's Super Tuesday round of votes. And warm words the two have exchanged about each other -- as well as a joint appearance last week -- sparked speculation that they could end up as this election season's Republican tag team.

McCain was campaigning in Prescott, Ariz., today; while there he will be greeted by a full-page ad in the local newspaper declaring Romney "utterly unacceptable" as a vice presidential pick to those who signed the open letter -- social conservatives all, including Weyrich.

The ad, which those paying for it say will shadow McCain in papers in various towns in visits in the days to come, expresses skepticism about Romney's sincerity in embracing -- while a presidential candidate -- a host of conservative positions ....

on social issues that previously he had rejected.

Says the ad:

"To be clear, we all welcome anyone who has come around to the cause of life and family. However, Romney's actions as governor flatly contradict both the values widely associated with his faith as well as his pro-life and pro-traditional marriage campaign rhetoric."

A release about the ad was posted on the Christian News Wire.

Romney, in wooing social conservatives, constantly was beset with the "flip-flop" criticism. Will Weyrich face a similar charge?

-- Don Frederick

Photo Credit: Getty Images

Comments

[Carol]

If Weyrich doesn't face a similar charge it will indicate that the flip-flop charge against Romney was motivated only by religious bigotry.

So far I'm seeing the virulently anti-Romney people say that Weyrich has "repented." Romney flip-flops and Weyrich's repents...

My take is that Weyrich opportunustically latched on to Romney because he was the up and comer power-player. Now that he is not, Weyrich is confessing his sins and repenting to curry favor with whomever may benefit him elsewhere.

[Winghunter]

Weyrichs failure as a GOP leader is the primary story with the flip-flopping from one pandering con artist to the next is merely the corroborating evidence.

Apparently, he's not the only one in a large group of people who need a personal sledge-hammer to help pound in the reality that no Constitutional amendments can be repealed OR amended. Nor should their priority challenged and single-minded goals be attempted in that way according to our founding fathers who bothered to write out instructions of their design of our government.

Seriously, it's as if their skulls are too thick for the fact to sink in on their own.

[JD]

Romney would be the best presidential pick by far. His expertise regarding the economy and his conservative positions socially are both assets to Romney. Weyrich flip flopping undermines any sincere intentions here. Without Romney, McCain will go under.

[scott stuiut]

Mitt the hypocrite has always changed his views to assist whatever election he was in. He couldnt have won the election as govenor of mass with his views. Mitt would change his views tommorrow if he thought ot would help his political career. He promised to be more liberal than Ted Kennedy. Now he is an ultraconservative. Winning is everything beliefs mean nothing.

[David Shedlock, Newton, IA]

Romney neither repented nor flip-flopped on abortion.

Remember, he says he was always pro-life. He only admits to being "effectively pro-choice." What that means is that he never underwent a change of heart, only a change of politics.

His $50 per snuff-a-baby in his Massachusetts socialized medicine plan showed his true colors.

[WakeWashington]

I can't believe Weyrich drank the Jan Folger koolaid.

All we need on the GOP ticket is a corrupt has-been like Huckabee who has based a campaign on bigotry, given a well-received speech to the nation's largest white supremacy group - the Council of Conservative Citizens - and freed a rapist from jail who went on to commit murder.

[Johnny K]

Please no Mitt, he is not stable on the true and important issues