Bleeding Mitt Romney

By Creature

Conservative Hugh Hewitt, author of the new book: A Mormon in the White House? Ten Things Every American Should Know About Mitt Romney, stopped by The Situation Room yesterday to help to answer the question: Are American's wary of electing a Mormon President?

The short answer from Hugh was yes, they are wary, but this is only because the Left is after Romney with "vicious" and "bigoted" attacks. And why would the Left want to attack Romney? Because Romney is the "conservative in the race," and as a result they have the "most interest in bleeding him." Whatever that means. So, as Romney moves hard to the Right, his water-carrier points Left. Except as I recall that's not how it played out at the recent Conservative Political Action Conference.

Outside the ballroom at the Omni Shoreham, a man was strolling about in a dolphin costume and a T-shirt declaring "Flip Romney: Just another Flip Flopper From Massachusetts." The porpoise was ready to burst his blowhole: "First he was pro-choice, now magically he's pro-life. First he's for gun control, then he's against it."

Other CPAC attendees handed out full-size yellow Romney flip-flops announcing, "1992: Romney voted for Democrat Paul Tsongas for president." On each chair was a "Romney multiple-choice exam" about gun control, taxes, abortion and gay rights; the answer to each question was "both A and B." Another flier juxtaposed Romney's photo with John Kerry's, warning that Romney "told Planned Parenthood he supports Roe v Wade!"

Yes, Hugh, this was at the Conservative Political Action Conference. The Left may be pricking Romney here and there, but it's your own kind that is doing the "bleeding." Please leave the Left out of this one.

Update: CNN has the Hewitt transcript up, and I'm sure this is just a mistake--and I did double check with my DVR, but where Hewitt accuses the Left of "bleeding" Romney the CNN transcriber uses the word "building." Like I said, clearly a mistake, unless of course the term "bleeding" was a bit too "Passion of the Christ" for CNN. Who knows?

BLITZER: Were these attacks against him on policy issues or because he's a Mormon?

HEWITT: A Mormon. These are specifically Mormon. He's also been attacked for being a flip-flopper from the left. That's not a conservative critique of him, either.

Now, there are concerns. When you have a Reuters poll that says 43 percent of Americans have some question, obviously that's going to be on the right as well as the left.

But the public attacks that have been the most vicious -- and I go to the "Slate" one as probably the most bigoted attack -- have come from the left. I think it's because he's the conservative in the race, as you know. And, as a result, they have the most interest in building [bleeding] him and they're doing their best to try to do so. [emphasis on building/bleeding is all mine]

Complete CNN transcript here.

(Cross-posted at State of the Day.)