More Conservative Than Thee

After several years of ignoring conservatives, all the sudden the '08 GOP presidential field is rediscovering their closet conservatism and trying to out-conservative each other:

WASHINGTON - Eager to position himself as the most conservative GOP presidential hopeful, Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney accused Sen. John McCain Monday of being “disingenuous” on gay marriage.

In an interview with The Examiner, Romney described himself as more conservative than Republican rivals McCain, R-Ariz., and former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani on a variety of issues. “We’re in a different place on immigration; we’re in a different place on campaign reform; we’re in a different place on same–sex marriage; we’re in a different place on the president’s policy on interrogation of detainees,” Romney said.

“I’m a conservative Republican, there’s no question about that,” he said. “I’m at a different place than the other two.”

While this was going on, another candidate jumped into the field and is attempting to position himself as the "Reagan" conservative:

Washington — Sen. Sam Brownback, who is considering a White House bid in 2008, said Monday the Republican field has room for a “full-scale Ronald Reagan conservative” and pledged to make a final decision next month.

The Kansas senator said he was not discouraged from running by the Democrats’ strong gains in this month’s midterm elections, including assuming majority control of the House and Senate.

“It does not make it less likely,” he said in an interview. “I really believe that the basic conservative ideas and ideals were not repudiated. Our execution was.”

Don't kid yourself - he's in. Wouldn't it have been nice if the GOP had governed as conservatives expected them to when they were given control of the Congress? If they had, they wouldn't have faced the blowout they did in this year's election, and the country wouldn't be facing the financial disaster it is facing thanks to the Medicare Prescription Drug program and other out-of-control Federal spending approved by the GOP.