The Discerning Texan

Things are getting pretty sleazy in Iowa, and as John McCain is the alleged "beneficiary" of this false Fred Thompson rumor, it is possible that someone close to McCain is responsible for the rumor. As to how it made its way to The Politico, well, do the math; it is hardly a secret that many "inside the Beltway journalists would love to see McCain get the nod. When you watch shows like Special Report with Brit Hume, some panelists can barely contain themselves.

Alternate theory: it could be Romney or Huckabee planting this in order to characterize Fred to voters as more akin to the "moderate" McCain.

Either way it is sleazy and unbecoming of honorable men.

UPDATE: You know I started out this year very impressed by Mitt Romney, and I have said all along that he was my second choice to Fred; but quite frankly his non-stop negative campaigning has been souring me on Mitt. And now that it appears that Mitt was behind the attempt to sabotage Thompson in The Politico today, I am officially out: if Fred doesn't make it, count me in for Rudy as my second choice. "Slick Mitt" sitting there pretending to be above it all--while his campaign is setting some kind of record for mudslinging--is every bit as hypocritical as Huckabee's repeatedly blaming his own campaign staff for his own serial cluelessness on the trail. They are both a bit too hypocritical for my taste, Rich Lowry and Hugh Hewitt notwithstanding.

For both Romney and Huckabee here's a hint: if you can't control your campaign staff now, then what are we to expect if you were to become President? And if you are in control of your staff now, then that means you have been lying to the rest of us. So why should we elect a liar?

Here is hoping that Thompson has a strong showing tonight and next week; but if for any reason he falters, count me in with Rudy. And, regarding the Politico dirty trick, to paraphrase the words of a real statesman: I didn't leave Mitt; Mitt left me.

As for the reporting of The Politico: this little affair speaks volumes. If Jonathan Martin and company can be so easily had by the Romney campaign that he would predict a concession before one vote had even been cast in one caucus, then they have a bigger problem than some rogue Romney source... Compounding this error is the prediction that Fred would then support McCain?? Perhaps I have missed something, but in my mind Fred and McCain could not be further apart on the issues.

UPDATE: What Dan Riehl said:

Romney's Mistake: He's Been Too Negative

Romney can still be fine. But his campaign better wake up and realize politics is more than going negative on your competition. Anyone inside this game knows the back story. It's been so bad, I even wrote a contact telling them I thought they should knock it off. Romney was running in Iowa, for months, has he appeared to stand for anything? To have any message except for how bad the other guy is? Not so far as I can tell.

Huckabee is going into New Hampshire - five days straight, starting tomorrow. That will end the McCain / Huckabee love fest.

If Romney and his people have any sense at all, they'll begin to promote a candidate that stands for something, as opposed to a campaign dedicated to tearing everyone else down. Romney's support is solid in New Hampshire. If he gets positive, he can reap the benefits of McCain and Huckabee competing for the rest.

But if he doesn't start standing for something positive, assuming he actually does, he's done.

They'd do well to go to school on Obama's positive messaging aproach. So much for Republican establishment wisdom.