The Fix: McCain Goes Negative with Flyer in Charleston, SC contrasting himself with Romney, Giuliani

[flpoljunkie]

on various "hot button issues" that stir the hard core right to the polls in the primaries.

Posted at 03:45 PM ET, 04/17/2007
McCain's Negative Flyer

http://blog.washingtonpost.com/thefix/

To date the leading candidates for president have largely avoided any direct confrontations with one another, believing -- perhaps rightly -- that any sort of major scuffle will leave both sides damaged in the eyes of voters. But, behind the scenes an all-out war of information (and misinformation) is going on as each campaign seeks to ensure that reporters, activists and other political hangers-on are made aware of each and every negative article, misstatement or controversial policy position made or advocated by their opponents.

While most of these attacks fly below The Fix's radar screen we managed to get our hands on a flyer that was handed out last Friday night at a gathering of the Charleston (S.C.) County Republican Party.

Paid for by Sen. John McCain's (R-Ariz.) presidential exploratory committee, the handout compares and contrasts McCain's positions on hot-button social issues like abortion, gay marriage and gun control with those of his two main rivals for the presidential nomination -- former Gov. Mitt Romney (Mass.) and former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani.

On abortion, the flyer cites a Christian Science Monitor article from May 15, 2006 that says the Senator "consistently votes the antiabortion rights position" while noting that Romney "says he's pro-life" but then quotes from a 2002 gubernatorial debate in which he says he will "preserve and protect a woman's right to choose." Giuliani's statement to CNN in November 2006 that he is "pro-choice" is also mentioned.

On judges, McCain is quoted as supporting "judges who interpret the Constitution and don't usurp...the public's right to elect representatives to write out laws." For Romney, a Boston Globe article is cited that says Romney as governor bypassed GOP lawyers in favor of Democratic and Independent attorneys. Giuliani is quoted seemingly praising Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg appointment to the court.

You get the idea.

McCain's campaign confirmed the authenticity of the flyer but offered no comment on its contents.

Link to the flier in pdf form: http://media.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/politics/pdf/sc-mccain-20070417.pdf