EDITORIAL - I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Ann Coulter is a liability, not an asset, to the conservative movement.

In her January 16 opinion-editorial, Coulter reveals herself a shameless Romney supporter. She admits: “I've been casually taking swipes at Mitt Romney for the past year based on the assumption that, in the end, Republicans would choose him as our nominee. My thinking was that Romney would be our nominee because he is manifestly the best candidate.”

Mitt Romney, whose record is laced with blatant inconsistency, is the “best candidate”? Had Ms. Coulter done her research prior to composing her piece? “I've looked and looked,” writes she, “and the only issue I can find that Romney has ‘flipped’ on is abortion.” Unfortunately, this contradiction, which Coulter conveniently downplays, is just one of many parts of Romney’s unpardonable record.

• October 1994: “I believe that abortion should be safe and legal in this country… I believe that since Roe v. Wade has been the law for 20 years, that we should sustain and support it… My personal beliefs…should not be brought into a political campaign.”


• January 2008 (campaign website): “As President, Governor Romney will promote a culture of life. Governor Romney believes that Roe v. Wade should be overturned so that the issue of abortion can be returned to the American people and their elected representatives at the state and federal level.”


• October 1994: “I was an independent during the time of Reagan-Bush. I’m not trying to return to Reagan-Bush.”


• December 2007 (when compared to Ronald Reagan): “You know, anybody feels that they're a pale comparison to Ronald Reagan, but he did something which our country desperately needs today, and that is remind people of the optimistic core in this country, remind us of our values, of our family orientation, of our belief in a purpose greater than ourself [sic] in life. And at the same time, he said, ‘I'm going to grow this economy, I'm going to cut taxes; we're going to take off and out-compete the Russians.’ And then he built a strong military -- so strong that they couldn't keep up.”


• 2002-2006: As governor, Romney allowed four Massachusetts cities – Brookline, Cambridge, Somerville, and Orleans – to become sanctuary cities for illegal aliens. Romney could have censured, penalized, or cut funding to these municipalities; he did not.


• May 2007: “My view, you have to secure the border, number one, have an employment verification system, number two, and number three, say to those that are there illegally, get in line with everybody else; you're not going to have a special doorway, any particular advantage, by having come here illegally, to become a permanent resident.”


• 1994: Supported two gun control measures – including the Brady Bill – that were strongly opposed by the NRA. “I don’t line up with the NRA,” Romney proudly commented at a campaign stop.


• 2006: Joined NRA as a life member; claimed he was a gun owner, but then later admitted that he was not.


• 1994: Opposed Federal Marriage Amendment, vowing to help establish “full equality for America’s gays and lesbians.”


• 2007: Declared support for Federal Marriage Amendment, as well as opposition to adoptions by same-sex couples. Romney declared: “… ultimately we’re gonna have one standard of marriage in this country, and that standard ought to be one man and one woman.”

Conservatives should not mind when others join their camp; after all, what is a movement if not a haven for stalwarts and converts alike? But Governor Romney presents conservatives with an interesting challenge, for his list of conversions is both daunting and curious. Either the man endured a Damascus-like transformation rivaling Paul’s – or he badly wants the presidency.

How can Coulter avoid (or worse, not see) Romney’s frailties? Despite her vitriol and self-advertised righteousness, it seems that she has imbibed of Kool-Aid of the Massachusetts variety. Now her vision is blurred; her political senses are impaired. Even though Coulter was harshly critical of John Kerry in 2004 for his political shape-shifting, she has now chosen to support the GOP’s own brand of flip-flopping.

According to Coulter: “Voting for McCain because he was a POW a quarter-century ago or Huckabee because he was a Baptist preacher is like buying a new car because you like the color.” Granted. But supporting a man like Mr. Romney is like buying a car that, after years on the road, endeavors to change its own make and model.

But a Ford in 1994 is still a Ford in 2008 – no matter how much he, or Ms. Coulter, may prefer otherwise.