Principled Partisanship?

I agree with Chris that conservative pundit Hugh Hewitt "seems to have replaced his political and moral compass with sheer party calculation."

After all, in Hewitt's bestselling yet hysterical 2004 tome titled "If It's Not Close They Can't Cheat: Crushing the Democrats in Every Election and Why Your Life Depends on It," he quoted Disraeli thusly: "Damn your principles -- stick to your party."

Yet as Chris has also noted, Hewitt has now turned "his outwardly cordial, but ruthless-nonetheless attacks against other Republicans," as he does so here. In so doing, he violates Reagan's 11th commandment forbidding attacks on fellow Republicans.

Chris may prefer Huckabee to McCain and Romney and Giuliani on principle. But Hewitt, who relishes his role as a devout Christian, skewers Huckabee by taking the least charitable position on some of Huckabee's comments about religion in public life.

So McCain and Huckabee fans who once appreciated Hewitt's ability to cheerlead for the GOP are now coming to see what it's like when he hits under the belt, because now it's their own family jewels that are under attack.

This illustrates the unusual civil war brewing within the GOP, which as recently as 2003 seemed invincible.

For what it's worth, I would expect Bill Clinton to show some statesmanship in importing the 11th commandment to his party, but the smell of White House cooking seems to be making it too hard for him not to deflate Obama, their party's overall fortunes be damned. That's too bad.