Romney goes after McCain for – opposing the expansion of Medicare? (Updated)

UPDATE: Romney has disavowed this robocall (The Corner). 

Anyone who has turned on a radio or read National Review is well aware that most of the political right has latched on the Romney as the anti-McCain.  At present, I know of two Virginia bloggers (including myself) who backed McCain before today.  Romney is supposedly the choice for economic conservatives.

For those who really believe that, kindly explain this (Politico, from three days ago):

Mitt Romney’s campaign is sending out automated phone calls to Florida Republicans attacking John McCain on taxes and Social Security, an aide to the former governor confirms.  

A Florida Republican up in the Panhandle received a robo today suggesting he “take a hard look at John McCain’s record.”

“John McCain voted against the AARP-backed Medicare prescription drug program,” the call notes, in an obvious effort to give seniors pause about the senator.

This upsets me on two levels.  The first, of course, being that Romney, the supposedly “conservative” choice, is ripping McCain over what is arguably McCain’s finest moment not involving Iraq in over a decade.  Philip Klein at American Spectator put it best (emphasis added):

First, McCain should be praised by all conservatives for being one of the few Republican Senators to oppose the multi-trillion dollar boondoggle, which has become the poster child for the party’s betrayal of small government principles.

Second, in last Thursday’s debate, Romney correctly noted that, “the earmarks and the pork barrel spending and the bridge to nowhere, that’s an easy one to take a shot at. But the big one is entitlements and reining in entitlement costs. And that’s where the big dollars are.” Yet just days after Romney made that statement, we find out that his campaign is attacking McCain for opposing legislation that, by some estimates, added $16.2 trillion to our long-term entitlements deficit.

. . .

 If the conservative movement, so desperate to rally around Romney, gives him a free pass on this scurrilous attack on fiscal conservatism, it would be an utter disgrace.

That, in and of itself, is bad enough.

The other problem is in reference to Romney’s particular campaign in Florida.  Like in Michigan, Romney seemed to base his campaign on what the voters in Florida wanted, and pushed it with no concern for what the rest of the country wanted.  In corporate America – where Romney reminds everyone that he learned all he needed to be President – this is called “niche marketing.”

But in politics, its pandering – and Romney’s is making it clear he’s ready to do it fifty different ways – with the taxpayers’ money every time.

McCain, by contrast, is a national candidate.  He is one who recognize the danger of our of control spending.  It is abundantly clear he understands this farbetter than Romney, who’s “economic conservatism” allows for, as Klein put it above, “the multi-trillion dollar boondoggle.”