President Bush: the big government liberal

Amidst all the excitement about Sarah Palin's speech last night, spare a thought for my favourite evil Republican, Mitt Romney, the man so dislikeable that even spending millions and millions of his own dollars couldn't buy him the Republican nomination.

Less than a year ago, Romney would have hoped to have spent this week's Republican conference as their Presidential candidate. Less than a month ago, he'd have expected at least to be the Vice Presidential nominee.

But he was still on fine form, explaining to cheering delegates that the problem with the current government was, wait for it, that it is too liberal. In Mitt's own words:

"Last week, the Democrats talked about change. But let me ask you — what do you think Washington is right now, liberal or conservative? Is a Supreme Court liberal or conservative that awards Guantanamo terrorists with constitution rights? It’s liberal! Is a government liberal or conservative that puts the interests of the teachers union ahead of the needs of our children? It’s liberal!

Is a Congress liberal or conservative that stops nuclear power plants and offshore drilling, making us more and more dependent on Middle East tyrants? It’s liberal!

Is government spending — excluding inflation — liberal or conservative if it doubles since 1980? It’s liberal!

We need change all right — change from a liberal Washington to a conservative Washington! We have a prescription for every American who wants change in Washington — throw out the big government liberals and elect John McCain!"

Is this really going to be the Republican message? That the problem with George Bush and Dick Cheney is that they are big government liberals? It's obviously ridiculous, and yet you can see from the video all these people listening to the speech, clapping, cheering and chanting along with him.