They don't even blush at their lack of principles

Even the so-called moderate Republicans will pander with the best of them.

Recently, John McCain groveled before Jerry Fallwell, giving the commencement speech at Falwell's Liberty University. This after Falwell and other members of the Christian right had smeared McCain and his family during the 2000 Republican primaries. But, McCain's running again, and apparently is willing to debase himself to get the backing of the religious nuts this time around.

And now we have Rudy Giuliani helping out his good buddy Ralph Reed, the former head of the Christian Coalition, who is running for Lt. Gov. in Georgia, and is one of the slimiest people in politics or religion. And that's saying something.

As I said a few weeks back, Giuliani, who, like McCain, is apparently thinking about entering the GOP presidential primaries for 2008, is delusional if he thinks his pro-choice, pro-gay rights, pro-gun control views will land him the Republican nomination.

At the fundraiser for Reed, Giuliani skirted over those social issues, that are usually red meat to a conservative crowd. And, according to The Times, Reed refused to say whether Giuliani's views would hurt him in the Republican primaries.

Mr. Reed declined to answer reporters' questions about whether he could support Mr. Giuliani for president, given that they disagree on abortion rights and gay rights, or if he thought the former mayor would make a good president.

"We're really focused on 2006," Mr. Reed said, adding, "I learned a long time ago an 80 percent friend is not a 20 percent enemy."

Let me answer for him, Rudy. No, he and his ilk will not support you, no matter how much money you raise for him now.

And the weird thing that politicians like McCain and Giuliani don't seem to see is that by groveling like this, by throwing their principles overboard, they may indeed pick up support from some of the less rabid of the religious right - but they lose support from the great majority in the middle who would otherwise be likely to vote for them, but now won't because they are throwing their lot in with these rightwing skunks.