Romney, McCain clash over Dole letter to Limbaugh

The remaining Republican contenders are hammering each other even as voters in 21 states go to the polls.

Former Senator Bob Dole wrote a letter Monday to radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh, urging him to lay off his attacks on John McCain as not a true conservative and support the Republican nominee.

Asked about the letter on Fox News, Romney replied, "Well, it's probably the last person I would have wanted to have write a letter for me. I think there a lot of folks who tend to think that maybe John McCain's race is a bit like Bob Dole's race. That it's the guy who's next in line, the inevitable choice."

Dole, of course, lost to Bill Clinton in 1996.

That response from Romney brought this missile from McCain.

"Governor Romney's attack on Bob Dole is disgraceful, and Governor Romney should apologize," the Arizona senator said in a statement. "Bob Dole is a war hero who has spent his life in service to this nation and nobody has worked harder to build the Republican Party. Bob Dole deserves the respect of every American and certainly every Republican.

"Governor Romney denounced Ronald Reagan in the mid-90s while Bob Dole was working tirelessly to elect Republicans across the country. Governor Romney was missing from those fights when I was standing with President Reagan and Senator Dole to build the Republican Party. Governor Romney is trying to divide the Republican Party and his disparagement of one of our Party's greatest leaders is a sad commentary on Governor Romney's increasingly bitter campaign."

On the Laura Ingraham radio show, however, Romney called Dole an "American hero" and a "terrific guy."

But the former Massachusetts governor pressed the argument that Dole, like McCain, was a longtime Washington insider.

"I think we’re best as a party, at least in my own view, when we bring somebody in from the outside," Romney said. "If we want to change Washington, I think it's going to have to have an outsider to do it and it‘s going to take somebody who may not be the inevitable choice, but instead somebody who represents new passion, new vision, new energy, that I think we need to see in Washington."

Romney took pains to further explain his remarks during a press conference today at the Charleston Civic Center, saying he admires Dole.

"I'd love Bob Dole's support: he’s a leader in our party, American hero, terrific person," Romney said. "What I said was he’s not the person I would have wanted if I were John McCain writing a letter to Rush Limbaugh about this election process because Bob Dole reminds the American public that our selection at that time was seen by most as being one that went to the person who waited in line the longest, who deserved the nomination, who’d been in the Senate the longest, and that I don’t believe will be a successful strategy in this process. I don’t think Senator McCain will be helped by a parallel to a campaign based on being in the Senate the longest, being the person who deserves it, being the front-runner. Instead, I think that were best to select a nominee who brings new vision, passion, energy, judgment, and ideas to the White House."

Then, just before his plane left for Boston, Romney tried to call Dole, but only managed to reach his secretary, according to a pool report.

Meanwhile, on Fox News Channel, Mike Huckabee chafed at suggestions that he is a spoiler in the race, taking votes away from Romney. “The facts are that’s an arrogant and presumptuous statement to say that if someone doesn’t vote for me they’ll vote for him.”

Huckabee said he and Romney have different supporters anyway. “I have more of the Wal-Mart Republicans and he may have more of the Wall Street Republicans,” the former Arkansas governor said.