Romney, McCain sling ‘liberal’ barbs

MITT ROMNEY and John McCain accused each other yesterday of harbouring liberal tendencies, a charge bordering on blasphemy in the increasingly caustic campaign for the Republican presidential nomination.

Mr Romney struck first ahead of the winner-takes-all Florida primary, criticising the Arizona senator for his legislation reducing the role of money in politics, for his position on immigration and for his support of an energy bill that he said would have driven up consumer costs.

“If you ask people, ‘Look at the three things Senator McCain has done as a senator’, if you want that kind of a liberal Democrat course as president, then you can vote for him,” Mr Romney told campaign workers.