As McCain Wins, Conservative Critics Reflect

Matt Lewis | February 01, 2008 8:45 AM

As I've noted before, the Florida's Primary results mean that some conservatives will ratchet up attacks on John McCain as last-ditch effort to stop the man behind Campaign Finance Reform and what many see as Amnesty. But Florida's outcome also means that other conservatives are beginning to embrace him. As the

NY Times reports:

“He has moved in the right direction strongly and forcefully on taxes,” said Grover Norquist, an antitax organizer who had been the informal leader of conservatives against a McCain nomination, adding that he had been talking to Mr. McCain’s “tax guys” for more than a year.
Tony Perkins, a prominent Christian conservative who has often denounced Mr. McCain, is warming up to him, too.
“I have no residual issue with John McCain,” Mr. Perkins said, adding that the senator needed “to better communicate” his convictions on social issues.
Richard Land, an official of the Southern Baptist Convention and a longtime critic of Mr. McCain, agreed, saying, “He is strongly pro-life.”