MR. FORBES RELEASED A STATEMENT SAYING...:

April Fools: Giuliani shows Forbes how to con a conservative (Bruce Reed, April 4, 2007, Slate)

As an economic conservative who spent his last campaign professing to be a social conservative, Forbes is no stranger to head fakes. But Giuliani just taught him a lesson in kabuki conservatism: Always get it in writing!

Every campaign has its share of flip-flops and the occasional flip-flop-flip. Giuliani has invented a new form - the Flip-Flop-Flat.

Instead of retracting his previous statement, the former prosecutor introduced a new loophole for his defense, explaining his comments as "academic." Giuliani wasn't endorsing a flat tax in reality; he was endorsing it in theory - which, serendipitously, is the only place a flat tax might work. The risk is that a rival campaign will launch a 10-second attack ad of Giuliani mouthing words that would strike fear in the hearts of conservatives everywhere: "I said something academic."

But Giuliani didn't stop there. His flip-flop then went where no Romney has gone before, into a parallel universe where political gravity does not apply. Lawyers call it "arguing in the alternative" - making a second and seemingly contradictory argument, in case judge and jury don't buy the first.

...thank you, sir, may I have another.

Posted by Orrin Judd at April 4, 2007 5:57 PM