Attention Team McCain: Mike DeWine Is A Liberal, Damages Your Credibility

A lot of disgust downtown last week while John McCain was in Columbus to watch the Wisconsin primary returns come in. Why? Joining him on stage was former U.S. Senator Mike Dewine, the liberal Ohio republican.

Republicans across the state turned their back on DeWine in his last re-election bid in November 2006.

Conservative blogger Matt Naugle writes: "Is the way to rally your campaign to victory is to bring a loser on stage who lost to a hard-left mercantilist named Sherrod Brown? DeWine was part of McCain’s “Gang of 14″ and was one of 2 Republican Senators to vote against protecting gun manufactures against frivolous lawsuits."

McCain will gain support from reluctant GOP voters because firearms owner are distressed -- and rightly so -- over the prospect of an Obama presidency, or a Clinton re-presidency. But the surest way to turn the conservative base in Ohio off, a constituency that already is distrustful of McCain for his support of legislation that limits free speech and ongoing hostility to firearms ownership, is to drag Mr. DeWine up on stage every time the former troops through the state.

That relationship does Sen. McCain far more political harm than good.