With just weeks to go before the ’08 primary season is officially under way, Mitt Romney is ratcheting up his Rudy-bashing on family values. This morning’s Washington Post has the story, but you can go straight to the source by checking over these press releases issued in quick succession y the Romney campaign last night: The first is titled “The Romney Agenda: The Four Walls Of The New Hampshire Home.” Those four walls: “Championing Marriage, Protecting Our Children, Strengthening and Empowering Families, and Promoting a Culture of Life.” The second Romney release is titled Mayor Giuliani: I’m Seen as Very Liberal” and claims that “Mayor Giuliani & Sen. Clinton Share Liberal Values.”
What struck God-o-Meter wasn’t that Romney took his latest public values attack public with his wife and kids at his side (see the Post story) but that he chose New Hampshire–not more culturally conservative Iowa–as his staging ground. To God-o-Meter, that suggests that the Romney team is digging in further on its play-to-the Christian Right strategy, even in more libertarian New Hampshire, and leaving the moderate ground to Giuliani. It’s a big risk. But Romney apparently believes it’s his only hope for getting his party’s nod.

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