Hotline After Dark -- Mad About Mitt

Most of cable TV last night focused on the trapped UT miners.

In political news, Mitt Romney's abortion stance will still the topic of much debate.

MSNBC's Matthews opened his show with: "Sometimes you wonder what these people really expect us to believe. Mitt Romney ran for office twice in a pro-choice state, Massachusetts, and told the voters he was pro-choice. That's why he has the credential, that title of governor, to run now for president. Now he says it was all a mistake, he should never have gotten himself elected in Massachusetts by buying into the majority politics of that state on abortion rights. But again, if he hadn't gotten himself elected by bowing to the pro-choice politics of that state, he wouldn't have the standing now to run for president. So I'm not sure mistake is the right word we're looking for here. Could it be that the other 'M' word is more in order, something like 'masquerade'? Or could it be that his current portrait of himself, the one he began in his run-up to this campaign, as a politician who wants to outlaw abortion, is the true masquerade? It's hard to tell since both self-portraits, one devoutly pro-choice, the other devoutly pro-life, have seemed just right for each occasion, one to sell the liberals in Massachusetts, the other to sell the conservatives in Iowa. Got to keep an eye on this guy. He just tagged Obama for switching from being a Jane Fonda to a Dr. Strangelove. But if I were Mitt, I might be a tad bit careful about calling out another fellow for changing his mind" ("Hardball," 8/6).

MSNBC's Shuster: "Getting elected, though, is clearly a priority for most politicians, and Mitt Romney is no exception. His pro-choice position a few years ago made it possible for him to be elected governor of Massachusetts, just as his pro-life pronouncements now are crucial to Republican primary voters. The issue is whether Romney is really a man of core beliefs or a candidate who will say anything to win" ("Hardball," 8/6).

NBC's Gregory: "Romney is looking for a knock out blow in Iowa and a chance to put those abortion questions behind him" ("Nightly News," 8/6).

BIDEN NOT AGAINST CENSURE

Joe Biden was on "On the Record" as part of his book tour:

Asked about Sen. Russ Feingold's (D-WI) proposal to censure Pres. Bush, VP Cheney and AG Alberto Gonzales: "I think that is much more appropriate than impeaching. At least the censure-ship could demonstrate our dissatisfaction and our view that the president has stepped across the line, and the vice president has, as well. And clearly, the Attorney General has. And so, although I have not considered it very much, it is relatively new, I have not seen the language he is proposing. But the idea of censuring the president, censuring the attorney general, censuring the vice president is not inappropriate. But what I don't want to see happen, is I don't want to see us take our eye off the ball of how we're going to end this war now, how we are going to be able to begin to get the kind of response that people are looking for in matters relating to everything from their health care to our energy policies. So to the extant that it wouldn't detract from us being able to build a coalition to get 17 Republican Senators to join us in overriding the Presidential veto to end this war, I think it is not inappropriate. The question is, will it be viewed as divisive and make it harder for us to get Republicans to join us in something I believe they know is now working, and the president's policy on the war."

On meeting wife Jill: "One day I got off the plane, a little local flight into Wilmington, Delaware. I had not been dating anyone. I had sworn off dating. I had been put on that 10 most eligible bachelor list, which I did not like. And I saw a beautiful woman on a billboard that was in the local airport, advertising the county park system. And I got home that night, and my youngest brother said, 'We are all going to dinner, I have a blind date for you.' I said, 'No, I'm not going to do it.' I eventually did do it. It turned out the woman I went out with was that beautiful woman on the billboard who I have been married to for 30 years" (FNC, 8/6).

TIME FOR TRADE

And John Edwards was on "Lou Dobbs Tonight" as part of his series "time for answers" to talk about trade issues:

Ask how the middle class will be protected: "One of the things that I've proposed is that all presidential candidates -- in fact, all candidates, Democratic or Republican, agree starting today that we're not taking any money from these people. Now, I haven't done it in the past, but I'd like to see all of us do it and make a statement that we're going to give the government back to the country."

Asked about ending outsourcing of jobs: "We should get rid of all provisions in our tax code that actually provide incentives for American companies to take jobs off seas. That is an accelerant to the already bad trade policy. So I think you want to do both those things in combination" (CNN, 8/6). [EMILY GOODIN]