From campaign manager Beth Myers:

"Unfortunately, this is what Senator McCain's inside Washington ways look like: he cut a backroom deal with the tax-and-spend candidate he thought could best stop Governor Romney's campaign of conservative change.

"Governor Romney had enough respect for the Republican voters of West Virginia to make an appeal to them about the future of the party based on issues. This is why he led on today's first ballot. Sadly, Senator McCain cut a Washington backroom deal in a way that once again underscores his legacy of working against Republicans who are interested in championing conservative policies and rebuilding the party."

Can't argue with that.

McCain and Huckabee share two things that has fused their campaigns together. First, is a desire for power. McCain and Huckabee have shown that for them the campaign is not about ideas or the interests of the nation, but is about themselves. They desire power over principle and thus the illicit collusion between them has resulted. They have seen that Romney can beat either of them individually and so have tag-teamed Romney at the expense of conservatism.

Second, both have a deeply misguided understanding of economic issues. The real loser in the Republican race is the economy. Huckabee would have actively pit the wage-payer against the wage-earner in a fight to establish a true poverty in this nation. McCain likewise would regulate the nation into poverty with notions like cap-and-trade. Both these candidates have colluded to make the economy the biggest loser in the Republican race.

I hope McCain (Nixon) and Huckabee (Carter) are happy as our economy returns to the 1970's era stagflation and stunted growth.