Limbaugh, Santorum, DeLay & Co. are standing against John McCain, but in some ways, they’re Johnny Come Latelys — the religious right hated McCain before hating McCain was cool.

In 2000, James Dobson went so far as to issue a personal press release, specifically to “clarify his lack of support for Senator McCain.” Dobson said, “The Senator is being touted by the media as a man of principle, yet he was involved with other women while married to his first wife.”

McCain has at least made overtures to the Taliban wing of the Republican Party since, but it hasn't helped. Dobson has a long memory, and this week issued a statement similar to the one from eight years ago.

“I am convinced Sen. McCain is not a conservative, and in fact, has gone out of his way to stick his thumb in the eyes of those who are. He has at times sounded more like a member of the other party....

“I cannot, and I will not, vote for Sen. John McCain, as a matter of conscience.... Should John McCain capture the nomination as many assume, I believe this general election will offer the worst choices for president in my lifetime. I certainly can’t vote for Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama based on the virulently anti-family policy positions. If these are the nominees in November, I simply will not cast a ballot for president for the first time in my life.”

Drama aside, this isn’t especially surprising -- Dobson doesn't have any other choice.

John Amato: Have you wondered why it took the talkies and the Dobsonites so long to start to savage John McCain? Why didn't they begin their crusade against him before the Florida primary battle which has also allowed Huckabee to take the south away from Romney? It's hard to figure out a strategy when you hate all your candidates. It'll be interesting to see how much McCain sucks up to CPAC next week. They have been too heavily invested in his destruction to be swayed at all.