RINO or not, when you’re right, you’re right. How is that we’ve been through a minor Republican civil war this week and the party’s ostensible frontrunner hasn’t been moved to take a position? I hate to inconvenience his career ambitions, but would it be terribly much to ask for a clear endorsement for or against a bill that the entire conservative world has been obsessing over? Instead we get mealy-mouthed noncommittal statements about the “strong stance” taken by House Republicans paired with reminders that he supports Cut, Cap, and Balance — neither of which answers the question of whether he’d vote for Boehner’s bill. No wonder he’s drawing snotty wisecracks from rival camps. Said Pawlenty’s spokesman, “I’m sure [Romney spokesman Eric] Fehrnstrom will share Gov. Romney’s position as soon as he takes one.” And this from Examiner columnist Timothy Carney: “If you took Obama’s plan and Romney’s plan, and just met in the middle, you’d be in the middle of nowhere.”

I realize he doesn’t want to get between tea partiers and the establishment by firmly choosing one over the other. I also don’t care. Pretend for a minute like you want to be president because you have strong policy preferences, Mitt, and not because it would really round out your resume. Yes or no on Boehner?