John McCain fiercely opposed President Bush’s tax cuts. Now he supports them. John Edwards voted to dump nuclear waste in Yucca Mountain, Nevada. Now he opposes it. Hillary Clinton voted for the Iraq war. Last week she voted for a troop withdrawal.

Now Mitt Romney has done an about-turn on immigration, reinforcing his image as the most frequent and brazen “flip-flopper” in the 2008 presidential race, where every leading contender has made multiple “changes of position”.

John Kerry’s infamous claim that “I actually voted for the $87 billion [Iraq funding Bill] before I voted against it,” was used to devastating effect by President Bush during the 2004 campaign. But this year’s candidates have made so many politically expedient course changes that Mr Kerry now looks like a rock of consistency.

Although it was Mr Romney’s Mormonism that many believed would pose the greatest threat to his candidacy, it is now the former Massachusetts Governor’s startling reversals on several big issues – with critics claiming they are cynical attempts to pander to conservatives – that are causing him the most problems.

Mr Romney, a Republican, owes his political rise in deeply Democratic Massachusetts by taking moderate stands on most issues – until two years ago, when he began planning a presidential run.

He was pro-choice and pro-gay rights. In late 2004 he announced that he wanted to see a repeal of Roe v Wade, the 1973 Supreme Court ruling giving women a constitutional right to abortion. The decision is hated by religious conservatives, a key constituency in the Republican primary contest. He now rails against gay marriage.

In Massachussetts he supported gun-control laws. “I don’t line up with the NRA” [the National Rifle Association] he said. He joined the NRA as a life member last August. He boasted recently that “I’ve been a hunter pretty much all my life” – before his campaign was forced to concede that he had been hunting only twice.

In 2005 he broadly supported an immigration Bill that would have given illegal migrants a path to citizenship. Yesterday he denounced fundamentally the same Bill – which the Senate debates today – as an “amnesty”.

Mr Romney is not alone in his about-turns. Mr Edwards, shortly after Nevada was inserted between Iowa and New Hampshire on the Democrats’ primary calendar, suddenly opposed the dumping of nuclear waste in Yucca Mountain, which is overwhelmingly opposed by the state’s voters.

Iraq also dogs Mr Edwards and Mrs Clinton, who both voted for the war in 2003. Mr Edwards has since apologised, but Mrs Clinton, while now opposing the war, has refused. Last week she voted to advance legislation cutting off funds next spring, but then hours later refused to say if she would support the measure if it came to a vote.

Mr McCain, as recently as 2004, voted against Mr Bush’s tax cuts. He now wants them made permanent.

About-turns

John McCain said he saw no benefit from ethanol, a huge political factor in Iowa. Now he says it is a good fuel substitute

Mitt Romney refused to sign antitax pledge; first 2008 Republican candidate to sign it. In 2006 praised the immigration Bill he now denounces

Rudy Giuliani opposed a “flat” income tax; now open to the idea. Supported public funding for abortions; now opposes it

John Edwards Voted for Iraq war; now wants troops withdrawn

Hillary Clinton conceded that she speaks with different accents depending where she is after critics noted she spoke with a Southern twang when addressing civil rights group

Barack Obama was accused of shifting stance on Israel to appease the Jewish lobby. Votes to fund the Iraq war, campaigns on the fact that he opposed it

Source: Tim Reid

Times Recommends

• Times Charity Appeal: SolarAid
• Is it Black Monday all over again for Dubai?
• Behind the scenes at the biggest deal