One of Mitt Romney's top advisers claimed over the weekend that "the only economic success that President Obama has had is because he followed Mitt Romney's advice." Eric Fehrnstrom was referring to the revival of the American auto industry, which was made possible by the structured bankruptcies that General Motors and Chrysler went through early in Obama's term - structured bankruptcies that Romney advocated months before Obama took office.

That's the Romney version of the story, anyway. As you might expect, it's not exactly consistent with what the candidate and his campaign have said before. Romney's public posture toward the bailout of Detroit has varied over the past few years, always in accordance with his political imperatives of the moment.

Back in November 2008, when President Bush gave bridge loans designed to keep each company afloat for at least a few more months, Romney penned a famous op-ed for the New York Times: "Let Detroit Go Bankrupt." Politically, this was sensible: There was broad popular rage at the concept of bailouts, the right was engaged in a retroactive revolt against George W. Bush and his "big government" brand of conservatism, and Romney was maneuvering to become the GOP's post-Bush leader.

Why does Romney ALWAYS change his position on an issue to the one that is currently more popular? Is that what the GOP stands for?