Armitage used to be a conservative Republican.<br /><br />Question: Do you have a political philosophy?Armitage: I'm what used to be called a Conservative Republican, when "conservative" meant you were a fiscal conservative. You wanted a strong national security and defense policy, and you wanted limited but meaningful government. After all, everybody wants government in their lives when you step on an airplane; but "Conservative Republican" now has come to mean something quite difference -- talk about family conservatives, and social conservatives, and that's certainly not me. In fact I'm defined by that set as a "rhino" -- Republican in name only now.<br /><br />Question: Do you have a political philosophy?Armitage: I'm what used to be called a Conservative Republican, when "conservative" meant you were a fiscal conservative. You wanted a strong national security and defense policy, and you wanted limited but meaningful government. After all, everybody wants government in their lives when you step on an airplane; but "Conservative Republican" now has come to mean something quite difference -- talk about family conservatives, and social conservatives, and that's certainly not me. In fact I'm defined by that set as a "rhino" -- Republican in name only now.
