Former Mitt Romney supporter Hugh Hewitt at Townhall.com seems to be getting impatient with some of his colleagues on the right and their reluctance to get behind John McCain, calling on them to support the Arizona Senator, “now.” The issue Hewitt believes they can all agree on—the war on terror. Excerpt below:

I don’t think any serious conservative can compare Senator McCain to either Senator Clinton or Senator Barack and say the war would be in better hands with either of the Democrats. In fact, any supporter of victory has to shudder at the prospect of turning the American military over to either of those two as this conflict rages.

I am replaying my President’s Day show today, an extended interview with Richard Norton Smith where we march through all 43 of the presidents (some get a lot more time than others.) I hope you listen throughout with the choice ahead of the country fixed firmly in your mind. The conservatives who wanted someone else have to get over it, quickly. This isn’t 1992 or 1996 (and 1992 and 1996 weren’t really the time of peace they appeared to be.)

The U.S. isn’t guaranteed the ability to recover from four years of disasters in the war. The war’s got to be conducted by a president committed to victory, and that means supporting McCain. Now.

Richmond, VA — With enemies like this, who needs friends?  Could a Planned Parenthood radio ad launched Sunday taking aim at John McCain’s pro-life record actually help the Arizona Senator within the conservative activist community (on top of his Gary Bauer endorsement  today) as McCain seeks to reach out to his right flank?

The ad attacks McCain’s “anti-choice” stance, noting that his “plan to outlaw abortion threatens the lives and health of women.” The 60-second spot will air in the DC area through Tuesday and adds that McCain has a “zero percent rating from Planned Parenthood Action Fund, the lowest rating in the US Senate.”  The group promises an “aggressive effort” to educate voters about McCain’s pro-life record through the general election.

Of course, this ad also reflects the tightrope McCain has to walk right now as he concurrently seeks to bring aboard skeptical conservatives while also continuing to appeal to independents and moderates important in the general—the lowest Planned Parenthood rating in the US Senate could increase his appeal on the right and decrease it on the left.

*******Planned Parenthood Press Release Below *************

Planned Parenthood Action Fund Launches Radio Ad Criticizing Sen. McCain’s Commitment to Overturn Roe v. Wade

WASHINGTON, DC - The Planned Parenthood Action Fund today announced the release of a radio ad educating voters about Sen. John McCain’s anti-choice voting record. Throughout his entire public career, Sen. McCain has voted consistently against women’s health, and he supports overturning the landmark U.S. Supreme Court ruling, Roe v. Wade.

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Seattle, WA – One day after his chief rival for the GOP nomination dropped out, Sen. John McCain said among his priorities is now unifying a divided Republican party.

“We are very aware that there is some unification of the party that has to take place,” McCain said during a media availability on his plane Friday.

While the presumptive GOP nominee said he will continue his effort to outreach to party conservatives, some of whom remain skeptical about his record and credentials, McCain said he will not limit his message to the right in the coming months.

“I am trying to appeal to everyone in the party. I recognize that it is going to take a united and energized Republican party, all aspects of it, if we are going to have a chance to win the election in November,” he said, adding he also will look to attract “liberal Republicans” who supported Rudy Giuliani and even anti-war Republicans. “The formula for success in most campaigns is your base, independents and Reagan Democrats.”

McCain said he is looking to meet with Mitt Romney in the next week to discuss ways to help unite the party, noting that his former rival received more than 4 million votes in the early primary states. The Arizona senator also said he understood that it will take weeks, if not months before the party can regroup–based on his memories from his failed 2000 bid for the nomination.”

“After 2000, there were many McCainiacs that were very angry and bitter…a lot of people were bitter because when you invest your hard work and your effort and your passion to a candidate, you understand that there is a period there where you got to unify people and get them to recognize what the major goal is,” McCain said. “Primaries are tough. Primaries in some ways, as you well know, are tougher emotionally than a general election because of the nature of them and the personalization.”