Let’s settle the issue, Hugh, and move ahead to that apology—because the record clearly shows that I was right and you were wrong. There’s nothing defensible about Romney’s smear.

“Romney’s latest ad attacks McCain in New Hampshire with false and misleading claims.

“It claims McCain ‘voted to allow illegals to collect Social Security.’ That’s untrue. Nobody who is in the country illegally could be paid any Social Security under McCain’s immigration bill ….Nobody proposed to pay benefits to anyone who is in the U.S. illegally…The statement that McCain ‘voted to allow illegals to collect Social Security’ is false.”