James Dobson and John McCain sure have a rocky relationship!

First Dobson, who heads the right-wing Focus On The Family, said he would never endorse McCain, a Senator many conservatives find too liberal. Dobson said he was '"disappointed" the party would back McCain, a candidate for whom Dobson "could not" and "would not" vote.

Then, after McCain had clinched the nomination, Dobson had a flip-flop change of heart, telling reporters: "I never thought I would hear myself saying this… While I am not endorsing Senator John McCain, the possibility is there that I might…"

That endorsement got a little harder today, because journo Mark Nickolas dug up a 2000 press release featuring some choice anti-McCain comments made by Dobson.

Speaking as a private citizen back in February of that year, Dobson lamented conservative leader Gary Bauer's backing of John McCain, who was then running against George Bush for the party's nomination. Dobson even went so far as to compare McCain to then-President Bill Clinton, the right's archnemesis:

The Senator is being touted by the media as a man of principle, yet he was involved with other women while married to his first wife, and was implicated in the so-called Keating scandal with four other senators. He was eventually reprimanded by the Congress for the 'appearance of impropriety.' The Senator reportedly has a violent temper and can be extremely confrontational and profane when angry. These red flags about Senator McCain's character are reminiscent of the man who now occupies the White House."

We sure hope McCain's not looking to parade Dobson down the road to November. Although McCain likely doesn't need him, Dobson's resurrected remarks may remind conservative voters why they didn't like him in the first place.