Senator John "Flipper" Kerry has struck again. (via NY Post)

DEMOCRATS fretting over fumbles by John Kerry's campaign have something new to agonize over - his bizarre flip-flop yesterday on abortion rights.

After months of saying he'd have a litmus test as president and only pick pro-choice Supreme Court justices, Kerry did an about-face and said he might name some right-to-life justices after all.

"I will not appoint somebody with a 5-4 [Supreme] Court who's about to undo Roe v. Wade," Kerry told The Associated Press.

"But that doesn't mean that if that's not the balance of the court, I wouldn't be prepared ultimately to appoint somebody to some court who has a different point of view. I've already voted for people like that. I voted for Judge [Antonin] Scalia."

For an extra helping of flip-flop, Kerry then added that his vote for right-to-life Scalia was "a mistake."

Huh? The bottom line seems to be that if the high court has a majority of five pro-choice justices, Kerry might name a right-to-lifer. So much for principle. One problem: Justices don't always take the same side on every abortion issue.

Even more bizarre: Last year, Kerry vowed to "filibuster, if necessary," to block any Supreme Court nominee who's anti-choice. Now he's ready to nominate the kind of judge that he'd already pledged to filibuster to block.

Why? Maybe Kerry is eyeing swing conservative Catholics in Pennsylvania and Michigan. But fudging on the court won't make them overlook Kerry's vote against banning partial-birth abortion.

"It's not smart. He's not going to gain any right-to-lifers," says a Democratic strategist. "People see abortion as an issue that's black or white - they can respect people on both sides but not those who try to have it both ways."

Adds another Democratic veteran: "It doesn't show strategic thinking. It shows someone who's lurching from interest group to interest group."

Republican pollster Kellyanne Conway says "he must have seen our new poll. It shows only 13 percent of women agree with him that abortion for any reason should always be legal. But it doesn't make sense to change sides."

The best thing the Democrats could do is send Kerry on a vacation until election day. Everytime he opens his mouth, another flip-flop flies out. It seems to be some kind of genetic condition, he just can't seem to help himself.

That's what happens when you have no core principals and will say anything to get elected.