As confused as the state of American conservatism seems, particularly as wrangled over in today's dead-heat contest between Mitt Romney and John McCain in Florida, it's Reagan-clarity itself next to what passes for the Tory Party in Great Britain.

"Tory MPs back Hillary Clinton for president" reports the Sunday Telegraph.

Tory MPs are forging links with Hillary Clinton as the traditional alliance between the Conservatives and the Republican Party shows signs of increasing strain.

One Conservative MP is so convinced by the Democratic senator and wife of former president Bill Clinton that he travelled to the US this month to work on her campaign.

Simon Burns, the MP for West Chelmsford, has spent nine days pounding the streets as a member of Team Hillary. Other Tories backing Mrs Clinton include Alan Duncan, the shadow secretary of state for enterprise, and Nadine Dorries, the MP for Mid-Bedfordshire.
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While most Conservatives support John McCain, the Republican senator who addressed the party's conference in Bournemouth two years ago, some modernisers are turning to Mrs Clinton because they fear Mr McCain will lose the nomination to a more Right-wing candidate such as Mitt Romney.

And, of course, what conservative MP in his right-wing mind wants a more right-wing candidate than Hillary Clinton? (Huh?)

Mr Burns turned up unannounced at the Clinton campaign headquarters in Manchester, New Hampshire, offering to work for free. He said: "I walked in and I said 'I want to see Hillary Clinton as president and I'm prepared to work in any way you want to try to help'.

I wonder if the Clinton campaign asked him if he knew the words to "Camelot"?