Mitt Romney, who was for the auto bailout before he was against it, is back to being for it.

And to think they say the man has no principles.

Romney’s latest effort to spin the rescue of America’s auto industry came on Satruday, when Eric Fehrnstrom, his top campaign strategist and longtime political adviser, was addressing a forum hosted by the Washington Post. Here’s the Post account:

“His position on the bailout was exactly what President Obama followed,” Fehrnstrom said. “He said, ‘If you want to save the auto industry, just don’t write them a check. That will seal their doom. What they need to do is go through a managed bankruptcy process.’ ”

“Consider that the crown jewel. The only economic success that President Obama has had,” Fehrnstrom said, “is because he followed Mitt Romney’s advice.”

Not exactly. Since the fall of 2008, when Chrysler and General Motors first sought the federal government’s assistance, Romney’s rhetoric has shifted back and forth. Typically the statements include a dash of ambiguity, making it possible for Romney or his advisers to parse statements after the fact in ways that are, at the moment, politically advantageous. But the implications are always clear and, in retrospect, they clearly contradict one another.

Among those of us following this ongoing saga have been writers for Talking Points Memo, who (I think) were the first to notice Fehrnstrom’s latest statement. But, for those of you who need a refresher, the story goes like this: