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Chris Wallace doubts Noonan's conservatism

In an interview with POLITICO today, Fox News Sunday host Chris Wallace questioned Peggy Noonan's "conservative bona fides," following her recent editorials criticizing of Mitt Romney's campaign.

"Peggy Noonan has bashed George W. Bush, based Mitt Romney, wasn't crazy about McCain. So, [her] conservative bona fides I'm not sure I take too seriously," Wallace told POLITICO's Patrick W. Gavin. "[Columnists] like Peggy Noonan, sometimes they're New York City's idea of conservatives."

Wallace's remarks come on the same day that Romney surrogate and former Gov. John Sununu criticized Noonan, a Wall Street Journal columnist, for her attacks on Romney, telling MSNBC, "I wouldn't hire Peggy Noonan to run a campaign."

In her column today, Noonan doubled-down on criticisms she made earlier in the week: "This week I called [the Romney campaign] incompetent, but only because I was being polite," she wrote. "I really meant "rolling calamity."

During today's interview, part of POLITICO's "Turn The Table" series, Gavin asked Wallace whether conservative opinion makers who have criticized Romney -- such as Noonan, David Brooks of The New York Times, and the Weekly Standard's Bill Kristol -- had influence on conservatives around the country or were simply participating in an "inside-the-Beltway parlor game."

"I think it's more of 'Inside-the-Beltway," Wallace said. "Some of the people you've mentioned, like Peggy Noonan, sometimes they're New York City's idea of conservatives. Kristol is a different deal. Kristol is a serious, movement conservative, and he never wanted Mitt Romney. He always wanted people of the next generation like Ryan, Rubio -- so I think he feels disappointed."

Wallace then mentioned David Frum, the conservative columnist who now writes for the Daily Beast, though whether he was referring to David Frum or David Brooks was unclear.

"David Frum is the guy who turned on George W. Bush. Peggy Noonan has bashed George W. Bush, bashed Mitt Romney, wasn't crazy about McCain. So, their conservative bona fides I'm not sure I take too seriously," he said.

Noonan has yet to respond to a request for comment on Wallace's remarks.

UPDATE (1:13 p.m.): Noonan emails:

The column speaks for itself. Can't say more, on a conference call with the board of the Reagan Foundation.

Patrick Gavin is the director of "Nerd Prom: Inside Washington's Wildest Week" and a former Politico reporter.