John McCain was apparently incensed by Romney’s crack at Dole and issued this statement:

Governor Romney’s attack on Bob Dole is disgraceful, and Governor Romney should apologize. Bob Dole is a war hero who has spent his life in service to this nation and nobody has worked harder to build the Republican Party. Bob Dole deserves the respect of every American and certainly every Republican.

Governor Romney denounced Ronald Reagan in the mid ’90s while Bob Dole was working tirelessly to elect Republicans across the country. Governor Romney was missing from those fights when I was standing with President Reagan and Senator Dole to build the Republican Party.Governor Romney is trying to divide the Republican Party and his disparagement of one of our Party’s greatest leaders is a sad commentary on Governor Romney’s increasingly bitter campaign.

UPDATE: The full back and forth is here. This strikes me as the last way Romney wants to spend Super Tuesday.