Newsspot – Romney Stays on the Offense With Gingrich

Good morning viewers! Welcome back! I know I didn’t post anything yesterday, and didn’t post much on Friday either, but you know, duty calls. Anyway, I’ve been meaning to post this for a while, and I did promise a Newsspot on Friday, and I am sad to say that I failed to deliver. Today’s post was just a little something I was reading up on, since I’m into the whole American politics field, even though I’m from the UK myself. I just find it interesting how politicians can be so friendly at one moment when the world’s not watching, and completely hostile the next when they disagree on something. I guess it’s how things work these days, I don’t know. I guess most of you will have skipped my ramblings by now, so I think I’ll just stop. On with the news!

Romney Stays on the Offense With Gingrich

Matt Rourke/Associated Press

Newt Gingrich, left, and Mitt Romney during a commercial break at Thursday’s debate. Other moments were less agreeable. More Photos »

By JIM RUTENBERG and JEFF ZELENY

Published: January 26, 2012

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Mitt Romney, facing his greatest challenge of the campaign so far, relentlessly pressed Newt Gingrich on Thursday night in their final debate before the Florida primary, seeking to regain the offensive against an insurgent challenge that has shaken his claim to inevitability.

On immigration, personal finances and the grand ideas that have been the trademark of Mr. Gingrich’s candidacy, Mr. Romney gave his rival no quarter, giving prime time voice to his campaign’s all-out, round-the-clock assault on Mr. Gingrich here.

In a debate in which Mr. Romney could ill afford to allow Mr. Gingrich another triumphant night, he delivered sharp lines that gave him an advantage usually held by Mr. Gingrich: applause from the audience.

After being accused in so many debates of pandering, this time it was Mr. Romney accusing Mr. Gingrich of playing to the crowd with his proposal for a lunar colony, which Mr. Romney said may be popular around the Kennedy Space Center in Florida but unrealistic in practice. “I spent 25 years in business,” Mr. Romney said. “If I had a business executive come to me and say they wanted to spend a few hundred billion dollars to put a colony on the moon, I’d say, ‘You’re fired.’ ”

And, clearly prepared with reams of research, he frequently turned Mr. Gingrich’s attacks back against him. When Mr. Gingrich pressed Mr. Romney for having investments in Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and with Goldman Sachs, “which is today foreclosing on Floridians,” Mr. Romney was ready with an attack of his own.

“Mr. Speaker, I know that sounds like an enormous revelation, but have you checked your own investments?” he asked. “You also have investments for mutual funds that also invest in Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.”

Effectively shut down, Mr. Gingrich turned grim and said meekly, “All right.”

The most intensive attack on Mr. Romney came not from Mr. Gingrich but from Rick Santorum, who insisted that Mr. Romney’s health plan for Massachusetts when he was its governor was no different from President Obama’s and that as a result Mr. Romney would be unable to combat the president effectively on the issue if he became the Republican nominee.

Mr. Gingrich started the week with all the momentum here after his victory in South Carolina. But he has subsequently come under relentless pounding from the Romney campaign and its supporters, a battering that appears to have had some impact.

Throughout the 19 debates, Mr. Gingrich has won over debate audiences on site and in their living rooms with an assortment of one-liners aimed at the establishment and, frequently, the news media. At times Thursday night he turned to those techniques, but to little seeming effect.

And Mr. Romney gave no ground, even when Mr. Gingrich at one point seemed willing to do so. The moderator, Wolf Blitzer of CNN, effectively invited Mr. Gingrich to critique Mr. Romney’s release this week of his tax returns, which disclosed that his blind trust included a Swiss bank account that was shut down in 2010.

“How about if the four of us agree for the rest of the evening we’ll actually talk about issues that relate to governing America?” Mr. Gingrich responded when Mr. Blitzer asked him if he was satisfied that Mr. Romney was sufficiently transparent in releasing his tax returns.

I have to admit, the full news article was quite interesting, and I suggest you read it, if you haven’t already. Here’s the link: NY Times – Romney Stays on the Offense With Gingrich

I’ll be posting a photo of the day soon, so stay put, and while you wait, there are some related articles below. Enjoy!

Related Articles

• Romney, Gingrich trade jabs over investments, negative ad (latimes.com)
• In a harsh shift, Romney planned to goad Gingrich (mercurynews.com)
• Romney is no shrinking violet (cnn.com)
• Tail Wagging or Just Bragging (socyberty.com)