Romney's campaign released a web video on Wednesday called "Newt and Nancy," which focuses on the 2008 ad that Gingrich made with Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi to promote former Vice President Al Gore's climate change initiative. There are few liberal leaders or issues that conservatives like less than Pelosi or the fight against global warming.
"Let's look at the record," he said. "When Republicans were fighting for cap and trade and needed a leader to stand up against cap and trade, he did an ad with Nancy Pelosi about global warming."
The "Newt and Nancy" video follows the Romney's campaign to target Gingrich for referring to the House Republican Medicare reform plan as "right-wing social engineering."
Romney continued to hammer Gingrich on the Medicare issue in his remarks to the Post, calling entitlement reform "one of the most defining issues of conservatism today." He called Gingrich's characterization of the plan an "intemperate comment."
Top Republican strategists are increasingly worried that a 2012 ticket led by former Speaker Newt Gingrich (Ga.) — instead of former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney — could hurt the party downballot, especially in the Northeast,” Roll Call writes.
“Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) said that despite different historical theories about Palestinians, they ‘are a people today’ and need to be treated as such to solve enduring conflicts,” The Hill writes.
“Newt Gingrich's political director in Iowa has resigned over comments he made disparaging Mitt Romney's religion,” The Hill writes. “Craig Bergman told a focus group on last Wednesday that Mormonism is a ‘cult’ and implied it could hurt Romney in a general election against President Obama, The Iowa Republican reported.”
He leads in Pennsylvania: “[A] new Susquehanna Polling and Research poll has Gingrich at 35%, followed by Romney at 18%, Santorum at 18%, Paul at 8%, Bachmann at 6%, and Perry at 2%,” Political Wire writes.
Gingrich's response tracks the reasoning of two major leaders of Christian conservatives in Iowa, both of whom are itching to support the candidate who suits their purposes despite his family values deficit. Gingrich only recently signed the marriage pledge of Bob Van der Plaats, head of Iowa's Family Leader, who says that Iowa pastors are ready to support Gingrich. Steve Scheffler, head of the other influential Christian group, the Faith and Freedom Forum, recalls how Gingrich got an ovation before 2,000 members this spring, and he resents that Romney, a Mormon who has been married for 42 years, has not appeared. Gingrich, Scheffler said, is a saint "compared to Democrats like Barney Frank and Clinton, 'who allegedly raped a woman.'"
The road traveled from the divorced Ronald Reagan to the adulterous Gingrich has been rutted and winding. But thanks to opportunistic leaders like former Christian Coalition Executive Director Ralph Reed, it's been ages since a hard line on divorce and its kissing cousin, adultery, trumped ideology among the Christian Right.
In St. Newt, Republicans have perhaps found the un-Romney they have been seeking. Gingrich once delivered them to the promised land, taking control of the House of Representatives and impeaching a Democratic president. Unlike Romney, he's not offering a Band-Aid for these end times. Gingrich believes only in major surgery -- even if it kills the patient and ruins the surgeon. He's the savior hiding in plain sight. Now that they've found him, they may not let go.
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