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WATERLOO, Iowa -- On the first day of the New Year, Newt Gingrich admitted to having been “Romney-boated” with the immense amount of negative ads being run against him, vowing that his campaign will run more contrast ads going forward.
Mitt Romney “didn't get rid of me, he just slowed me down,” Gingrich told reporters in Marshalltown, Iowa, Sunday afternoon. Asked whether he felt like he had been “swift-boated” by the barrage of ads run against him in recent weeks, Gingrich responded, “I feel Romney-boated” – a reference to the outside advertising campaign launched against Democratic nominee John Kerry in 2004.
The former House Speaker even hinted that Romney was trying to buy the election.
“He would buy an election if he could,” Gingrich told NBC News. But he wouldn’t directly say Romney was attempting to buy the 2012 election. “Well I dunno, $3.5 million in negative ads, you tell me,” Gingrich continued.
Romney, campaigning on the opposite side of the Hawkeye State Sunday, pushed back against these allegations from the Speaker.
“Speaker Gingrich I think announced that he raised $10 million this quarter and he ought to be proud of that. We’re working hard to raise funds, as well, this is an election,” Romney said in Atlantic, Iowa. “However, that’s not being driven by money raised, its being driven by message connection with the voters, debate and um experience and I think that those are the features that are driving the campaign so far and I think they probably will be through the entire process.”
Gingrich told reporters his campaign would be increasing the number of positive yet contrast ads on television and radio moving ahead to better combat the negative attacks from his GOP rivals.
“If somebody spends $3.5 million lying about you, you have some obligation to come back and set the record straight,” the Speaker said after his campaign heavily underestimated the damage these ads could do.
The negative attacks have worked here in the first-in-the-nation caucus state: Gingrich dropped from first place in the Des Moines Register’s early December poll to fourth place in Saturday’s DMR poll. Romney now leads in Iowa, according to the new poll, with Ron Paul and Rick Santorum finishing ahead of Gingrich.
Gingrich told the standing-room only crowd inside LJs Neighborhood Bar and Grill here in Waterloo that not answering these negative ads was his biggest weakness.
“I am too reasonable and I should have responded to the negative ads two weeks earlier,” Gingrich said after an interesting exchange between himself and wife, Callista, when the Speaker was asked about his biggest weakness.
The crowd began to laugh after Gingrich and Callista looked at one another with smiles about Newt’s biggest weakness. “Go ahead,” Callista told him as many in the audience expected him to perhaps mention his infidelities years ago. Rather, Gingrich stayed the course and linked his weakness answer back to the negative ads.
The Speaker’s ‘Jobs and Growth Bus Tour’ continues Monday with four stops in Eastern Iowa on caucus eve.
NBC’s Garrett Haake contributed to this report.
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Poor Newt swift boated.How can a chicken hawk get swift boated.But then agian how can an idiot get so much support for president.God help us all
But to tell you the truth, gingrinch's sordid past has caught up with him. I mean unless you believe that a leopard can change its spots. Especially his comment to his first wife. That she wasn't pretty enough to be the first lady. I tell you, the guy needs to watch his toungue.
What! The inventor of dirty politics is complaining? What goes around comes around.
Wish Newt would crawl back under his rock, he should give it another 15 years maybe the public then will have forgotten his past B/S.
Wish Newt would crawl back under his rock, maybe in another 15 years we will have really forgotten all his past B/S.
It would be nice if a candidate had something to offer rather than just attacking others. Election campainging is not about what I stand for, and what my plan is, because it would expose you to having to tell the truth, so its all negative, no matter which party. It Works!
I was a newt once, but I got better...
I sure hope the Republicans have more debates. The audience is funnier than any reality show. Each debate showcases the crazies who comprise the republican base. As my son remarked during the last debate: "They really are different!!"
Wow! Newt actually had the cojones to come out against the Republican usual strategy of using bogus and unconscionable attack ads funded by a few wealthy GOP supporters.
Next thing you know the "New Newt" will be decrying the "Willie Horton" actions of '88, railing against the likes of Ailes/Rove/Atwater, and questioning the integrity of Ruper Murdoch's minions.
Meanwhile...incumbent POTUS is fertilizing his spacious lawn with the GOP droppings and looking forward to an established root system in the coming American Spring.
"I could end the deficit in 5 minutes, you just Pass a law that says that anytime there is a deficit of more than 3% of GDP, all sitting members of Congress are ineligible for re-election.” – Warren Buffett
I suggest the following often seen internet item be placed on the national election ballot as a referendum in 2012.
Congressional Reform Act of 2011 _
The American people did not make this Contract with Congressmen/women.
Congressmen/women made all these contracts for themselves. Serving in Congress is an honor, not a career. The Founding Fathers envisioned citizen legislators, so ours should serve their term(s), then go home and back to work.
Are you, by chance, calling Congresspeople...vampires, leeches, mutant viruses, blood-suckers, gov't welfare frauds, or some other descriptive adjectives, NavarreMan?
Do tell...?
Navarreman... you left out the most important part of the contract.
If you take more than 5 bucks from someone other than an individual constituent, you go directly to jail and lose your seat and all benefits. No exceptions
What goes around comes around. Your dark past returns like the evil dead, rising like a zombie to haunt your present and keep you from your rest. [/metaphor]
I wouldn't trust Newt Gingrich with a dead dog and I wouldn't vote for him for dogcatcher in my city.
I would like to hear anyone who dislikes Romney tell us that Obama would be better than Romney. Obama has no executive experience and has no business being president and writing checks we cannot pay for. I will vote for the rep candidate whoever it is over obama and his tax cheat cronies.
Well said Bill
Bill Fitzgerald-2020106
I would like to hear anyone who dislikes Romney tell us that Obama would be better than Romney. Obama has no executive experience and has no business being president and writing checks we cannot pay for. I will vote for the rep candidate whoever it is over obama and his tax cheat cronies.
Flaky repub racist ??? P.O.S.
Obama has done nothing but rip off the taxpayers since he has been in office. It will be a great day when he is OUT of office. Then he and fat ass Michelle will have to pay for their own vacations, entertainment and rounds of golf. Let's see how many parties they have then. LOL
I hope you have a lot of patients because President Obama and that good looking wife of his are going to be around for another 4 years. The republicans can't field a candidate that is not loony tunes material. And come November the Democrats will take over both houses with a super majority.
Bet $10,000 on it. LMAO
Ret_MSgt
How do you like living in a fantasy world?
The Repugs used it against Dems. What made them think it wouldn't be used by one of their own against their own.LOL
The only way any of these crooks (yes all of them crooks) is get elected is because as PT Barnum once said..there is a sucker born every minute. Our current economic mess is NOT due to Republicans OR Democrats, but rather Republicans AND Democrats. They have both spent money that was imaginary, and now the payment is due. Get used to it, this IS the new reality!
Newt has learned that Republicans don't use "Swiftboat" tactics against Democrats only. They will use them against fellow Republicans without hesitation.
Karma. It's a bitch sometimes.
The iceberg is Reality.
Sounds like Gingrich's boat has been capsized by RON PAUL.
.
Newt: done in by the carnival barker's moneyed friends!
.
Romney destroyed government files from his state computers when he left office as Mass. governor. Gingritch still owes over $500,000 to Tiffany's for his jewelry tab. (That's more than what the average American takes home in pay in ten years.) Neither one has actually said what good they can do for this country, but have settled for the typical political mud slinging in hopes they can distract the public from Ron Paul, who both candidates fear presents a more stable and understandable candidacy.
I just heard on the news that good ol' Jim Bob Duggar is out there campaigning for Rick Santorum...WAY TO GO! 19 KIDS AND COUNTING (woulda been 20 except that "god" intervened)! Now they can campaign for unfettered child bearing....just what this country needs.
live by the 527 tax exempt political action groups, die by the 527 tax exempt political action groups.
Anyone seen 2-faced Mitten's tax returns, yet? If so, then let me know.
Does he(Mittens) still grin, laff, chuckle, and guffaw when asked about 'em?
(Now, watch some neo-nut make this about Obama)
Newtie Tootie is sinkin' & stinkin'! Fast!!
Being American has never felt so good ,,, Knowing that my Commander in chief President Obama is on my side , He will get that money from those greedy rich and give me some ,, and the way the "world" looks at us now , that great example of hope and change , fairness and prosperity for all . Please , 4 more years , I wish it could be 25 or 30 ,,, but , just 4 more , of this great feeling ,, a vote for Obama , is a vote for America
Actually, the best he will be able to do is create the opportunity for you to get back to work, and create your own money, and assets, considering the fact that the GOP has been doing its best to keep the economy stalled for the past year. After all, the GOP's stated most important issue is defeating Obama, not creating a jobs program, or rebuilding our industrial base, or infrastructrue.