E-mail updates
Follow on Twitter
Subscribe to RSSBy Garrett Haake, NBC News
ORMOND BEACH, Fla. -- In his first campaign appearance in this pivotal primary state since his drubbing at the hands of Newt Gingrich in South Carolina, Mitt Romney unveiled a new strategy Sunday night to stop the former speaker's momentum: Hit Gingrich. Hard.
Speaking before a crowd of more than 700 supporters at a rally here, Romney deviated from his standard remarks early, looking to define the candidate who mauled him in South Carolina in a different light by bringing up the tumultuous end of Gingrich's tenure as speaker of the House of Representatives.
"So I've had the experience of leadership. Now Speaker Gingrich has also been a leader. He was a leader for four years as speaker of the House," Romney said, as boos rang out at the mention of Gingrich's name. "And at the end of four years it was proven he was a failed leader. And he had to resign in disgrace. I don't know if you knew that. He actually resigned after four years in disgrace. He was investigated under an ethics panel and had to make a payment associated with that and then his fellow Republicans, 88 percent of Republicans, voted to reprimand Speaker Gingrich. He has not had a record of successful leadership."
Direct assaults like this from Romney on the stump are rare enough to be startling to those who hear him speak daily, but Romney didn't stop there, also tying Gingrich to the housing crisis in a state where the collapse in home values has been acutely felt.
"Over the last, what 15 years, since he left the House ... he talks about great bold movements and ideas, well, what’s he been doing for 15 years? He has been working as a lobbyist, he was working as a lobbyist and selling influence around Washington," Romney said. "He was working for Freddie Mac, heard of those guys? He says that he’s just been a historian, I would like him to release his records; what was his work product? What was he doing at Freddie Mac? Because Freddie Mac figures prominently into the fact that people in Florida have seen home values go down; it’s time to turn that around."
In the hours since Romney's double-digit loss in South Carolina, senior advisers to the campaign have said that the effort to contrast Gingrich and Romney more pointedly will continue in earnest all across Florida in the coming days, including on the debate stage Monday night.
On Monday, Romney surrogates Tim Pawlenty and the Speaker Designate of the Florida House, Will Weatherford, will hold a conference call with reporters cheekily titled "Definitely Not a Lobbyist," in which they will discuss Gingrich's work for Fannie and Freddie. Also Monday morning, Romney will hold just one public campaign appearance, a roundtable to discuss housing issues. It's a safe bet that Fannie and Freddie and Gingrich's work there will come up.
Leave a Comment:
You see how left wing this site is ..... breaking news romney made 42.5 million in two years ...lol ... you got baseball and basketball players that make more .....lol
YuvGot2BKidding people! I'm gonna say it how it is. Remember.. I'm not a great fan of any of the candidates but I gotta stand up for what it is and the injustice I see happening.
People wake up!! What the H*ll was SC thinking? I've been watching these debates and tracking on line all the news on these debates and how blind are you guys? I'm not a fan of any of the candidates, but I gotta tell you.. the most REALISTIC of those is Romney. Really? 0% tax? That would be amazing.. but UNREALISTIC. Even 10% and 18.5 percent is unrealistic at this point with our National debt. It is going to take someone who can and WILL reform and delete many of the unncessary programs in favor of the necessary. Things have to be worked back down gradually. Romney understands that and the others apparently live in a dream world. YuvGot2BKidding!
Bain? Is that really the best they can come up with? I did my own research... ya.. jobs were lost but yes.. over 120K were created and more. An investment company did what they do.. invested. They take risks in helping out smaller companies (and larger) that are in trouble. They try to resolve those problems and if they can't.. ya their gonna get their money back and paid for what they did do. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. That is how it works. I own my own business and have invested and been invested in. Pay attention people. Newt will tell a little truth with the rest of his lies to make the public think that Romeny is the son of satan. YuvGot2BKidding people!
Is that the best they can come up with? What.. Romney didn't cheat on his wife? Was he a bad father? Alcoholic, drugs, porn, cigarettes... oh.. did he swear? Has he cheated on his tax returns? Newt wants you to believe that he must have done SOMETHING wrong if he isn't willing to show them. Please... If Romney had done anything illegal it would have been addressed in the past tax returns also. No the best you can come up with is putting his dog (safely) on the family car for a vacation. It was probably safer there than most airline compartments for dogs! I know.. shipped my pups all over the country.. AND put my dog safely in dog carriers to travel by car. Really? We have much greater problems in this country to focus on than that. PETA may not say so, but his dog is at the bottom of my list in comparison to the homeless, jobless, medical, taxes, protecting our borders, military defence. YuvGot2BKidding people!
Tax returns? Here Newt is slamming Romney for not having made public his returns.. HELLO!!! before 2010 they are all public record and the IRS can supply that should they choose. Get up off your butts and go look! He hadn't filed for 2011 yet.. give 'em a brake! I don't file 'til April.. sometimes I get an extention. He's not any less human than the rest of us.. BUT.. Newt didn't make his taxes available until the DAY BEFORE THE DEBATE where he slammed Romney for doing the very same thing that he himself was doing just a day earlier. I don't show my tax returns until they are completed either. Most of America doesn't. Okay.. so how about Obama? He didn't show his birth certificate until what.. 2 years after being elected? He couldn't even prove he was a citizen but he still got elected. Really people.. tax returns for 2011 and the season isn't even over yet? YuvGot2BKidding!
While we are at it.. Newt has been married 3xs.. cheated on both his first 2 wives.. married both the h*rl*ts he was cavorting with, wanted an open marriage and then has the tenacity to attack the Debate moderator by making it appear that he had no right to bring this to light. COME ON! That is exactly what an abuser does. Makes it appear he is innocent and takes the lime light off what he has done wrong by turning his focus and apparent disgust of an unjust accusation on the person that is accusing. Woman...those of you who have been abused know this pattern. It comes in many degrees and Newt showed his true color that night. He feels its okay to bring Romney's dog into the equation but not his affairs? REALLY!!?? Those of you who have been cheated on know the lies, the manipulation, the deceit, the anger turned at YOU when you confront them, and these lies are not little white lies but well thought out, schemed and disgusting.. not to mention hurtful. Yes.. I know. So this is not a matter of saying.. "oops... I cheated.. but that's my personal life." His person life is going to be a very big part of the presidency. I personally don't want that kind of a man to represent what the US is about. By electing him it will send a disturbing message to all of our allies and our enemies. You ought to read what 'regular' folks from other countries say about us here in the US... And they're RIGHT!
I don't want someone who lies, manipulates, can't stick things out through thick and thin with a wife that becomes ill..let alone the second wife that becomes ill... wants an open marriage.. what happen to electing a person that personifies, exemplifies what we want this country to be an example of? Newt is NOT it. Okay.. so his moral and ethical standing is certainly in question.. by his actions of lies, deceit, manipulation and immorality.. so is his christian beliefs and strengths. When someone lies.. they are a lier. When someone cheats, they are a cheater, when someone steals, they are a thief. These kinds of behavior are NOT Christian no matter what church you belong to.
Even the majority of the Repulicans already in office are preparing for a fight against Newt should he win the primary in Florida. This makes me sick! People.. really take a look at what he did as speaker. Don't be fooled. He is as dishonest as they come and a master manipulator of the public, especially those who won't REALLY take time to research and just act as sheep, following the one who has the best silver tongue, making promises he CAN NOT KEEP because they are unrealistically impossible.
Ron Paul.. to say the least is probably the most unrealistic... Santorum... sorry.. has not got what it takes. Don't underestimate Romney's ability. Ya.. he may be Mormon and to some that is a weekness.. but at the same time.. it's a HUGE strength. I know many mormons, having traveled and lived in a variety of places. They are strong in family, in their beliefs, in justice and in honesty.. but they won't step aside if there's an injustice taking place. If Romeny was as crooked as Newt is trying to get everyone to believe, he would not be capable of living the laws of his church and would be kicked out. So take a look as who is morally stronger, ethically stronger and whose values will become the foundation for this country again. With strong values and a strong foundation, we can rebuild this country and bring the people back to where we use to be. Isn't it time we ALL open our eyes and stop voting for the one who tells us what we WANT to hear, but what is realistic?
FLORIDA! Don't make the same mistake S.C. did. Be smarter than that!
To Re-iterate what Bill2910298 said:
Gingrich has said that he wants his PAC to remove all of the inaccuracies from "When Mitt Romney Came to Town." That would make the video drop from 28 minutes to about 3. "This film will highlight just four of Romney's many targets"
UniMac. Bain bought it from Raytheon in 1998. Romney left Bain in Feb 1999 to save the Salt Lake Winter Olympics. Bain sold UniMac to Teachers' Private Capital in 2005, who moved the factory to Wisconsin. The makers of the film lied to the employees about what it was about. Bain had nothing to do with the closing of UniMac.
KB Toys: Bain did not even buy KB toys until 2000, after Romney left Bain. The stores were closed in 2004, five years after Romney left Bain. Another lie.
DDi: Bain bought DDi in 1997, but did not file for bankruptcy until 2003 (four years after Romney left) DDi filed for bankruptcy because of the dot-com bust and Bain lost 14% of its investment. DDi did not go out of business, but emerged from bankruptcy and now has 1600 employees. A third lie.
Ampad: Finally a company the film speaks about that has something to do with Romney. This was one of several comanies that were purchased and duplication of cost were eliminate. This is the same thing that Obama wants to do by combining and streamlining Federal Agencies. Again, Ampad only filed for bankruptcy protection but still exists as part of Esselte Corp.
Gingrich has publically called for the elimination of the "inaccuracies", but his Super Pac said it stands by the film even though every fact check organization has said it is clearly inaccurate. How can you trust a candidate who will tell lies like this against those that have the same goal, removing Obama from the White House. Gingrich is only interested in Gingrich.
NO I'm NOT kidding!!