Manchester NH -— With the future of his campaign in question, Herman Cain did not rule out leaving the race, saying once again he will “reassess and reevaluate” the impact of recent events on his family, his campaign strategy and fundraising for “another few days.” Cain indicated he will make his final decision on the campaign when he sees his wife face-to-face this Friday.

“There’s some people who thought that I was finished but I’m going to leave it with Yogi Berra’s comment, ‘It ain’t over ‘til it’s over!’ And it ain’t over yet,” Cain bellowed to volunteers into his tightly-packed New Hampshire headquarters on Wednesday evening.

Yet just minutes later at a press conference, Cain did not explicitly rule out dropping out of the race for the GOP nomination, calling the accusations against him “character assassinations.” Cain has been accused by four women of inappropriate sexual misconduct. Ginger White is the fifth to come forward.

“We are going to reevaluate,” Cain said, after a one-day bus tour in Ohio today. “We had a strategy up until last weekend, we might reprioritize.”

Cain admitted he has not yet spoken to his wife Gloria face-to-face about the most recent allegations of a 13-year extramarital affair by Georgia-based Ginger White. Cain said he has spoken to his wife by phone.

“I have discussed this with my wife many times since Monday,” he told reporters. “She’s doing great.”

Cain also plans to discuss the future of the campaign with her when he returns home to Atlanta on Friday. As of now, the Georgia businessman plans to unveil the third pillar of his major policies, his energy plan, but did say much depended on his conversation with his wife this weekend.

In the aftermath of the allegation by White, Cain also conceded that cash flow to the campaign has slowed down significantly.

“A few of our warm weather supporters have gotten off the Cain train,” he told voters, before quickly adding that fundraising in the last few days is “picking up.”

The former pizza magnate also emphasized that this reassessment was “not a knee-jerk” reaction to the recent sexual allegations against him. However, he declined to comment on how this recent spate of news has caused his campaign to publicly reevaluate his position in the GOP race for the first time since entering.

Cain continues his New Hampshire visit tomorrow afternoon with a meeting with the Union Leader newspaper editorial team, despite the fact they endorsed Newt Gingrich on Sunday. It will be broadcast C-SPAN.

Richard Shiro / AP

Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich speaks at Tommy's Ham House in Greenville , S.C., on Wednesday.

 COLUMBIA, S.C. -- Newt Gingrich pushed back on a New York Times article published Wednesday that explored how he avoided the legal definition of “lobbyist” while still providing many of the services that registered lobbyists do.

In an interview with Fox News’ Sean Hannity, taped Wednesday morning, Gingrich said that talking up issues important to his clients with former colleagues represented nothing more than his sharing personal opinions as a private citizen.

“If Newt Gingrich believes that and happens to also be working with companies who care about that, and I walk in to see friends of mine and talk about the issue, they’re responding to what Newt Gingrich believes,” he said.

He also addressed a specific instance in 2005, mentioned in the Times article, in which he held a press conference with Rep. Patrick Kennedy and Sen. Hillary Clinton to push for passage of a bill to increase the use of electronic health records.

 While Gingrich said in 2005 after the press briefing, “We’re launching a bill,” he said on Wednesday that he was not advocating for specific legislation but simply using the shock value of appearing with two New York Democrats to bring attention to a shared priority.   

“We sent a signal we ought to have health information technology you could never have done if you were alone,” he said. “And so they want to say, well, isn’t that lobbying? No. That’s called being a citizen. As a citizen, I’m allowed to have an opinion. As a relatively famous citizen, I can broadcast my opinion in lots of places.”

In part of the interview that was cut from the broadcast version, Gingrich also stood by his comments about not having to lobby because he was already wealthy, although he said the statement “may have sounded a little bit too self-serving.”

“I made pretty good money out of speeches. I didn’t have to lobby. I had 13 New York Times bestsellers out of my 24 books, I was doing speeches, I had lots of things going on,” he said.

NBC watched part of the hour-long interview as it was taped at Tommy's Ham House in Greenville just after Gingrich gave a town hall there. 

ORLANDO -- Jokingly introduced as the "shy and retiring" Chris Christie by Republican Governor's Association chairman Bob McDonnell, the New Jersey governor and prominent Mitt Romney endorser once again showed he was anything but -- slamming President Obama and defending the man he is supporting for the Republican presidential nomination.

"Every time there was an opportunity to provide real leadership where the things would be difficult to do, where it's not a guaranteed layup or a guaranteed photo op, he walks," Christie said of the president. "Real leadership is not what you see in the White house right now. As I've said before, I think it’s a sad day in our country's history to see a bystander in the Oval Office, and that's what we have."

Christie was among 27 Republican governors to attend the RGA's meeting here this week, but his position as perhaps Mitt Romney's most prominent supporter -- and one of only a handful of governors to endorse any presidential candidate -- made him the center of attention today.

"He's the one guy who has performed consistently," Christie said, when asked about a perceived lack of enthusiasm in the GOP base for his favored candidate. "If you define enthusiasm as being at 30% one day and 8% two weeks later. I call that schizophrenia, not enthusiasm. What Gov. Romney has shown over time is that he has a strong and steady core of supporters. I believe that that type of steadiness and that type of consistency is going to lead to him being our party's nominee."

The New Jersey governor, who briefly considered making his own run for the White House, weighed in on several strategic elements of Romney's campaign, including how the former Massachusetts governor should deal with the surging Newt Gingrich. His advice? Don't engage.

"If Gov. Romney engaged every person who had a temporary rise in the polls, that's all he'd be doing," Christie said. "Gov. Romney's job is to lay out his hopeful, optimistic vision for the future of this country and his critique of the last four years, not to engage every person who has, like I said, a temporary rise in the polls."

The outspoken Christie also took a question from a reporter about Romney's demonstrated preference for not taking questions from reporters.

"Everybody has got their own style, and I certainly am not going to try to make anybody something that they're not. Because if they acted that way, it wouldn't come across legitimate or genuine. I am who I am. People ask me questions and I try to answer then as directly and as quickly as possible, and I just think that's the better way to go when you're in public life," Christie said. "Because if you avoid the questions, they're eventually going to catch up to you anyway, so why not answer them and get them out of the way and move on to what you want to talk about."

Despite the vast majority of Republican governors attending this event remaining unaligned in the presidential race thus far, Christie said he was not actively recruiting new endorsers for the Romney campaign.

"I think my role as an endorser is to help Governor Romney in whatever way he asks me to. I'm not sitting around, you know, as a recruiter. I've got other things to do. I'm the vice chairman of this organization." Christie said. "Everybody knows that I'm with Mitt and if in fact they have some questions they'd like to get clarification on or encouragement, it's not like I'm not visible around here. They can talk to me, but I'm not sitting here with my Mitt button on trying to bring everybody into the fold."

Christie did disclose one of those things Gov. Romney asked him to do -- he'll be campaigning in Iowa on Romney's behalf next week, yet another sign that Romney is playing to win in the Hawkeye State.

Congress is mired in -- What else? -- another impasse, this time over how to extend a yearlong payroll tax cut that will expire at the end of December barring congressional action.

Both Democrats and Republicans largely agree on an extension of the tax cut. But they're haggling now over the scope of the tax cut, and how to pay for the multibillion dollar hole it would blow in the deficit.

Senate Republicans, in a proposal released this afternoon, expressed support for extending the 2011 two percent payroll tax holiday for another year. They won't support an expansion of that tax cut to 3.1 percent in 2012, which is supported by the White House.

The Senate GOP also rejected a surtax on millionaires proposed by Senate Democrats to pay for and expand the tax cut. Republicans, rather, would finance their plan by cherrypicking elements of the Bowles-Simpson deficit reduction recommendations to extend current law and reduce the deficit by $111 billion.

That plan would freeze pay for federal workers and Defense department civilians for three years and cut the government workforce by 10 percent. It would also allow the wealthy to voluntarily contribute more taxes, and means-test government health benefits like Medicare. It would eliminate millionaires' and billionaires' eligibility for unemployment compensation and food stamps

Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell said today, “This is not an argument about whether or not we ought to extend the payroll tax cut that was enacted last year for one year. The issue is how do you pay for that? And we have differences of opinion about that.”

The GOP proposal is a non-starter with Democrats.  Adam Jentleson, a spokesman for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) said the Republican proposal "cannot pass the Senate as it stands" because it's not expansive enough and is not paid-for in a way acceptable to Democrats.

"They're asking us to halve the tax cut, and go along with pay-fors that many in our caucus oppose," a Democratic aide explained. "Like we said, we want to work something out, but we're not going to go along with that as it stands."

Jentleson said, though, that Democrats look forward to negotiating an agreement with Republicans. Reid and House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) are expected to meet this week.

So where does Mitt Romney stand on illegal immigration?

While he has positioned himself to the right of his GOP rivals -- in 2008 and now -- an interview he gave to FOX yesterday raised questions about his views, with some even now comparing his words to the language used by supporters of comprehensive immigration reform.

"Truth is, deciphering Romney's statements is a little like reading hieroglyphics," said Frank Sharry, executive director of America's Voice, a pro-immigration reform group. "It may even be sound bites without a policy basis."

Here is what Romney said yesterday:

Romney: “Those people that are here illegally today should have the opportunity to register and to have their status identified. And those individuals should get in line with everyone else that’s in line legally. They should not be placed ahead of the line. They should instead go at the back of the line. And they should not be allowed to stay in this country and be given permanent residency or citizenship merely because they’ve come here illegally.”

Baier: Isn't that what Gingrich is saying?

Romney: “My view’s pretty straightforward: For those people who’ve come here illegally, they should have the opportunity to get in line with everybody else who wants come into this country. But they go to the back of the line. And they should be given no special pathway to citizenship or permanent residency merely because they’ve come here illegally.”

Later, Romney said, “The right course: Secure the border and then we can determine what’s the right way we can deal with the 11 million [illegal immigrants]. And to make it as clear as I possibly can: Let those people apply just like everybody else that wants to come to this country. But they have to apply at the back of the line as opposed to jumping into the front because they’ve come here illegally.”

What's striking to some supporters of comprehensive immigration reform is Romney saying that illegal immigrants must "apply at the back of the line," or that they must "get in line with everyone else that's in line legally." The reason: Advocates of comprehensive immigration reform maintain that illegal immigrants must pay back taxes, learn English, not have a criminal record, and go to the back of the line before obtaining legal status in the United States.

As President Obama said at his town hall at Facebook headquarters back in April, "I think most Americans feel there should be an orderly process to do it. People shouldn't just be coming here and cutting in front of the line essentially and staying without having gone through the proper channels."

So one advocate of comprehensive immigration reform tells First Read that Romney's line -- "For those people who’ve come here illegally, they should have the opportunity to get in line with everybody else who wants come into this country. But they got to the back of the line" -- is consistent with what they're calling for.

"He was for comprehensive immigration reform before he was against it," this advocate says, referring to past statements Romney made in 2006 and 2007 that appeared to endorse this reform. "And now he's trying to get back there."

Eliseo Medina, the SEIU's secretary-treasurer, piles on: "With the Latino vote up for grabs and with pressure from his GOP rival, Romney's wavering position on immigration is being forced out of the shadows sooner than he expected."

But Mark Krikorian, the executive director of the Center for Immigration Studies, which opposes comprehensive immigration reform, believes that Romney's "back of the line" remark means that illegal immigrants must return to their home countries first. That's different, he says, than "the deceptive use of 'back of the line' used by amnesty advocates, where the illegals would get some sort of provisional legal status to stay in the U.S."

Sharry adds that Romney's stance -- according to yesterday FOX interview, as well as other statements -- "seems to be that the 11 million should go home, get in line, apply and be given no special pathway." In other words, it isn't a pro-comprehensive-immigration-reform view. (A Romney aide says to First Read that a "special pathway" refers to any advantage or privilege over those who are waiting in line by virtue of their having come to the United States illegally.)

Indeed, Romney seemed to tell Tim Russert on "Meet the Press" back in late 2007 that illegal immigrants should return to their home countries before obtaining legal status. "Well, whether they go home--they should go home eventually. There's a set per--in my view they should be--they should have a set period during which period they, they sign up for application for permanent residency or, or for citizenship. But there's a set period where upon they should return home. And if they've been approved for citizenship or for a permanent residency, well, they would be a different matter. But for the great majority, they'll be going home."

Romney also said in that "Meet the Press" interview: "My own view is consistent with what you saw in the Lowell Sun, that those people who had come here illegally and are in this country--the 12 million or so that are here illegally--should be able to stay sign up for permanent residency or citizenship, but they should not be given a special pathway, a special guarantee that all of them get to say here for the rest of their lives merely by virtue of having come here illegally."

Is that clear?

The first family's pet dog, Bo, starred Wednesday at a preliminary viewing of holiday decorations at the White House for military families.

First lady Michelle Obama opened the White House to Gold and Blue Star military families (along with the press) to preview the White House in its fully decorated form. And Bo, the Portugese water dog, was a central part of the display; there are five Bo “topiaries” throughout the White House tour route and it’s possible to find some Bo-item in almost every room.  For instance, in the Vermeil Room, there’s a Bo ornament hanging on one of the trees -- next to an iconic painting of Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis.

The theme of the decorations, “Shine, Give, Share,” is emblazoned on banners placed throughout the house. According to the White House, “The theme translates to the holiday décor on several levels. There is the literal translation through the use of shiny elements…There is also a conceptual connection. We’re inviting visitors to give their thanks to members of our military.”

This is particularly evident at the East Landing of the White House, where visitors are greeted with the “Gold Star Families Tree.”  Gold Star families visiting the White House can write messages on star ornaments to military loved ones and hang them on the tree. Anyone visiting can write a note to be sent to members of the armed forces.

The first lady, in remarks welcoming the military families in the East Room of the White House gave a preview of what is written on some of the stars.  She spoke of a wife from East Peoria, IL who wrote of her late husband, "He never thought of himself as a hero, but he always was to me...he was my soulmate."

Mrs. Obama said, as part of her and Dr. Jill Biden’s Joining Forces initiative, the Gold and Blue Star families were invited in an attempt to make sure the country knows what  those designations stand for. (Gold Star families have relatives who died while serving in the armed services and Blue Star families have relatives who are currently serving.)  The official White House Christmas tree in the Blue Room is adorned with holiday cards and messages from military children.  Also, military medals and badges from all of the branches of the military serve as ornaments.

But the young children invited today weren’t all that into the military medals or the replicated presidential holiday cards in the Library or the quartz ornaments hanging off the East Room trees.  (Though the large Bo replica made of 35 yards of wool felt in the East Garden Room did catch the eye of a couple of children.) At first the kids were excited about decorating Christmas cookies and making Bo ornaments in the State Dining Room with the help of the First Lady.  But that really was nothing compared to the excitement that ensued when the actual-real-life Bo Obama was allowed into the room.  Cookies were discarded as the First Lady crouched to pet the dog with kids that were only a little taller than dog-head-patting level.

And some of the cookies offered along with hot apple cider to guests were decorated like, yes, Bo.  Even the First Lady said the dog has “been a little confused” with his likeness on display throughout the house. 

This is the latest installment in an occasional First Read series looking at the candidates’ financial disclosures.

For the surging Newt Gingrich, his campaign and business interests are intertwined -- and he keeps it all in the family.

A First Read analysis of his financial disclosure finds Gingrich has made millions from companies that bear his name, which his wife and daughter are integral in running, including one that produces documentaries and books Gingrich promotes on the campaign trail. A second source of income is from a talent agency run by his daughter, who plays a key role in his campaign.

But the way Gingrich lists his income raises questions of transparency. Most of Gingrich’s income -- about $2.5 million -- in the year-and-a-half reporting period is listed as coming from Gingrich Productions, the arm of Newt, Inc., that makes the books and movies and where he was a director until he launched his campaign. His wife Callista is the CEO. (The films are produced in partnership with Citizens United -- the same Citizens United that won the landmark Supreme Court case last year that critics contend has opened the floodgates to unchecked money in politics in the form of Super PACs.)

But Gingrich’s campaign says it’s not accurate to say he got the money from “Gingrich Productions” alone. Before he ran for president, Gingrich spokesman R.C. Hammond said, Gingrich combined “Gingrich Productions” and “Gingrich Communications.” Any speaking fees, Gingrich’s FOX contract, and some advisory boards he served on, for example, were paid to “Gingrich Communications” and not to Gingrich directly, Hammond said.

Gingrich told the AP today that he didn’t need to be a lobbyist, because he made $60,000 a speech. But the speeches, the FOX contract, and the boards are not itemized, so there’s no way to tell from the disclosure how much money he made from each or if he made money from anywhere else.

“Obviously, it’s not transparent,” said Bill Allison, editorial director at the Sunlight Foundation, a transparency watchdog. He added, “It probably doesn’t violate the letter of the law, but it definitely violates the spirit of the law, which is to allow the public to understand who is providing a candidate with income and who he has economic ties to. He should be disclosing what he’s getting from these different companies and these different organizations, and that’s the purpose of this disclosure -- to see if he has a particular conflict of interest.”

Gingrich, who made most of his money after he left Congress, is worth between $7.1 million and $31 million, according to a tally of his assets and liabilities. He made between $2.6 million and $2.8 million in the reporting period (from 2010 through July 2011 when he filed the disclosure).

Gingrich and his wife have held at least nine book signings and screenings this month and at least 19 since July, according to a review of the campaign’s daily schedules. Hammond defended Gingrich’s promotional efforts while he is campaigning.

“What should we do then?” he asked. “Should we remove him from all this stuff? The rules are set up; the rules are being followed. … There are rules on this, it's very clearly outlined, and we follow those rules.”

Hammond also points out, correctly, that rivals Michele Bachmann and Herman Cain also hold book signings on the trail. During Cain’s surge in October, he eschewed the traditional early nominating states and went on a seven-stop book tour that was mixed with campaign events. And since her book was released Nov. 21, Bachmann has held at least a dozen book signings, also mixed in with campaign stops.

“What is the difference then with what Michele Bachmann does and Herman Cain and Hillary Clinton when she was First Lady?” Hammond said. He added that President Obama has made millions in royalties from his memoirs since he became president. And “Newt’s books aren’t all about him,” he said. “They're about the country.”

Obama hasn’t mixed book signings with presidential events, but he, too, mixed politics and book promotion back in 2006, when he was a senator and looked like he might become a presidential candidate. (Examples here and here.)

Obama, however, has also released his tax returns, something Gingrich and the other GOP candidates have, so far, declined to do.

“There’s historically been several candidates who ran more as a matter of self promotion than for a serious candidacy,” said Allison, who is also a former journalist and who helped with a book while at the Center for Public Integrity called, “The Buying of the Congress,” published in 1998 and which included a chapter on Gingrich. “There are people who cash in on the campaigns. The knock on Gingrich was that he would show up in Iowa every four years with a book to promote.”

Allison also notes that Gingrich does something “a little more brazen.” Most candidates say, if you want to know their policy, go to their website. Gingrich, on the other hand, says, “If you want to understand my policy, here’s where you can get it” -- in a book he’s written -- “and you have to pay for it. It’s a very unusual thing for a candidate to do, and there’s a question of some for-profit motive.”

Gingrich’s spokesman, though, says the former House speaker’s run for president isn’t about money.

“Newt is very committed to the race,” Hammond said. “The reason they chose to continue screening documentaries and talking about their books is because they share the values about what Newt and Callista believe. They demonstrate their understanding of our history, of our culture, and our people. This is one way they’re demonstrating to Americans how they understand our world and our country and where we're going in the future.”

Gingrich’s second-largest single listed source of income was about $72,000 -- from The Lubbers Agency. A Lexis-Nexis business records search finds that the CEO of the company is Kathy Lubbers, or Kathy Gingrich Lubbers, Gingrich’s daughter -- who was president of Gingrich Communications and is a senior adviser to his campaign.

Gingrich lists five groups that bear his name on his financial disclosure -- “The Gingrich Group, LLC,” where he was chairman until May; “Gingrich Communications, Inc,” where he was a director until May; “Gingrich Holdings,” where he was a director until May; “Gingrich Productions;” and “The Gingrich Foundation,” a charity foundation, where he is a board member.

He also lists a promissory note from “Gingrich Group, LLC” as being worth between $5 million and $25 million. And his stake in “Gingrich Productions” is listed as being between $500,000 and $1 million.

Most of the rest of Gingrich’s money is tied up in investment funds and bank accounts. But he did make between $5,001 and $15,000 from a rental house in Whitehall, WI; $15,000 from the John Locke Foundation; and $4,000 from the American Family Association; as well as income from dividends and interest.

As far as liabilities go, he lists (of course) that $500,000 to $1 million line of credit at Tiffany (which is marked as closed and paid in full); as well as $50,000 to $100,000 to American Express; and a $15,001 to $50,000 Wells Fargo mortgage for his rental property.

Gingrich lists that he was an advisory board member of Fleishman Hillard, a P.R. firm, for a decade from 2000 to May 2011, but he doesn’t list any salary. His campaign says it was likely included in payments to “Gingrich Communications.” Gingrich also reports no income or salary from -- but lists himself as holding positions with -- Healthtrio Centennial (advisory board, January to present); American Enterprise Institute, the conservative think tank (fellow, 1999 to May 2010); and GE Healthymagination (advisory board, 2009 to May 2011). GE is a minority owner of NBC Universal.

Some other business interests he has some stake in: FLC XXXII 24-Hour Fitness, AT&T, Blackboard, Corning, Discovery Communications, Hewlett-Packard, Quaker Chemical, Raytheon, Walgreen’s, Campbell’s Soup, and Dr. Pepper Snapple Group, among others.

New Hampshire Union Leader publisher Joe McQuaid said Monday on FOX that the paper endorsed Gingrich, in part, because he can appeal to regular voters, more so than Mitt Romney.

“I think it's going to be Obama's 99 percent versus the 1 percent,” McQuaid said, “and Romney sort of represents the 1 percent."

Romney is certainly easy to caricature as the 1 percent -- a scion corporate executive with a net worth estimated to be between $190 million and $250 million. But, according to the IRS, the top 1 percent of income earners in 2010 are those households with an adjusted gross income of $380,354.

By that measure, Gingrich is certainly a member.

URBANDALE, Iowa -- With 34 days until the Iowa caucuses, Newt Gingrich has finally opened a campaign headquarters in the Hawkeye State.

"We are happy and proud to have this office opening. Its great that we are really moving forward in Iowa," Gingrich's Iowa communications director, Katie Koberg told NBC News.

Gingrich is the last of the major candidates to open an office here located at 11386 Aurora Ave. in Urbandale (just outside of Des Moines). Furniture was just delivered and the office will be up and running for volunteers in the next couple days.

Gingrich's space sits in the same business complex as that of fellow GOP presidential candidate Rick Santorum.

The former House speaker's campaign has been expanding in the first-in-the-nation caucus state in recent weeks. Two staffers who had quit the campaign back in June -- Craig Shoenfeld and Koberg -- were rehired along with additional staffers whose names and positions have yet to be released.

Alex Moe/NBC News

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich opened his Iowa campaign headquarters on Wednesday in Urbandale.

"What's great about Newt is that the way the traditional campaign is run might not be the most effective and efficient way anymore," Koberg pointed out. "Newt has showed us that campaigning is now different. Its not about how many staff you have or how many offices you can open."
 
Gingrich had told reporters during his last visit to the state he would be opening five offices throughout Iowa but Koberg said the campaign is just focusing on this Central Iowa location for now and may open an office in Eastern Iowa at some point. 

The speaker holds an event tonight in the Hawkeye State plus three additional events tomorrow. No events are located at the new campaign headquarters this trip.

GREENVILLE, S.C. -- Newt Gingrich pushed back this morning on recent criticisms of his record from Mitt Romney and Michele Bachmann after finding himself in his opponents' crosshairs as of late.

Gingrich declined to respond to the former Massachusetts governor's criticism of Gingrich as a "life-long politician." The former House Speaker told a group of reporters that he prefers to think of himself as a "lifetime citizen" instead.

Gingrich also said Bachmann was “technically correct” when she told the Greenville News this morning that he was the “grandfather” of the individual health care mandate, which he advocated at the conservative Heritage Foundation think tank, though he said he later came to oppose it.

"I’ve said all along that when we were fighting Hillary Clinton and Hillarycare, the Heritage Foundation and virtually the entire conservative movement thought the mandate was better than Hillarycare," he said at Tommy’s Ham House, where the town hall was held. "Nobody’s disputed that. Nobody has said it wasn’t factually accurate. So I commend her for being actually technically correct."

Gingrich also addressed a key period during his tenure on Capitol Hill: the 1995 budget impasse that led to a government shutdown. 

"We stopped it twice when we were fighting Clinton but we did it very carefully. We paid Social Security, we paid the military, we paid air traffic controllers, we paid the FBI," Gingrich said, answering an attendee’s question about whether he would be able to keep the government going.

He asserted that during the budget negotiations, "Clinton and I understood how to fight in a way that was mature and confused the Washington press corps."

But during the 1995 dispute, Gingrich reportedly said a "snub" aboard Air Force One, during which he sat at the back of the plane during a 25-hour flight to Israel, contributed to the standoff.

According to a CNN report from Nov. 16th, 1995, Gingrich said, "You've been on the plane for 25 hours and nobody has talked to you and they ask you to get off the plane by the back ramp ... You just wonder, where is their sense of manners? Where is their sense of courtesy?"

The report continued: "That 'snub,' the Georgia Republican said, was part of why you ended up with us sending down a tougher continuing resolution -- the stopgap spending bill that Clinton vetoed Monday. That veto led to the partial shutdown of the federal government, now in its third day."

WEST CHESTER, Ohio -- As Journey's "Don't Stop Believing" played after a Herman Cain campaign stop here this morning, the embattled presidential candidate told reporters that reassessing his campaign simply means "re-evaluating."

The Cain campaign has attempted to walk back comments made yesterday that indicated the former Georgia businessman was considering abandoning his bid for the White House. But speaking to a crowd of about 100 today, Cain remained defiant that he has no plans of dropping out any time soon.

"As you know, I have already been attacked,” Cain said. “Not because I have bad ideas, because the ideas are solid. They're attacking my character, my reputation and my name in order to try to bring me down. But you see, I don't believe that America is going to let that happen."

Of course, while the allegations of sexual misconduct and the latest accusation of an affair have consumed much of the coverage of his campaign, he also suffered a setback on substance, when he seemingly couldn’t think of an answer regarding his position on Libya. He has had several other missteps unrelated to the scandal.

Yesterday's news of Cain's consideration to leave the race came on the same day he was set to deliver a major foreign policy and national security speech in Michigan, an area where he has made several of those missteps. Cain picked up on the themes he hit on yesterday -- fostering U.S. military and economic might to develop friendships with other countries -- but like the previous night, his policies were overshadowed by a sex scandal and questions about the future of his campaign.

"With all of the mess going on over the past several weeks,” Cain said, “well, they've been trying to do a character assassination on me. Some of them even predicted that this room was going to be empty today. I don't think that I see any empty seats in here."

While working the rope line after the event, Cain cited a "groundswell" of support. Cain staffers say they have witnessed tremendous outreach from supporters urging the candidate not to leave the race.

But with the Iowa caucuses just over a month away, Cain's been have been moving down, not up, in recent polls.

Mitt Romney is up with another TV ad in New Hampshire, though this one isn't directed at President Obama -- like the one his campaign aired when Obama visited Manchester earlier this month.

Instead, it's about his business experience and his vow to cut spending.

NBC News has learned that the ad buy is $85,500 in Manchester from Dec. 1 through Dec. 6.

The script:
Mitt Romney: "I spent my life in the private sector. I've competed with companies around the world. I've learned something about how it is that economies grow.

"But we're not going to balance the budget just by pretending that all they have to do is take out the waste. We're going to have to cut spending. And I'm in favor of cutting spending, capping federal spending as a percentage of GDP at 20 percent or less, and having a balanced budget amendment.

"The right answer for America is to stop the growth of the federal government and to start the growth of the private sector.

"I'm Mitt Romney and I approve this message."

The "random person" House Speaker John Boehner dismissed for his lack of influence over congressional Repulicans will be on Capitol Hill Thursday to speak to GOP lawmakers on messaging skills.

Grover Norquist, the Americans for Tax Reform president blamed by Democrats for helping scuttle a supercommittee deal this month, will address the House GOP "Theme Team" this week. Norquist is the same person whom Boehner called a "random person" earlier this month.

The "Theme Team" is a group of House GOP lawmakers that meet weekly to work on messaging skills and to discuss what they'll say in "One minute" speeches on the floor of the House. "One minutes" occur when the Speaker allows the floor to be open for members to say whatever they like.

In the past, members would use these speeches to talk about local issues or do mundane things like congratulate sports teams. Over the last decade, the "Theme Team" uses the speeches to focus on specific issues and drive GOP talking points.

A GOP aide close to the "Theme Team" tells NBC News that Norquist is invited to speak to them once a year. He will be on hand this week to talk about tax policy and the best way to message it etc.

Now, don't forget, on Nov. 3, Boehner (R-OH) called Norquist a "random person." That exchange follows:

Boehner: “We are doing everything we are doing to get our economy back to work. It's not often I'm asked about some random person in America."

NBC News: Random person?

"Our focus is about creating jobs, not talking about somebody's personality."

NBC News: What he stands for, is that a positive influence in your conference?

"What he stands for???"

NBC News: Yes, his no tax hikes under any circumstances pledge, is that positive for your conference?
 
"Listen, our conference is opposed to tax hikes because we believe tax hikes will hurt our economy and put Americans out of work."

NASHUA, NH -- Rick Perry focused his ire on Wall Street on Wednesday, castigating "high rollers" and reckless DC insiders who "snookered" Americans.

Perry struck populist notes while stumping in the Granite State today, following a day's worth of campaigning in which he focused on immigration.

"What's wrong with America can be diagrammed on a napkin," he told guests at a Chamber of Commerce breakfast in Nashua Wednesday. "And it is a straight line between two dots. Between Washington and Wall Street."

"Americans were snookered into deals with zero down and balloon payments and the regulators fell asleep at the switch," he said after accusing "washington politicians" of pressuring Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac into offering risky loans.

"They were betting against America," he said of bankers "who hatched get rich quick schemes" to profit off the market crash.

Perry has been hitting upon a reformist theme in recent weeks on the campaign trail, calling, for instance, for a ban on insider trading in Congress, and calling for the ouster of several top Obama administration officials, including Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner, Attorney General Eric Holder and Ben Bernanke, the chairman of the Federal Reserve.

Perry has aggressively derided Treasury and Fed officials this week after a Bloomberg story revealed previously unknown Fed loans to banks in late 2008.

He has also worked to paint himself as an "outsider" both to big banks and the Beltway crowd. It's been a tool he's used, too, to distinguish himself from his primary opponents; Perry called both Newt Gingrich and Mitt Romney "substantial insiders on Wall St and Washington, D.C." during television interviews this morning.

Perry also committed a minor error in his interview this morning on Fox News, talking about his work to get ready for New Hampshire's "caucuses." The state, rather proudly, hosts a primary, which is the first such contest in the country.

The Texas governor later admitted the flub.

"Yep I did," he said, asked if he made a gaffe with the comment. "I will do that from time to time."

Romney hits Gingrich in interview… And he also gets snippy/testy, which could explain why he’s the favorite but still not the front-runner… Bottom line: Romney has a difficult time reconciling his past positions with where the GOP is today… Obama heads to Scranton, PA (Dwight Schrute country) to deliver speech at 2:45 pm ET… Cain’s death spiral… And Newt’s non-lobbying and his past paid speeches.

*** Romney vs. Gingrich: Five weeks out before the Iowa caucuses, Mitt Romney yesterday took a shot at the GOP candidate who has been rising in the polls: Newt Gingrich. It’s the latest sign that the Republican presidential contest might actually be turning into a two-man race (though we also remember what happened back in September when it was a two-person contest between Romney and Rick Perry). “Speaker Gingrich is a good man. He and I have very different backgrounds,” Romney said in an interview with FOX’s Bret Baier yesterday. “He spent his last 30 or 40 years in Washington. I spent mine in the private sector.” Translation: Gingrich is a Washington insider and Romney is not. The former Massachusetts governor also said in the interview that Gingrich’s immigration views -- allowing illegal immigrants who have lived in the United States for 20-plus years to gain permanent residency -- amounted to “amnesty.” This was after Gingrich said that calling his immigration stance “amnesty” is an “Obama-level quality statement.” And Gingrich added that anyone who called his stance amnesty should not be a candidate for president. Folks, this could get testy.

*** Getting snippy with it: Yet perhaps the most revealing part of Romney’s FOX interview was his tone, especially when he was challenged on flip-flopping on key issues or on his Massachusetts health-care law. The New York Times called his responses “snippy,” while the Miami Herald said he was “icily peevish.” When FOX’s Baier noted that Romney had changed his positions on climate change, abortion, immigration, and gay rights, the GOP candidate responded, “Your list is just not accurate. One, we’re going to have to be better informed about my views on issues.” And when Baier asked him about Massachusetts’ health-care mandate, Romney replied, “Bret, I don't know many hundred times I've said this, too. This is an unusual interview. All right, let's do it again,” he said sarcastically before adding: “Absolutely what we did for Massachusetts was right for Massachusetts.”

*** Explaining why Romney is the favorite but still not the front-runner: If you want to understand why Mitt Romney is the favorite to win the GOP presidential race but is not the front-runner, just watch the interview. That’s why he hasn’t put this contest away, at least not yet. He is having a very difficult time dealing with how some of his previous positions -- like on health care -- that are inconsistent with where the Republican Party is today. Also, we now know why he has been avoiding these kind of one-on-one interviews. And given how yesterday went, we’re guessing securing one-on-one interviews with Romney on Sunday shows or with national reporters is going to get harder before it gets easier?

*** Disciplined vs. over-disciplined: Here’s one more point about the FOX interview: Mitt Romney's biggest improvement from his presidential bid four years ago has been his discipline -- he's going to talk about the economy and President Obama, and stick to those topics. In fact, his discipline is what has separated him from Herman Cain, Newt Gingrich, and Rick Perry. But is there a point when a candidate becomes over-disciplined? Indeed, nearly every time Romney has been challenged on a topic other than the economy and President Obama (like his own record or debate protocol), it appears to get under his skin. But if there’s anything we’ve learned about the U.S. presidency over the past 10 years, it’s that a president often doesn’t get to focus on the issues he wants to. Just when you’re planning to push for immigration reform, an event like 9/11 happens. Or when you want to talk about the economy, there’s a major oil spill in the Gulf Coast.

*** Getting snippy with it, Part 2: But Romney’s FOX interview wasn’t his only testy moment of the day. After reporters following him in Florida tried to ask him several questions, Romney responded: "Guys we have press avails and press conferences almost every day, and that's when I answer the questions. When I'm meeting people it’s not a good time to answer questions that are important. They're important and they require good attention and a thorough answer." But as NBC’s Garrett Haake points out, Romney doesn’t hold press avails and press conferences “almost every day.” In fact, he has held just six avails in the past two months (Oct. 11 in Lebanon, NH; Oct. 22 in Manchester, NH; Oct. 26 in Fairfax, VA; Nov. 11 in Mauldin, SC; Nov. 19 in Nashua, NH; and Nov. 23 in Des Moines, IA).

Here's an earlier look at Romney's temperment through this campaign:

*** Obama visits Dwight Schrute country: At 2:45 pm ET, President Obama delivers remarks from Scranton, PA, where he will push Congress to extend the federal payroll-tax cut. Interestingly, Obama’s push on the payroll-tax cut comes as Republicans have indicated en masse yesterday that they’re in favor of extending the tax break. The big question, of course, is how to pay for it. Tied to Obama’s trip to Scranton, the Republican National Committee is up with a web ad that hits the president by using his own words from a 2008 trip to the Pennsylvania city. And a Romney spokesman has fired off this statement: “President Obama told Pennsylvanians they would be better off under his leadership, and they will hold him accountable for his failed economic record.”  As for the GOP idea to “pay for,” the Wall Street Journal is reporting today that a few ideas being talked about include raising some airport fees or selling more spectrum.

*** Cain’s death spiral: By now, you know that Herman Cain’s presidential campaign is in a death spiral, especially after Cain admitted to his senior aides that he is “reassessing” the state of the campaign. But here’s a question we have: What does Cain have to gain by getting out of the GOP presidential race? A future political career? A vice-presidential nomination? You could make the case that by staying in the race – and having some positive debate performances down the stretch – Cain could return to the candidate he was back in August (that is, someone who’s on the stage, who can deliver some memorable lines and is likeable, but who isn’t a threat to win in Iowa or anywhere else).

*** Newt’s non-lobbying and his paid speeches: The New York Times is up with a front-page story that only buttresses Romney’s contention that Newt Gingrich is a Washington insider. “Newt Gingrich is adamant that he is not a lobbyist, but rather a visionary who traffics in ideas, not influence. But in the eight years since he started his health care consultancy, he has made millions of dollars while helping companies promote their services and gain access to state and federal officials. In a variety of instances, documents and interviews show, Mr. Gingrich arranged meetings between executives and officials, and salted his presentations to lawmakers with pitches for his clients, who pay as much as $200,000 a year to belong to his Center for Health Transformation.” And don’t miss Newt’s explanation why he wasn’t a registered lobbyist – because he made so money already giving paid speeches. “I did no lobbying of any kind — period,’’ Gingrich said yesterday, per the AP. “I’m going to be really direct, OK? I was charging $60,000 a speech. And the number of speeches was going up, not down. Normally, celebrities leave and they gradually sell fewer speeches every year. We were selling more.’’ Wow. Gingrich referred to himself as a celebrity? What would the McCain ad team had done with that line in 2008?

*** On the 2012 trail: Perry and Huntsman are in New Hampshire… Newt Gingrich remains in South Carolina… Bachmann campaigns in Iowa… And Herman Cain holds rallies in Ohio.

*** Wednesday’s “Daily Rundown” line-up: Gov. Haley Barbour (R-MS) from the RGA meeting in Orlando… White House Press Secretary Jay Carney on the payroll tax cut fight… The latest on the British embassy being stormed in Tehran with NBC’s Ali Arouzi and Secretary Clinton’s trip to Myanmar with NBC’s Kristen Welker… More on GOP 2012 with the New York Times’ Helene Cooper, National Journal’s Reid Wilson, and former Obama White House Deputy Communications Director Jen Psaki.

*** Wednesday’s “Jansing & Co.” line-up: MSNBC’s Chris Jansing interviews Politico’s Ben White, New York Times’ Charles Blow, Steve Forbes, and Dem Rep. Loretta Sanchez.

*** Wednesday’s “MSNBC Live with Thomas Roberts” line-up: MSNBC’S Thomas Roberts interviews Politico’s Jim Vandehei on Herman Cain’s Campaign, as well as former RNC Chair Michael Steele and  former  Gov. Ed Rendell.

*** Wednesday’s “NOW with Alex Wagner” line-up: Alex Wagner’s guests include The Nation’s Ari Melber, Politico’s Ben Smith, Comcast DC Bureau Chief Robert Traynham, and The Grio’s Joy-Ann Reid.

*** Wednesday’s “Andrea Mitchell Reports” line-up: NBC’s Andrea Mitchell interviews Reps. Chris Van Hollen (D) and Paul Ryan (R), the Washington Post’s Chris Cillizza, Family Research Council President Tony Perkins, Politico’s Mike Allen, and NBC’s Stephanie Gosk.

*** Wednesday’s “News Nation with Tamron Hall”: MSNBC’s Tamron Hall interviews Phil Musser, Peter Mirijanian, and Michael Smerconish, as well as the Wall Street Journal’s Brody Mullins.

Countdown to Iowa caucuses: 34 days
Countdown to New Hampshire primary: 41 days
Countdown to South Carolina primary: 52 days
Countdown to Florida primary: 62 days
Countdown to Nevada caucuses: 66 days
Countdown to Super Tuesday: 97 days
Countdown to Election Day: 344 days

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Michele Bachmann, Jon Huntsman, and Rick Perry all took shots at Herman Cain for the latest allegations of an affair. Huntsman told the Boston Globe, “You’ve got to be reconsidering just based on how we have lost focus on the issues that really do matter. Every time another accusation comes up, it diminishes our ability to stay focused on the issues that really do matter for the American people. And I think that’s a disservice to the voters.”

Bachmann said on a Minnesota talk-radio show: "When [the latest accusation] came out yesterday, everyone said 'this is it he's done. People just don't see that there is an ability for him to be able to come back after that."

A Bachmann campaign aide yesterday Tweeted that moving trucks could be seen outside Cain’s Iowa headquarters, which is across the street from Bachmann’s. But they weren’t moving trucks, just a truck delivering signs, NBC’s Alex Moe and Jamie Novogrod report. The aide, state Sen. Kent Sorenson, who is heading up Bachmann’s campaign in Iowa, later said it was an “accident” and deleted the Tweet. But he added in a phone conversation with NBC’s Novogrod, “I think it's going to happen sooner rather than later."

Perry said this morning on Fox, per NBC’s Carrie Dann, that Cain’s "got to address these issues. Straight up." "If these allegations are true he has an obligation to his family and to the American people to explain."

BACHMANN: She also went after Gingrich in the radio interview: "I think all of these [frontrunner falls] do benefit me. I think that Rick Perry's slide in the polls benefits me, I think that with Herman Cain, and I think now we're re-looking at Newt Gingrich because more information is coming out."

Glenn Beck says he’s voting for Bachmann, something she touted in an email. “I am the candidate Glenn Beck trusts to lead America back to prosperity,” she said. She also got the endorsements of the co-chairs of the South Carolina Tea Party.

CAIN: The New York Post on Cain’s “reassessment” of his campaign: “The pizza king might not deliver to the White House.”

GINGRICH: Gingrich took a jab at Romney, calling him “the former frontrunner.”

Rep. Brian Bilbray, the GOP chair of the Immigration Reform Caucus, took a shot at Gingrich’s stance on immigration yesterday on CNN: “Newt, I don’t care who you are. Quit sending the mixed message that we are going to somehow reward or accommodate you if you broke the law while there are those waiting patiently and playing by the rules, waiting to come into this country legally.”

And Gingrich expressed support for the individual mandate on health care as recently as 2005.

HUNTSMAN: “Republican Jon Huntsman [yesterday] refused to rule out running as an independent candidate for president should he fail in his quest for his party’s 2012 nomination. Asked, ‘Is there any situation in which you would run for president as an independent?’ Huntsman told the Boston Globe, ‘I don’t think so.’ Told that anything but a flat denial could perpetuate speculation about the possibility, Huntsman replied: ‘I’m a lifelong Republican. I’m running as a Republican, and I fully anticipate that that’s where we’re going to be.’”

PERRY: The New York Daily News yesterday on Perry’s flubs about the voting age and the date of next year’s election: “Texas Gov. Rick Perry had another "oops" moment Tuesday….”

Perry had yet another “oops” moment on FOX this morning, one to which New Hampshire voters don’t take kindly. He noted how he's pushing his message "as we get ready for those New Hampshire caucuses." New Hampshire holds a primary, not caucuses, and touts it first-in-the-nation primary status.

ROMNEY: Taegan Goddard notes of his interview with Bret Baier on FOX last night, “Mitt Romney showed why he doesn't do too many interviews.” The Miami Herald, which Political Wire links to, called Romney “icily peevish” at times. “He laughed mirthlessly, or denied video evidence showed him shifting his positions or suggested he was espousing clear positions -- which nevertheless required clarification. When pushed, he told Baier at one point that people should read his book.”

In the interview, Romney said of his support for Massachusetts’ health-care plan, “If it keeps me from winning a primary, so be it.” Romney also took this shot at Gingrich: “He spent his last 30 or 40 years in Washington. I spent my career in the private sector.” He also called him a “lifelong politician.”

Just how unsatisfied are some conservatives with the field? A pro-Palin group is running a one-minute ad in Iowa (with a very small $6,500 ad buy) urging her to reconsider.

“Top lawmakers from both parties are proposing to offset the cost of extending a U.S. payroll tax cut, establishing markers for negotiations over how to prevent the break from expiring Dec. 31,” Bloomberg reports. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell hasn’t said how Republicans plan to cover the forgone revenue from extending the 2 percentage point reduction in employees’ portion of the Social Security tax. Senator Jon Kyl, the second-ranking Republican, said details would be available by today.  Democrats have proposed extending and expanding the tax break. The Democrats’ $265 billion proposal would be offset by a 3.25 percent surtax on annual income exceeding $1 million, and a test vote is planned for this week on the proposal.”

The Hill frames it this way: “Senate Republicans will offer a new proposal to extend the payroll tax holiday as they battle with Democrats for supremacy on taxes. Republicans earlier this year dismissed an extension of the cut as a ‘sugar high’ that would do little to create jobs, but Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) announced a shift in strategy on Tuesday, saying he would offer the GOP offset for extending the tax holiday.”

“With the super committee's failure last week, industrious lawmakers are grasping yet again at the opportunity to reach a sweeping deficit reduction deal — but they face the same obstacles that have crushed every group that's tried,” Roll Call reports. “Still seeing an opportunity in the bleakest of legislative outlooks, the bipartisan ‘gang of six’ [which is now eight] met for dinner Monday night in the Capitol office suite of Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) to discuss a post-super-committee Congress.”

By the way, still on Congress’ pre-Christmas to-do list, per Roll Call: “extending the payroll tax cut, extending unemployment insurance benefits for the long-term jobless, passing a raft of expiring tax provisions known as extenders, patching the alternative minimum tax, acting to prevent a cut in payments to doctors who treat Medicare patients and passing a spending package made up of the remaining nine annual appropriations bills.”

Norm Ornstein on Barney Frank’s departure: “It is difficult to stand out as one of 435 of anything — and that is even more true in a cacophonous place such as the House, which is filled with big personalities. Some stand out just by saying outrageous or over-the-line things, which is now, sadly, a surefire way to raise big bucks and even become a presidential candidate. But few truly stand out, becoming forces inside Congress and outside because of their ideas and their legislative talents. For decades, Frank has been in that small category, and his departure from the House will leave a big void.”

And he places the blame on Republicans for the failure of the Super Committee: “I believe the major reason was the breakdown on taxes — the inability of the Republicans on the panel to commit to anything in the vicinity of the area of the neighborhood of $1 trillion in revenues, even for a grand bargain.”

“One trip, two money pitches. President Barack Obama wants more money in the pockets of U.S. workers -- and in his campaign treasury,” the AP writes. “With both goals in mind, the president was to travel Wednesday to swing-state Pennsylvania to press his case for a bigger temporary payroll tax cut that will boost paychecks. He then will descend on donor-rich New York City to raise money for his already flush re-election bid.”

More: “In New York, Obama will attend three fundraisers: one at a private residence where tickets begin at $10,000; one at the Greenwich Village restaurant Gotham Bar and Grill at $35,800 per ticket; and a reception at the Sheraton Hotel, where tickets begin at $1,000. The money will be split between the Democratic National Committee and the Obama re-election campaign.”

“Republicans are maneuvering to short-circuit an effort by Democrats on the National Labor Relations Board to approve rules that would quicken the pace of union elections,” the AP says. “The GOP member of the labor board is threatening to resign his post, which would deny the board a quorum and quash the entire process. At the same time, the House is poised Wednesday to approve a GOP bill aimed at short-circuiting moves they consider anti-business.”

“The Obama administration offered tempered praise this week as millions of Egyptians cast ballots in an election likely to be the country's freest and fairest ever -- a vote the U.S. insisted go forward despite objections by pro-democracy street protesters,” AP writes.

Nashua, N.H. -- Rick Santorum may be stuck in the low single digits in New Hampshire polls, but the former senator from Pennsylvania got a boost from a key social conservative on Tuesday. Santorum won the support of activist and former GOP candidate for governor, Karen Testerman.

Testerman -- who previously served as a senior adviser to Rep. Michele Bachmann -- told NBC News by phone she had carefully considered each candidate before settling on Santorum. She served as the Minnesota Congresswoman's communications aide during a controversial staff disbanding in New Hampshire this fall.

"I think [Bachmann] is falling off the charts basically, much to many people's disappointment," Testerman told The Dartmouth earlier this month.

This week, Testerman narrowed her selection to Newt Gingrich and Rick Santorum. Just two days ago, she hosted a campaign event that bore witness to a heated but civil debate between Santorum and a voter on abortion and conception. Today, with just 6 weeks left before the January 10 New Hampshire primary, Testerman threw her support behind a candidate many see as the underdog -- a far cry from Gingrich, who won the influential endorsement of New Hampshire's largest paper, the Union Leader.

Nevertheless, Santorum is thrilled about any support he can get in a state where he receives 1% support, according to a recent survey by University of New Hampshire and WMUR.

“Karen has been a steadfast defender of life, family and the foundational values that make our nation great," Santorum told NBC News in a statement. "Karen understands the magnitude of this election, and her vote of confidence tonight is truly an honor.  I am excited to work with her as we move toward victory in the first-in-the-nation primary.”

Santorum returns to New Hampshire December 2-3 to campaign with Testerman and other state legislative endorsers.

NEWBERRY, S.C. – Newt Gingrich made President Obama his only target in a town hall here tonight, describing what he believes would be a brutal general election fight against the president.  

“In January 2012, Gingrich-Obama campaign will come down to two questions: Can you endure the pain of four more years of radical incompetence, which would be my argument, and, can I survive the weight of negativity, smears, assaults and lies that they’re going to throw?” Gingrich said.

Speaking to a packed Newberry Opera House after a fundraising barbecue for the South Carolina Republican Party, Gingrich added that the Obama campaign is already attacking Republican candidates because the president can’t highlight his first-term record.

“Watch their first ambushes against Romney and ask yourselves this question: Why would a president of the United States run an attack ad in November before there’s even a Republican nominee? It’s because they’ve got nothing positive to say about three and a half years of failure.”

While the Democratic National Committee and pro-Obama Super-PAC Priorities USA (run by former Obama administration officials) have already begun to attack Mitt Romney, the Obama campaign itself has not, releasing its first ad, a direct appeal to voters from the president, today. 

Gingrich dared Obama to run a strictly positive campaign, saying it would greatly reduce his re-election chances, although Gingrich seemed uninterested in doing so himself, referring to the president as a “Saul Alinsky radical” at least three times during the town hall.

The twenty-year congressman and former House speaker’s criticism of Washington was not limited to the president, as he also slammed members of Congress for making insider trades, saying newly-elected members should have to keep their assets in blind trusts.

“It is so clear that they have so much power that there is no way to build trust in an environment where they can make money out of what they’re doing,” Gingrich said.

He also suggested that Congress’ record-low approval ratings are a threat to the country. “You can’t sustain freedom in a country where that level of contempt exists for one of the key institutions of self-government.”

Gingrich also criticized inside-the-Beltway political consultants, suggesting former President George W. Bush’s team could have had a bigger win in the 2004 re-election campaign if they had listened to Gingrich’s advice.

“In the summer of 2004 I wrote a paper for the Bush campaign arguing that [Democratic nominee John] Kerry was vulnerable to a catastrophic defeat,” Gingrich said, noting Kerry’s liberal voting record. “And I couldn’t get the consultants to agree to run a campaign based on ideas,” he added in remarks reminiscent of those he made after former campaign staffers resigned en masse in June.

“My campaign consultants understood 30-second attack ads,” Gingrich said on Fox and Friends on June 15th. “They didn’t understand you could actually write a book with big ideas and actually campaign talking about big ideas.”

Absent from his remarks tonight was any real criticism of Mitt Romney, although Gingrich generated attention for saying he is “a lot more conservative than Mitt Romney” during a radio interview with a Charleston station on Monday morning.

CONCORD, N.H. -- In between campaign stops in New Hampshire today, Huntsman said that the latest "bimbo eruptions" surrounding rival Herman Cain have damaged the quality of the GOP race for the White House. The former Utah governor suggested the former pizza CEO should consider leaving the race for the Republican nomination.

“We’ve got real issues to talk about not the latest bimbo eruption,” Huntsman told the Boston Herald editorial board today. He went on to imply that the recent allegation of a 13-year extra-marital affair created “too much of a cloud, in some people’s minds, as to whether or not they would be able to support us going forth.”

Watching the allegations unfold last night on the news from his hotel in New Hampshire, Huntsman told the Globe he asked himself, “‘What about a (financial) downgrade that is being anticipated? What about Europe? What about so many other issues out there that we ought to be talking about and that people ought to understand where candidates come down on those issues?’”

Huntsman, who as of late has seen a minor uptick in Granite State polls, implied that given the combination of sexual allegations and distractions from policy discussions, Cain should consider dropping out of the race. Typically, Huntsman rarely mentions his rivals by name on the campaign trail.

“Given the bandwidth that has been taken out of the discussion of any other issues pertinent to this campaign, a reconsideration might be in order," he told the Boston Globe at a separate editorial meeting.

“Every time another accusation comes up, it diminishes our ability to stay focused on the issues that really do matter for the American people. And I think that’s a disservice to the voters," he told the Globe.

Huntsman declined to take questions on the issue at his campaign stop this evening in Concord.

HILLSDALE, Mich. -- Those looking for Herman Cain to display a specific and thorough understanding of foreign policy were likely disappointed by tonight's address at Hillsdale College.

Also disappointed - those looking for insights into the future of a campaign that today Cain said was going through a "reassessment."

The former Georgia businessman largely reiterated the same foreign policy message he has harped upon out on the campaign trail.   He told the crowd of nearly 400 gathered at Hillsdale College that it is imperative America clearly define its friends and enemies while demonstrating military and economic might.  It is what he on the campaign trail calls an extension of the Reagan philosophy, "peace through strength and clarity."

But Cain remained vague about the parameters with which he would define America's relationship with other countries, and mentioned few specific examples.

"We cannot make any nation our friend, but we can make them respect us," said Cain.  "And when we are strong militarily and strong economically and demonstrate that we stick to our moral fiber, nations will respect us rather than look down on us."

Tonight's speech comes after Cain has experienced weeks of criticism for botching foreign policy questions, most notably during a meeting with the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel where paused and then proceeded with a rambling answer about whether he agrees with how President Obama has handled Libya.

The largest cloud hanging over the Cain campaign during tonight's speech though, was the news his campaign may be undergoing a "reassessment."  The comments came during a conference call with senior staffers this morning in the wake of yesterday's news of a Georgia woman claiming to have had a 13-year affair with the candidate.

Senior campaign staff spent the day downplaying the comments and saying it was simply a reference to reassessing campaign strategy.

As his speech began tonight, Cain tweeted, "Team HC: The definition of reassess is: To consider again, esp. while paying attention to new factors. Doesn't sound like dropping out."

As he ducked into a car that would take him to the event, Cain told NBC News, "9-9-9. 9-9-9. We're doing fine" in response to a question about the future of his candidacy.

Asked about reports late Tuesday that campaign manager Rob Johnson and senior adviser Dave Carney had been demoted, GOP candidate Rick Perry said the rumors were "just scuttlebutt."

"News to me, I've talked to both of them within as a matter of fact the last 24 hours. So if they have, news to me."

"So I would suggest to you that's just scuttlebutt, highly technical Aggie term for 'not correct,'" he said.

Perry said that Joe Allbaugh, who joined the campaign last month, is "the make the trains run on time guy and does a fabulous job."

Asked if Allbaugh has taken on duties that were previously conducted by Carney or Johnson, Perry responded: "That's not in my purview. So I try to get out and be the best candidate I can be every day. And the best I can tell everybody's working hard and getting the work done."

"I'm a happy camper and that's a good thing," he said.

Officials for Rick Perry's campaign denied a staff shake-up on Tuesday, maintaining that Rob Johnson is still the campaign's manager and Dave Carney is in charge of the New Hampshire effort.

"I talked to Rob [Johnson] this morning, he's still the campaign manager," spokesman Mark Miner told NBC News in response to reports that Johnson and New Hampshire-based aide Dave Carney had been shifted into reduced roles in the campaign.

Reuters reported that Joe Allbaugh, a veteran of George W. Bush's 2000 presidential campaign, had taken over as campaign manager, and that Tony Fabrizio had become a senior strategist.

Perry's aides have shifted the nature of their roles as of late, especially as the campaign works to recover from a tumble in the polls driven by Perry's poor debate showings. But two other scources with knowledge of the campaign's structure said they weren't aware of any recent changes.

Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-IL), who heads up the Hispanic Caucus' Immigration Task Force, gave a thumbs up to Newt Gingrich's recent immigration comments

“Look, I think Mr. Newt Gingrich’s statements are a step in the right direction,” Gutierrez said today on MSNBC’s "Andrea Mitchell Reports." “They are very different than the kind of course that we've been hearing from the Republican presidential candidates.”

He added, “At least he begins to reflect on the reality that we have 12 million undocumented, many with long histories, with children and families and really deep roots in the communities in which they live.”

At a debate last week, Gingrich said he supported allowing illegal immigrants -- who have lived in the United States for 20-plus years -- to gain some type of legal status.

But on the campaign trail today, Gingrich tried to reassure conservatives in his party that he’s not too moderate on immigration, as he condemned the federal government for challenging South Carolina’s controversial immigration law. That law requires police to call federal immigration officials if they suspect someone that they’ve stopped is an illegal immigrant, and it also requires employers to check the immigration status of new employees.

Gingrich’s criticism of the administration doesn’t surprise Rep. Gutierrez, who is headed to South Carolina tomorrow to protest the law.

“I didn't think there would be a lot of consistency to the statements. He's being banged about pretty ruthlessly by his -- the other presidential candidates. So I wouldn't be too surprised if he changed his position,” Gutierrez said.

HILLSDALE, MI -- Herman Cain brushed off a question about whether he plans to drop out of the race for the GOP presidential nomination, returning to a familiar refrain: his "9-9-9" tax plan.

Ahead of a foreign policy speech planned this evening in Michigan, Cain dodged a question about whether he plans to abandon his presidential ambitions after having told staff this morning that he would spend the next two days reassessing his campaign.

"9-9-9. 9-9-9. We're doing fine," Cain told NBC News upon leaving his hotel at Hillsdale College for his speech on campus tonight.

Cain's campaign has downplayed the reassessment, framing it as a routine examination of the campaign's trajectory.

"Mr. Cain told staff simply that, just as every time significant events occur, a reassessment is prudent," deputy campaign manager Linda Hansen said this afternoon. "A good businessman looks at the entire landscape before making decisions. He is, and has been, committed to promoting the issues and solutions that will make this nation stronger. Nothing about that has changed."