Opening what could be a make-or-break campaign to win South Carolina's Republican presidential primary, Newt Gingrich defended his criticism of Mitt Romney's role as an investment banker in corporate buyouts that led to job losses.
"Criticizing specific actions in specific places is not being anti-free enterprise," the former House Speaker told a crowd that packed a banquet hall here in upstate South Carolina on Wednesday, rejecting Romney's suggestion that questioning his record as chief executive of Bain Capital was tantamount to attacking free enterprise.
"And crony capitalism, where people pay each other off at the expense of the rest of the country, is not free enterprise," Gingrich said. "And raising questions about that is not wrong."
I guess we could play dueling quotes, but we both know the Gingrich despises Romney. Why stick up for someone every recognizes is a weak candidate foisted on you by the GOP-E and a huge money advantage?
That's easy. Because I want Obama out of there! To be openly anti-Romney at this point is to be pro-Obama. Newt is smart enough to figure that out.
First things first! Let's elect Romney and a GOP House and Senate. Let's repeal Obamacare, cut taxes, and revive the economy. Then we can stand back and the take the measure of President Romney's performance.