[Bruce Campbells Chin]

Newt was never off his game. Romney's minions spent millions on negative ads in Iowa and Florida.

I see it a bit differently. Romney's attacks themselves were never as effective as Newt's own mistakes in trying to counter them. I think the two things that most damaged Newt in Florida were 1) his attacks on Bain Capital from the left, and 2) the moon colony idea, which I think was something he mentioned out of desperation. And I say that as a Newt supporter.

Prickly Newt is dangerous. Relaxes Newt is fantastic. He needs to remember that from here on out, and in the general election if he makes it that far.

[McGruff]

I think the two things that most damaged Newt in Florida were 1) his attacks on Bain Capital from the left, and 2) the moon colony idea, which I think was something he mentioned out of desperation.

I wonder what your opinion of this was.

Returning to the moon and building an outpost there is not new. Until three years ago, it was U.S. policy and billions of dollars were spent on that idea.

Staying on the moon dates at least to 1969, when a government committee recommended that NASA first build a winged, reusable space shuttle followed by a space station and then a moon outpost. In 1989, President George H.W. Bush proposed going to the moon and staying there.

Sixteen years later, in 2005, his son, President George W. Bush, proposed a similar lunar outpost, phased out the space shuttle program and spent more than $9 billion designing a return to the moon program.

George Washington University space policy director Scott Pace, who was NASA’s associate administrator in the second Bush administration and is a Romney supporter, said the 2020 lunar base date Gingrich mentioned was feasible when it was proposed in 2005.

http://www.boston.com/news/science/articles/2012/01/31/experts_say_gingrich_moon_base_dreams_not_lunacy/