Rocky Republican Race Heads To Florida
MIAMI (CBSMiami) – Most of the four remaining Republican candidates are campaigning in Florida Monday as the state prepares to hold its primary in eight days and will give the winner 50 delegates, the largest prize so far.
The state is six times larger than New Hampshire, has almost five times more Hispanics than Iowa, and has a population that's older and more culturally moderate than South Carolina's.
Mitt Romney, already in Florida, wasted no time attacking Newt Gingrich. He called rival Newt Gingrich a "failed leader" and influence-peddling lobbyist while suggesting it's now a three-way contest for the GOP nomination - a strategic assessment that favors his own chances of winning the state's Jan. 31 primary.
Romney lost big to Gingrich in Saturday's South Carolina primary.
Now he's reminding voters about the ethics charges Gingrich faced while Speaker of the House. At a campaign rally after his disappointing loss, Romney gave a biting assessment of Gingrich's record as House speaker and later as a business consultant to companies seeking access to Capitol Hill power brokers.
"And he had to resign in disgrace, I don't know if you knew that, he actually resigned after four years in disgrace," Romney said, referring to a 1997 House reprimand of Gingrich for ethics violations, which also resulted in a $300,000 fine.
"Well, what's he been doing for 15 years? He's been working as a lobbyist, yeah. He's been working as a lobbyist and selling influence around Washington. He's been working for Freddie Mac. Heard of those guys?" Romney said, in a state where housing foreclosures, including some presided over by the mortgage giant, have left the economy in tatters.
He called on Gingrich to release the records of his contract with Freddie Mac, which paid him more than $1.6 million over eight years. "What was his work product there? What was he doing at Freddie Mac? Because Freddie Mac figures very prominently into the fact that people in Florida have seen home values go down. It's time to turn that around!" Romney said.
Gingrich says his experience in Washington makes him the better candidate.
"Governor Romney may be running for CEO. I'm running for President. The President of the United States has to understand the government of the United States. Barack Obama clearly didn't and candidly I doubt if Governor Romney would," said Gingrich on Face the Nation.
Romney, meantime, also pointedly described the Jan. 31 primary as a three-way race pitting him against Gingrich and former U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania. Each candidate has now won one contest each - Santorum the Iowa caucuses by a handful of ballots, Romney the New Hampshire primary and Gingrich the South Carolina primary.
Although Gingrich is widely perceived as the main threat to Romney, a three-way contest would benefit Romney if it succeeds in splitting the conservative and populist wing of the party and allowing him to win on the strength of moderate, establishment support. Rep. Rand Paul of Texas is also still in the contest.
"There are three of us that have each won a contest so far -- Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina. You're going to have to make a decision. Which of the three should become our nominee?" he said.
In introducing her husband to the crowd, Ann Romney made a rare reference to the controversy over his reluctance to release tax returns. "I understand Mitt's going to release his tax forms this week. I want to remind you of where we know our riches are. Our riches are with our families," she said, perhaps as a way of bracing supporters for the expected release Tuesday of the documents, which will reveal details of the couple's tremendous wealth.
Referring to their five sons and 16 grandchildren, she said, "That is where our values are. That is how we measure our wealth, through those children."
The attacks are only expected to increase as Florida's primary on January 31st draws closer. Monday night, the four remaining candidates will face off in another debate in Tampa. Ron Paul will be at the debate but will not campaign in Florida.
He plans to spend time in smaller states where he expects to be more competitive.
