Mitt Romney previews debate attacks on Newt Gingrich, saying he lives in ‘fantasyland’
CHARLESTON, S.C. – Mitt Romney continued to knock Newt Gingrich this morning, saying that he might as well be with President Obama today in Disney World because the two, Romney believes, are in “fantasyland.’’
“There’s some poetic justice in the president speaking from fantasyland because I’m afraid he’s been speaking in fantasyland for some time now,’’ Romney said on a conference call. “I don’t know whether the president will bump into Newt Gingrich at fantasyland.’’
Forecasting attacks he will likely amplify in tonight’s debate on CNN, he went on to criticize the former House speaker for claiming credit for some of the jobs created under President Ronald Reagan.
“I don’t think he was the author of Reaganonmics,’’ Romney added. “Him taking credit for that qualifies as a fantasyland experience.’’
Romney’s campaign also orchestrated several conference calls this morning so that his surrogates could criticize Gingrich and call upon the former House speaker to release records from 1997 ethics proceedings that resulted in a reprimand of Gingrich.
The ethics committee – and the entire House – fined him $300,000 for misleading the committee in an investigation into whether Gingrich’s use of tax-exempt groups to raise money was illegal. Representative Nancy Pelosi – now the House minority leader – was among those on the ethics committee, whose report has not been made public.
“If Pelosi knows, Obama knows. Obama will use it,’’ former New Hampshire Governor John Sununu said this morning. “We out to see it now, he ought to allow for the release of the records of the ethics proceedings… The October surprise that Nancy Pelosi and President Obama must be preparing must have the Democrats laughing with glee.’’
It was also an attempt to deflect attention from pointed requests for Romney to release his tax returns, which has shaken his campaign in recent days. Gingrich – as well as Rick Perry, who is dropping out of the race – have called on Romney to release his taxes before South Carolina voters go to the polls on Saturday.
Sununu said this morning, “probably the most stunning thing you’ll see is how generous he’s been in supporting charities.’’
Romney’s campaign also continued to try and portray Gingrich as an out-of-control politician who not only would lose the presidential race but would bring the Republican Party down with him.
“If by some chance Newt was ever the nominee, there’s no doubt in my mind that between now and November there would be a series of just classic political mistakes being made and the whole party would be affected by it,’’ Representative Peter King, a New York Republican, said this morning on a conference call. “If by some chance he was elected president, then for the country’s sake we would be constantly trying to get ourselves out of crisis he created.’’
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