Romney: Gingrich an "unreliable" conservative

Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney is escalating his attacks against Newt Gingrich's conservative credentials, attempting to sow doubt among GOP voters about the current frontrunner.

Romney's campaign released a web video on Wednesday called "Newt and Nancy," which focuses on the 2008 ad that Gingrich made with Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi to promote former Vice President Al Gore's climate change initiative. There are few liberal leaders or issues that conservatives like less than Pelosi or the fight against global warming.

"With friends like Newt, who needs The Left?" the video asks.

Romney also attacked Gingrich for making the ad interview with the Washington Post.

"Let's look at the record," he said. "When Republicans were fighting for cap and trade and needed a leader to stand up against cap and trade, he did an ad with Nancy Pelosi about global warming."

The "Newt and Nancy" video follows the Romney's campaign to target Gingrich for referring to the House Republican Medicare reform plan as "right-wing social engineering."

Romney continued to hammer Gingrich on the Medicare issue in his remarks to the Post, calling entitlement reform "one of the most defining issues of conservatism today." He called Gingrich's characterization of the plan an "intemperate comment."

"I know it can be popular with some people to use extreme language, but we're talking about the presidency of the United States, and if one says intemperate things in a campaign, might one say the same kinds of things in the White House?" he asked. "And the consequences are potentially severe."

Romney went on to call Gingrich "an extraordinarily unreliable leader in the conservative world -- not 16 or 17 years ago but in the last two to three years."

"And even during the campaign, the number of times he has moved from one spot to another has been remarkable," he continued. "I think he's shown a level of unreliability as a conservative leader today."

Romney's latest line of attack comes as evidence shows that Romney's own campaign has been hampered by voters' doubts about his conservatism. For instance, the CBS News/ New York Times poll out of Iowa this month showed that only 10 percent of Republican caucus-goers said Romney promotes conservative principles. By comparison, 18 percent said that Gingrich promotes conservative values. With plenty of evidence that Romney held less conservative views in the past -- such as footage from 2002 in which Romney calls his views "progressive" -- he must constantly reassure voters.

But while Romney is busy defending his conservative credentials, Gingrich is climbing in the polls, both nationally and in key states. The NBC News/ Wall Street Journal poll released Tuesday shows Romney trailing Gingrich nationally by 17 percentage points.

Romney may not be able to convince voters of his own conservatism, but by focusing on Gingrich's past statements on climate change, Medicare and other issues, he is now trying to at least convince voters the former House speaker's ideological position is also questionable. But that may be difficult when Gingrich is best known for ushering in a new conservative majority into the House and penning the 1994 Contract with America.

[stainpouch]

"Unreliable conservative." Ah yes. This is the ploy. You'd think they'd somehow come up with a new one. Each and every time a 'conservative' spends us into oblivion, wrecks the economy and starts a couple wars, we always hear all about how he wasn't a "true conservative." Wrong. He was a true conservative. The I Got Mine party will never whistle any other tune.

[karek40]

Romney is a fairly reliable liberal, MSNBC supports him. He is the most liberal republican running.

[noloyalisti]

OMG, an unreliable wacko freak like Romney calling the Gingrinch unreliable. Romney says different thinks depending on which way the wind blows.

This is how a conservative tries to stop everyone from knowing how they are: say it is someone else.

[stevex47]

neuter is reliable, just like "Old Faithful", ok, well not faithful.

[inbethlehem]

Oh, yes. Conservatives can take comfort in the consistancy of Mitt Romney. LOL!

[FXSTC07]

Look who's talking, a Massachusetts RINO who came up with RomneyCare.

[LosAngelesCA]

Actually, the citizens of the State of Massachusetts decided they wanted MassCare. Romney had nothing to do with it. His consituents wanted it and it works for the state of MA. What's your problem? You don't like the citizens of MA for deciding THEY wanted MassCare?

[LosAngelesCA]

MA decided they wanted gay marriage too. Again, you have issues with the wrong person. Take it to the streets of MA, not the ballot box. They already voted in MA for gay marriage and health care. Not what I would agree to but it works for them.

[jefflz-2009]

. Given the Republican fixation on making Obama a one term president at any cost to the nation, you would think the GOP would come up with an electable candidate. So far they have come up with a group of clowns and Romney who is hated by the right-wing that seem to call all the Party shots.

Newt, like Cain has too much dirty laundry to go the distance. The rise of Newt in the GOP race is a measure of the weakness of the other players. He is unelectable because of his sleazy personal life as well as being a K Street lobbyist who took $1.6 M in graft from Freddie Mac. The Republicans are in self-destruct mode this election cycle simply because the GOP has been hijacked by the hard-line, Tea Party-loving right wing. Each candidate is trying to get as far to th right as they can in order to appease them. There is no place for a good old fashioned Republican centrist.

[2nephi32]

Who cares? Ron Paul kills these guys in debates, straw polls, and now in the primary voting states. Why do we hear only about these rascals that no-body has any real excitement for? Newt and Mitt are the same. Newt, Mitt and Obama are the same. If it's true what the lame stream media says, and we can't have Ron Paul, anoint Obama king and be done with it.

[LosAngelesCA]

I've watched every debate. Ron Paul does not kill Romney in the debates. Romney wins every time, hands down.

[jimbom121]

Romeny has done well in all of the debates except the last one. That being said, he is not exactly competing against the debating champions.

Ron Paul reminds me of the crazy uncle that everyone has, but won't let anyone meet.

[jimbom121]

Pot, meet kettle.

[paofpa-2010]

Money is on Gingrich:

Not that he will win but he will be the best for the country. The Republicans will probably lose 100 house seats if Gingrich runs but something else will happen. Comprise, Debate, Discussions, something that has been missing in Washington; only banners have been waving. The right will be less right, the left will talk. Comment: "No matter what the right thinks of ObamaCare; small business will be asking for more after full employment is around."

[LosAngelesCA]

You are scaring me with your comment that Newt is best for country. Exactly why? You said nothing about Newt in this post to support your conclusion.

Newt voted for amnesty in 1986 and supports it today. Newt was involved in Freddie Mac, one of the players in the mortgage meltdown that caused OUR economy to collapse in 2008. Newt can't figure out what he wants - 3 marriages - so how the heck does he know what to do for the USA? Newt is a scary person and so are you.

[kevin_hunt]

Don't forget that Newt was fined $300K for lying to congress and cheating on his taxes. An admitted former marijuana user, Newt proposed H.R. 41 in 1997, that would have subjected "importers of 100 doses of a controlled substance" to the death penalty. The law was defeated. By that logic, Rush Limbaugh might have been executed for illegally bringing Viagra into the U.S in 2006.