Gingrich challenges Romney to Lincoln-Douglas-style debate in Iowa

Republican presidential candidate former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney (left) and Republican White House hopeful Newt Gingrich (right).

/ Getty Images

Updated: 12:20 p.m. ET

Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich on Wednesday challenged his top presidential rival Mitt Romney to a 90-minute, Lincoln-Douglas-style debate -- and charged that Romney's response to the challenge will signify whether or not "he likes the heat and wants to come in the kitchen," or whether he's "just another normal national politician."

With no more Republican debates before January 3 Iowa caucuses, Gingrich, who is campaigning in Virginia on Thursday, reiterated the challenge several times on Wednesday.

"I've challenged Governor Romney to meet me for ninety minutes in Iowa next week, anywhere, anytime," Gingrich said, speaking to a crowd of about 200 at a public rally in Arlington, Virginia. "Timekeeper. No moderator. And we will bring all of his negative ads and show them for free and he can explain them."

The two candidates spent the day trading barbs over who could better "take the heat" in this presidential race. Before Gingrich's debate challenge, Romney told MSNBC's Chuck Todd that "If you can't handle the heat in this little kitchen, the heat that's going to come from Obama's Hell's kitchen is going to be a heck of a lot hotter. We have to show that we, as a Republican Party, and as a candidate that we can stand up to the barrage that's going to come from the Obama world."

"We'll find out tomorrow whether he likes the heat and wants to come in the kitchen, or whether he is just another normal national politician with clever consultants and a lot of money and no willingness to stand up and tell the truth," Gingrich said, of the former Massachusetts governor.

The former House speaker, who has pledged not to go negative in his presidential campaign, has in recent weeks been targeted by a series of damaging television ads in Iowa. Earlier this week, Gingrich called on Romney to take down the negative ads, but Romney responded by saying that he is legally prohibited from communicating with super PACs acting on his behalf.

"I'm happy taking the heat, why doesn't he join me in the kitchen?" Gingrich repeated on Fox News late Wednesday.

In a radio interview with Bill Bennett Thursday morning, Gingrich conceded that Romney wasn't "excited about the idea yet."

But, he argued, "voters need to decided if that want a candidate whose willing to tell the truth of one whose willing to hide behind his millions of dollars."

So far, two candidates have met Gingrich's offers to go head-to-head in Lincoln-Douglas-style debates: Herman Cain, who has since dropped out of the race, and Jon Huntsman, who regularly polls in the single digits nationally.

When asked if he would take Gingrich up on his challenge, Romney Thursday said he was going to "respect the other candidates and the process" and stick with the official schedule.

"We've had quite a few debates already, as you may have noted," Romney said. I don't know -- 12, 13 debates, and had the chance to debate with Speaker Gingrich and others. I'm going to respect the other candidates and the process... I'm going to keep respecting others and keep debating on the schedule that we have."

Additional reporting by Sarah B. Boxer

[GLibertarian]

Newt Exposed
http://www.newtexposed.com/

The Real Newt Gingrich
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jWPz1Qdq1uI

Newt Gingrich's Voting Record Can't Compare to Ron Paul's
http://www.hithimagain.com/2011/11/13/newt-gingrichs-voting-record-cant-compare-to-ron-pauls/

Let's Set The Record Straight (On Newt's Horrible Voting Record)
http://www.notonewt.com/

Newt Tried to Install Internal Passports on Us in 1998 - Guess Who Stopped Him?
http://therepublicanmother.blogspot.com/2011/12/newt-tried-to-install-internal.html


http://articles.latimes.com/1994-12-25/opinion/op-12904_1_family-values
As reported by L.H. Carter, his campaign treasurer, Newt said of Jacqueline: "She's not young enough or pretty enough to be the wife of the President. And besides, she has cancer."

(Newt said this about his own wife while she was sick. He was having an affair and criticizing Bill Clinton for his affair with Monica Lewinski at the same time. The question is: Is there a conscious residing in this man or is he a sociopath?)

Is Newt's Pal Pelosi Holding The Bag To Finish Him Off ? (I'd bet my bottom dollar on it)
http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/197173-pelosi-plans-to-reveal-information-about-gingrich-when-the-time-is-right

[royalstar05]

Yes, have the debate. Hopefully they will bring guns and shoot each other and then we can be done with these two idiots.

[rafaeldrc]

By what I'm reading, Newt Gingrich's poll numbers are beginning to fall. His own pollsters are seeing a decline, a decline that they are unable to correct nor are they able to understand. Extrapolating three weeks out, it could be fatal if this slow bleed is not cauterize immediately.

Newt, being an over confident grand-stander and brinksmanship showman is now gambling that a show-down at the Okay Coral will correct this potential hemorrhage.

I think it best for Romney to just let the dust blow and skip the Okay Corral shoot-out. Romney has nothing to gain when his opponent is growing anemic and feeling a little faint.

[American_overseas]

Romney chickened out probably to keep his flip-flopping mouth shut; this is supported how Mitt has been side-stepping important issues. If Romney is unable to have a face-off with Newt over ads, Mitt would never survive a real debate with Dr Paul.

[wyo-goose]

Newt wants to debate because he believes he is the smartest guy in the room. As a Historian Professor he is upset because because when someone does not agree with him he can not give them a failing grade. He is actually a Carl Rove want to be. Put him on Fox where he can listen to himself talk and pat himself on the back, put Romney in the White house where he can start to do what it takes to clean up the mess. We need a leader not a Historian.

[American_overseas]

Both Mitt and Newt belong in the romper room, the only leader with a consistent record to beat Obama is Dr Paul.

[DiMaggio_8]

These numb skulls have already had 13 GOP Presidential debates. Can we agree on that? No.

[Tarzan98]

Great, while you two ducks are duking it out I'm supporting Ron Paul as the only Repub candidate that makes sense and is right for America. The bloated Federal Gov't needs trimming down and the House/Senate need an exterminator.

[jcarob]

But, he argued, "voters need to decided if that want a candidate whose willing to tell the truth of one whose willing to hide behind his millions of dollars."

English as a second language, Lucy? Tip: Blame it on your editor.

[deathofrock]

"But, he argued, "voters need to decided if that want a candidate whose willing to tell the truth of one whose willing to hide behind his millions of dollars.""

Really CBS? Do you hire intellectually lazy people, or can you simply not use spell check? The correct term is "who is" or "who's". REALLY? I could have overlooked one incorrect use of "whose", but twice in the SAME quotation?!

Your company used to be home to Edward R. Murrow. Have some journalistic integrity.

[nomorfun2011]

Spell check wouldn't catch that as long as they spelled "whose" right; it does not catch grammatical errors. Sigh. Really.

[calif7]

Romney won't accept the challenge. He will hide behind the negative skirts of the Super Pacs.