An 'Oops' For Romney & The GOP Battles Continue

The following is analysis from CBS 11 political reporter Jack Fink.

DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) - Here's a question Republican front-runner Mitt Romney never wanted someone to ask: How do you stop your overwhelming momentum after a huge win in the Florida primary?

By making this remark during an interview on CNN Wednesday morning: "I'm not concerned about the very poor. There's a safety net there, and if it needs repair, I'll fix it. I'm not concerned about the every rich, they're doing just fine. I'm concerned about the heart of America, the 95% of Americans who are right now struggling."

Now, what Romney is having to fix is a mess he made for himself.

Of course, most everyone, Democrats, and Republican critics, including Newt Gingrich focused on Romney's line about the poor.

Romney, who has previously run a negative ad against President Barack Obama by taking his speeches out of context, pleaded with reporters and others to put his quote in correct context.

As our CBS 11 political analyst John Weekley has said, the President's re-election team's video department is working full-time recording what all the Republicans are saying about themselves and each other.

We will see these out-takes during the general election.

Romney says his campaign focused on the middle class.

After holding more moderate and progressive views as Massachusetts former Governor, Romney now considers himself a conservative.

But those on the right -- who've expressed doubts -- have chimed in.

Newt Gingrich, who needs momentum badly, attacked Romney saying conservatives have to care about all Americans and not separate people into classes, as they accuse Democrats of doing.

Even conservative analysts who've seemingly been supportive of Romney's campaign criticized him.

Columnist Charles Krauthammer said, "It's not just that it strengthens the stereotype of Romney as the patrician whose only aware of the poor as people who clean the streets and wash his car. The real problem here is that it shows he doesn't have fluency with conservative ideas. The ideas that somehow we can sign the poor to the safety net and we patch it and dependency is a liberal idea. It's not our idea and Romney is a guy who came late to his new ideology and still can't speak it very well."

Krauthammer's analysis is an indictment on Romney's conservatism.

Gingrich will have another chance at gaining momentum today.

The Associated Press says real estate mogul Donald Trump will endorse Gingrich in Las Vegas today in time for Saturday's caucus in Nevada.

A new poll in Nevada by the Las Vegas Review-Journal newspaper shows Gingrich needs help.

Romney has a 20 point lead, 45 to 25 over Gingrich.

Rick Santorum is in third with 11 and Ron Paul has 9.

The state's proportional caucus will award a total of 28 delegates.

Maine will begin a week-long, non-binding caucus starting this Saturday awarding 24 delegates.

There haven't been recent polls there I've seen, but I would expect Romney to win there because it's a neighboring state to Massachusetts.

While Romney and Gingrich continue to battle it out, Santorum has a new radio ad claiming Gingrich isn't a true conservative - because like Romney, he supported environmental regulations against business called "Cap and Trade", and the mandate requiring individuals buy health insurance.

But after his win in Iowa, Santorum still can't find his voice or message in the race. He vows to stay in, as does Ron Paul. But Paul has a strong, loyal base of supporters.

We'll see how long Santorum can stick it out.

Never a dull moment in Campaign 2012.