N2K Florida: Flights of Republican Fantasy

Newt Gingrich on Wednesday leveled allegations that Mitt Romney was trapped in an “Obama-level fantasy” revolving around Romney’s theory that illegal immigrants should voluntarily leave the country and then apply for legal entry.

At the same event in Miami, though, Gingrich himself engaged in some Kennedy-era fantasy of his own, trotting out the suggestion of “psychological warfare” to end the Castro regime.

This method was attempted in the early 1960s, when a desperate CIA envisioned fireworks off Havana inciting Cubans to rise up as if at the rapture and overthrow Castro after the Bay of Pigs. Some five decades later, El Caballo is threatened only by age.

Gingrich’s embrace of “covert operations” as a foreign-policy panacea is unlikely to cost him in the Republican primary--particularly on Cuba and in Florida. But his propensity for giving voice to the outlandish just might.

And it’s worth remembering that Jan. 31, when Floridians vote, is still a ways off. That’s a lot of time, a lot of microphones, and perhaps a lot of fantasies.

—Jim O’Sullivan

(Get This In Your Inbox: Need to Know Florida)

NATIONAL JOURNAL'S FLORIDA REPORT

Poll: Romney Regains Momentum in Florida
A new poll shows Romney two points ahead of Gingrich among likely Republican primary voters, 36 percent to 34 percent, as National Journal's Steven Shepard reports.

Watchdog Group Seeks Gingrich Ethics Records
In a move that could provide ammunition for Romney, watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington filed Freedom of Information Act requests on Wednesday seeking additional documents from the House Ethics Committee concerning its investigation of Gingrich when he served as House speaker.

McCain Concerned About Primary’s Nastiness, Expenses
Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., said on Wednesday that the GOP primary has him worried—both about its increasingly negative tone and about the proliferation of outside influence groups pouring money into it.

Romney Promises More Fighting Words In Campaign
After getting kudos from some pundits for going after Gingrich in Monday’s debate, Romney promised more fighting words in his campaign—both against fellow GOP rivals and President Obama.

Obama’s Commander-In-Chief Strategy
The daring nighttime rescue of two hostages in Somalia, including one American, by Navy SEALS—so reminiscent of other recent SEAL operations, especially the takedown of Osama bin Laden last May—reveals a key part of Obama's reelection strategy, as National Journal's Michael Hirsh reports.

Trent Franks Organizing for Gingrich
The Arizona representative, who is annually ranked as one of Congress' most conservative members, is working to unite conservatives in support of Gingrich.

Massachusetts Health Experience: What the Nation Can Expect?
What did "Romneycare" do for Massachusetts residents?National Journal’s Maggie Fox examined what the Massachusetts health care reform did for the state, and what it means for reform across the nation.

Another Case of Romney Diverging From His Economists: China
Romney has disagreed with his two economic advisors, Glenn Hubbard and Gregory Mankiw, before. This time it seems that Romney's position on trade with China differs from Mankiw's.

Gingrich On Immigration: Detached Romney Lives in World of ‘Swiss Bank Accounts’
Appearing at a presidential candidate forum with the Spanish-language station Univision, Gingrich said that Romney’s call for having illegal immigrants return to their home countries is vastly inferior to his own plan to let some longtime immigrants stay in the U.S.

Style vs. Substance
In a campaign cycle where Republicans are hungry for a candidate who can articulate a proudly conservative message and make an effective case against Obama, Romney’s biggest problem is authenticity, as National Journal’s Josh Kraushaar writes.

Romney: Obama Is No Tax-Cutter or Deregulator
Romney hit Obama on Wednesday after the State of the Union address, saying that the president is detached from reality if he thinks that he is a tax-cutter who is trying to get rid of regulations that stifle the economy.

Gingrich: Obama Rhetoric 'Terrific,' Actions Not So Much
Gingrich said on early Wednesday that Obama's State of the Union address showed that the president plans to run for reelection "as a left-wing populist on class warfare," and that he finds "the gap between President Obama's words and his deeds to be astounding."

Santorum Leaving Trail to Get His Tax Returns
He's taking a few days off of campaigning to prepare his tax returns—but Santorum says he'll be back.

FLORIDA NEWS SUMMARY

Gingrich, Romney Battle in Miami For Hispanic Vote
[Miami Herald, 1/24/12] With their gringo Spanish, softened stances on immigration, and Castro-crackdown plans, Gingrich and Romney are flocking this week to a 72 percent of registered Republicans are Hispanic.

Endorsement: Romney is GOP's Best Candidate, Best Bet
[Orlando Sentinel, 1/25/12] With high stakes in Florida, theOrlando Sentinel editorial board said that Republicans should vote for the most conservative candidate who can win when making its case for Romney in a Wednesday endorsement.

Gingrich May Not Be Able to Debate His Way to the White House
[The Hill, 1/25/12] Gingrich has turned his skill at debating into his central argument for the GOP nomination, but it's not clear he has an air-tight case.

Romney Resists Hitting the Panic Button
[RealClearPolitics, 1/25/12] Romney isn't campaigning like a man who just lost by 12 percentage points in South Carolina. He has remained calm, continued his attacks on Obama, and is attempting to put out the political fire from his tax returns.

What Really Happened in the Gingrich Ethics Case?
[Washington Examiner, 1/24/12] Byron York takes a look at what actually happened in the extraordinarily complex, intensely partisan, and in no small way personal case back in 1995, 1996 and 1997.

6,000 Cheer Gingrich in Naples
[Palm Beach Post, 1/24/12] Gingrich once referred to himself as a "celebrity," and now he’s getting celebrity-sized crowds.

Gingrich Plays the Charlie Crist Card
[Politico, 1/25/12] In an attempt to tarnish Romney's conservative credentials, Gingrich on Tuesday connected Romney to Florida's former governor, the once-ambitious moderate who went from prospective national candidate to GOP pariah in record time. But Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., told Politico's Reid Epstein that Romney’s no Crist.

Pro-Romney Super PAC Expands to Mich., Nev., Ariz.
[msnbc.com, 1/24/12] The pro-Romney super PAC Restore Our Future is making big ad buys in Michigan, Nevada, and Arizona, after already spending $9 million in Florida.

Rick Santorum Plays Tax Blame Game
[Politico, 1/24/12] Referring to his modest roots, Santorum made a subtle dig at Romney by calling himself the only candidate who can relate to “average” voters. 

Romney: Banks That Foreclose 'Aren't Bad People'
[Washington Post, 1/24/12] At an event in Florida designed to highlight Obama's failure to end the foreclosure crisis, Romney told a crowd that banks that foreclose on homes aren't "bad people."

Top Romney Advisers Lobbied for Freddie Mac
[Daily Caller, 1/25/12] Gingrich has been lambasted this election season for his alleged lobby work for Freddie Mac. But Matt Lewis discovers that some of Romney’s top advisers have lobbied for the lending giant in the past.

A Brief Guide To "Mormon Underwear"
[BuzzFeed, 1/25/12] Have you noticed the circular neckline of Romney's Mormon undershirt in photos? BuzzFeed's McKay Coppins (a Mormon himself) explains their religious significance.