Mitt Romney’s presidential campaign is starting to criticize Newt Gingrich -- and turning to former Governor John Sununu to lead the attacks. NHPR’s Josh Rogers reports.
Governor Sununu is practiced at delivering political put-downs. His flashed a sharp-tongue at the state house and relished the role of enforcer as President George H.W. Bush’s chief of staff. In a Romney campaign call with reporters, Sununu took aim at Newt Gingrich’s comment, since recanted, that Paul Ryan’s budget plan amounted to “right-wing social engineering.”
“Gingrich’s undercutting of Paul Ryan proves that he’s more concerned about Newt Gingrich than he is about conservative principles.”
Sununu was joined on the call by former U.S. Senator Jim Talent of Missouri. Talent served in the house when Gingrich was speaker, recalled that members had to check the newspapers every morning to see what Gingrich had said that would require what Talent termed “clean up” in their home districts. Gingrich’s campaign did to immediately respond to the comments, but earlier told the N.H. Union Leader that Gingrich’s rise in the polls is a product of taking the high road and being positive.
