Washington Post: Romney, Citing Safety Net, Says He’s ‘Not Concerned About The Very Poor’

On February 1, 2012, the Washington Post reported:

In an interview with CNN Wednesday morning that should have been a Florida victory lap, former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney made a fumble that could give rivals an attack ad sound bite. Asked about his economic plan, Romney said repeatedly that he was not concerned with very poor Americans, but was focused instead on helping the middle class.

Atlantic: Have Democrats Succeeded In Pre-Destroying Romney?

On February 2, 2012, The Atlantic reported:

Practically every day for months, Democrats and their allies have been hammering Romney like this. Unions, party committees at the national and state levels, independent groups such as American Bridge and Americans United for Change, and the Obama campaign itself have undertaken an unprecedented effort to tarnish the front-runner while virtually ignoring the rest of the GOP candidates. And it appears to be working.

Boston Globe: Boston Lawyer Brad Malt In Crossfire Over Romney Investments

On January 30, 2012, the Boston Globe reported:

In 2007, as Romney prepared his first run for president, Malt sold stock in dozens of potentially controversial companies, including casino operators, tobacco growers, and firms with ties to Iran. Last year, after Romney pushed for tougher trade sanctions against China, Malt dumped a number of Chinese holdings. He recently shed a money market mutual fund that had invested in government-backed mortgage companies, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, which are blamed for exacerbating the housing bust.

Huffington Post: Mitt Romney Slams Birth Control Decision Similar To One He Made In Massachusetts

On January 30, 2012, the Huffington Post reported:

The Mitt Romney campaign sharply criticized President Barack Obama's recent decision to require most religiously affiliated employers to offer their employees birth control coverage in an email to The New York Times Sunday, calling it a "direct attack on religious liberty." But in 2005, Romney made an almost identical decision as governor of Massachusetts.

GQ: How Your Oppo-Research Sausage Is Made: Bain Vs. Newt Edition

On January 30, 2012, GQ reported:

A couple weeks ago I met some of the guys from American Bridge, the pro-Democratic super-PAC, loafing around a restaurant in New Hampshire in between interviews. Pointing out how poorly the Republican candidates have fared in attacking Romney's economic record, American Bridge president Rodell Molineau told me his crew was "here to help" with that job. Unlike the other opposition research shops, which are usually affiliated with actual campaigns and do their business only on an anonymous basis, the unaligned American Bridge actually wants credit for landing hits. Curious to sample their wares, we said we'd be happy to oblige. Here's what they sent us:

Daily Caller: Richard Lugar Doesn’t Live Here Anymore

On January 30, 2012, The Daily Caller reported:

Indiana Republican Sen. Richard Lugar is running for re-election in a state he has not lived in for over 30 years. Lugar sold his home at 3200 Highwoods Court in Indianapolis shortly after first assuming office in 1977. But due to a loophole in Indiana law, both he and his wife Charlene Lugar are still registered to vote at that address.

POLITICO: Connie Mack Relishes Newt-Stalker Role

On January 29, 2012, POLITICO reported:

But Mack’s big splash into the presidential race has also earned him enhanced media scrutiny. After Mack’s critique of Gingrich for not talking about profits he made from Freddie Mac, The Miami Herald uncovered that the congressman had turned a profit off its cousin company, Fannie Mae.

POLITICO's Arena: Will The Meaner Mitt Win?

It looks now like Florida will be Romney's second victory of the primary, meaning that he will finally get back to where he thought he was three weeks ago. But the sudden shift in strategy indicates a short-sightedness that has to call into question his long-term viability as a candidate, to say nothing of whether he is capable of serving as president. Mitt Romney has tried to convince Republican primary voters that he is the only candidate capable of defeating Barack Obama. The decision to go after the low-hanging fruit that are Newt Gingrich's shortcomings does nothing to advance that purpose. If anything, it has to be a factor in why his unfavorable ratings have risen dramatically of late. Nobody liked Romney when he was the phony who was trying way too hard to get people to like him; now we see they like him even less as the phony who is bitter and nasty about it. Being seen as the boss who enjoys firing people is not the path to victory. Instead of playing Whack-a-Newt, the Romney campaign would have been better served handling the release of his tax returns in a manner that at least resembles a competent, professional organization. They botched it so badly that it actually raised more questions than it answered. They might have also tried a little bit of self-research, so that their candidate wasn't launching attacks against Newt (e.g., Fannie and Freddie) that left him vulnerable to attacks himself - not that American Bridge is complaining about that.

Miami Herald: Freddie Mac Attack Boomerangs On Connie Mack

On January 27, 2012, the Miami Herald reported:

And, it turns out, Mack and his wife, California Rep. Mary Bono Mack, have turned a profit as well off Fannie Mae, a government-sponsored enterprise that, along with Freddie Mac, is blamed for stoking the mortgage crisis.

ProgressVA: After Vehemently Opposing Stimulus, Allen Touts The Success Of Firms That Received Millions Of Dollars In Stimulus Grants

On January 27, 2012, ProgressVA posted the following:

Paying no heed to his months of criticism of a "failed stimulus", George Allen has spent the past two weeks touring and touting the economic successes of two Virginia firms that received millions of dollars in stimulus grants. January 21^st, Allen visited Ennis Electric Company, an "admirably managed" business in Manassas. Left out of Allen's praise for Ennis was the fact the firm has benefitted from nearly $14 million in stimulus funding. Unfortunately, this isn't the first time Allen's hypocrisy has caught up with him on the campaign trail. Earlier this month, Allen hosted a town hall meeting at Micron Technology, a firm that solicited and received $5 million in stimulus funds. Micron CEO Steve Appleton certainly didn't seem to agree with Allen's assessment of the stimulus program--he met with President Obama to show his support for the legislation in 2009.