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| Mitt Romney support group buys $3.1m of Iowa ads | Mitt Romney support group buys $3.1m of Iowa ads |
| (4 days later) | |
| A group supporting Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney is beginning a $3.1m (£2m) ad campaign with an Iowa attack on chief rival and new front-runner Newt Gingrich. | A group supporting Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney is beginning a $3.1m (£2m) ad campaign with an Iowa attack on chief rival and new front-runner Newt Gingrich. |
| The campaign comes after key backers of Mr Romney called Mr Gingrich, a former House speaker, "irrational". | The campaign comes after key backers of Mr Romney called Mr Gingrich, a former House speaker, "irrational". |
| Mr Gingrich, campaigning in South Carolina, said his campaign was "focused on remaining positive". | Mr Gingrich, campaigning in South Carolina, said his campaign was "focused on remaining positive". |
| Iowa voters will choose a Republican presidential nominee on 3 January 2012. | Iowa voters will choose a Republican presidential nominee on 3 January 2012. |
| The Gingrich attack video follows another advertisement, funded by the same political action committee, Restore Our Future, that focuses more on President Barack Obama. | The Gingrich attack video follows another advertisement, funded by the same political action committee, Restore Our Future, that focuses more on President Barack Obama. |
| Restore Our Future is largely made up of former aides of Mr Romney, the Associated Press reports. | Restore Our Future is largely made up of former aides of Mr Romney, the Associated Press reports. |
| "Newt has a ton of baggage ... And on the issues? Newt's been on all sides," the new ad says, according to AP. | "Newt has a ton of baggage ... And on the issues? Newt's been on all sides," the new ad says, according to AP. |
| 'Irrational behaviour' | 'Irrational behaviour' |
| Polls in several early voting states show Mr Gingrich significantly ahead, with less than month before the key Iowa vote. | Polls in several early voting states show Mr Gingrich significantly ahead, with less than month before the key Iowa vote. |
| Polls from CNN/Time released on Wednesday indicated Mr Gingrich has a lead of 23 points in both South Carolina and Florida. | Polls from CNN/Time released on Wednesday indicated Mr Gingrich has a lead of 23 points in both South Carolina and Florida. |
| Mr Gingrich is significantly ahead in Iowa as well, with less than month before the key caucus vote. | Mr Gingrich is significantly ahead in Iowa as well, with less than month before the key caucus vote. |
| On Thursday, Missouri Senator Jim Talent and former New Hampshire Governor John Sununu told reporters on a conference call that the former House speaker was not a "reliable and trusted" leader. | |
| The senior Republicans said Mr Gingrich had undermined the conservative agenda - citing his description earlier this year of Paul Ryan's plan to reform Medicare as "right-wing social engineering". | The senior Republicans said Mr Gingrich had undermined the conservative agenda - citing his description earlier this year of Paul Ryan's plan to reform Medicare as "right-wing social engineering". |
| They also said his "off-the-cuff" style of decision-making was not best suited to the job of president. | They also said his "off-the-cuff" style of decision-making was not best suited to the job of president. |
| Mr Talent said that Mr Gingrich could say "outrageous things that come from nowhere". | Mr Talent said that Mr Gingrich could say "outrageous things that come from nowhere". |
| "And he has a tendency to say them at exactly the time when they most undermine the conservative agenda." | "And he has a tendency to say them at exactly the time when they most undermine the conservative agenda." |
| Mr Sununu said that as speaker of the House in the 1990s Mr Gingrich had shown a pattern of "anti-principled actions that really irritated his own leadership", adding that his "irrational behaviour" would not be desirable in the White House. | Mr Sununu said that as speaker of the House in the 1990s Mr Gingrich had shown a pattern of "anti-principled actions that really irritated his own leadership", adding that his "irrational behaviour" would not be desirable in the White House. |
| Correspondents say the head-on attack on a fellow candidate marks a shift in Mr Romney's campaign strategy, indicating that he now sees Mr Gingrich as his principal rival. | Correspondents say the head-on attack on a fellow candidate marks a shift in Mr Romney's campaign strategy, indicating that he now sees Mr Gingrich as his principal rival. |
| Mr Talent emphasised that he was reluctant to criticise a fellow Republican but said he had felt compelled to make the comments. | Mr Talent emphasised that he was reluctant to criticise a fellow Republican but said he had felt compelled to make the comments. |
| "I just think the stakes are so high, not just for the Republican party but for the country as a whole that we have to do everything that we can" to choose the right candidate. | "I just think the stakes are so high, not just for the Republican party but for the country as a whole that we have to do everything that we can" to choose the right candidate. |