Gingrich: Romney attacks 'carpet-bombing'

MIAMI -- Newt Gingrich slammed GOP rival Mitt Romney yesterday for a steady stream of attacks he likened to "carpet-bombing," trying to cut into the resurgent front-runner's lead in Florida in the dwindling hours before tomorrow's pivotal presidential primary.

Surging ahead in polls, Romney kept the pressure on Gingrich with a dominant advertising presence that questioned the former House speaker's leadership and ethics.

In what has become a wildly unpredictable race, the momentum has swung back to Romney, staggered last weekend by Gingrich's victory in South Carolina.

Romney has begun advertising in Nevada ahead of that state's caucuses Saturday, illustrating the challenges ahead for Gingrich, who has pledged to push ahead, no matter what happens in Florida.

Romney's campaign has dogged Gingrich at his own campaign stops, sending surrogates to remind reporters of the House ethics probe of the former speaker in the 1990s and other episodes in his career.

Gingrich reacted defensively, accusing the former Massachusetts governor and a political committee that supports him of lying, and the GOP's establishment of allowing it.

"I don't know how you debate a person with civility if they're prepared to say things that are just plain factually false," Gingrich said during appearances on Sunday talk shows.

"I think the Republican establishment believes it's OK to say and do virtually anything to stop a genuine insurgency from winning because they are very afraid of losing control of the old order."

Gingrich objected specifically to a Romney campaign ad that includes a 1997 NBC News report on the House's decision to discipline Gingrich, then speaker, for ethics charges.

After hounding Gingrich during two debates last week, Romney returned more of his attention to Obama, who had been Romney's chief target as he tried to make the case that he was the most worthy Republican to challenge the Democratic incumbent.

Former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum, trailing in Florida by a wide margin, stayed in his home state, where his 3-year-old daughter, Bella, was hospitalized because of a genetic condition. Aides said he would resume campaigning as soon as possible.

Texas Rep. Ron Paul, who has invested little in Florida, looked ahead to Nevada. Paul is focusing more on gathering delegates in caucus states, where it's less expensive to campaign. But securing the nomination only through caucus states is a hard task.