Romney, Gingrich clash in Florida debate

TAMPA, Fla. -- Republican presidential contenders Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich clashed repeatedly in heated, personal terms last night in a crackling campaign debate, the former Massachusetts governor tagging his rival as a Washington "influence peddler," only to be accused in turn of spreading falsehoods over many years in politics.

"You've been walking around the state saying things that are untrue," Gingrich told his rival in a two-hour debate.

The event ahead of the Jan. 31 Florida primary marked the first encounter among the four GOP contenders -- former Sen. Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania and Rep. Ron Paul of Texas shared the stage -- since Gingrich won the South Carolina primary in an upset on Saturday.

Romney is expected to release his 2010 income tax return today. He said it will show he paid all the taxes he was obligated to pay, adding, "I don't think the voters want a president who pays more than he owes."

He said Gingrich had "resigned in disgrace" from Congress after four years as speaker and then had spent the next 15 years "working as an influence peddler." He referred to the contract Gingrich's consulting firm had with Freddie Mac, the federally backed mortgage company that played a significant role in the housing crisis.

Romney also said Gingrich had lobbied lawmakers to approve legislation creating a new Medicare prescription drug benefit. "I have never, ever gone and done any lobbying," Gingrich replied. Romney countered, referring to the $300,000 that Gingrich's consulting firm received in 2006 from Freddie Mac.

And when Gingrich sought to turn the tables by going after the private equity firm that Romney founded, the former Massachusetts governor replied: "We didn't do any work with the government. . . . I wasn't a lobbyist."

As for the Medicare prescription drug benefit, Gingrich expressed pride in having supported it. "It has saved lives. It's run on a free enterprise model," he said in a state that is home to millions of seniors.

Meanwhile, the wife of Las Vegas Sands chairman Sheldon Adelson, is donating $5 million to a political action committee supporting Gingrich, matching the donation of her husband, Bloomberg News reported Monday, citing a source close to Adelson. Miriam Adelson asked that her donation be used to run pro-Gingrich ads, the person said. The PAC, Winning Our Future, used the husband's funds to finance ads in South Carolina before Gingrich's win there.