Newt Gingrich plans brutal Mitt Romney attack

UPDATE: This ad is now up, at least in web version:

Former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee said in a statement that “any use of an out of context quote from the Republican Presidential primary 4 years ago in a political ad to advocate for the election or defeat of another candidate not authorized, approved, or known in advance by me.” He does not plan to endorse a candidate.

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The campaign of former House speaker Newt Gingrich put out the transcript for an ad that has yet to air, using former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney’s words from Thursday night’s debate.

Romney, who had a good night overall, did struggle a bit during Thursday’s debate. This ad targets Romney on two points of contention: his vote for a Democrat in the 1992 presidential primary and his claim that he hadn’t seen one of his own attack ads.

The transcript:

Governor Huckabee: “If a man’s dishonest to get a job, he’ll be dishonest on the job.” (Source)

Narrator: What kind of man would mislead, distort, and deceive just to win an election?

This man would be Mitt Romney. Romney said he has always voted Republican when he had the opportunity.

But in the 1992 Presidential Primary Romney had the chance to vote for George H.W. Bush or Pat Buchanan but he voted for a liberal Democrat instead. (Source)

Romney said his investments in Fannie and Freddie were in a blind trust.

But as reported in the National Journal, Romney earned tens of thousands of dollars from investments NOT in a blind trust. (Source)

Romney denied seeing a false ad his campaign used to attack Newt Gingrich. But Romney’s own campaign paid for the ad. ... Romney’s own voice is on the ad approving the content. (Source)

If we can’t trust Romney in a debate, how can we trust him in the White House?

It’s a tough ad — Romney’s campaign has already responded. Spokeswoman Andrea Saul said in a statement that it’s “laughable to see lectures on honesty coming from a paid influence peddler who suffered an unprecedented ethics reprimand.”

But given Romney’s lead in Florida polls and dominance on the Florida airwaves and Gingrich’s lackluster performance in the actual debate, it’s hard to imagine this spot moving the needle much.