In Nev., Romney blasts Obama while Gingrich takes aim at Romney

February 4, 2012 at 12:00a.m.

Los Angeles Times

SPARKS, Nev.

As he campaigned around the state the day before Nevadans cast their votes in the Republican presidential nominating contest, Mitt Romney exuded a front-runner’s confidence. Keeping his eye on November, he aimed his rhetorical fire at the man he wants to replace in the White House.

But Newt Gingrich, who is expected to finish second, kept his sights on today, caucus day here, slashing away at the former Massachusetts governor and hoping to make a decent showing after a stinging loss in Florida. His South Carolina surprise victory seems like a long time ago.

While Romney was telling a handful of entrepreneurs and government officials that his 25 years as a businessman qualify him to replace President Barack Obama, the former House speaker was telling supporters that Romney does not understand the free market, is not a genuine conservative and is against “American ideals.”

“It isn’t good enough for the Republican Party to nominate Obama lite,” Gingrich told about 100 people at a Las Vegas country bar, some of whom smoked and drank beer during the morning rally. “I think we want a candidate who works, pays taxes and believes in the Declaration of Independence, not someone who is clearly against the American ideals.”

Of course, those are the very charges that Romney has leveled against Obama. In a roundtable discussion with business owners, Romney dismissed the Labor Department’s report that the unemployment rate had dropped slightly, to 8.3 percent. The news may be welcome, Romney said, but it is long overdue.

“This president has not helped the process,” Romney said. “He’s hurt it.”

Romney, a multimillionaire who made his fortune in the private-equity business, has been criticized for seeming insensitive, particularly to people in dire economic straits.