Romney to release taxes; Gingrich ready for Obama

Associated Press

WASHINGTON

Newt Gingrich worked to capitalize Sunday on his upset victory in South Carolina’s Republican presidential primary, while Mitt Romney moved quickly to cut his losses before the next contest with a promise to release his income-tax returns within 48 hours.

Gingrich said in a round of television interviews that his win, both unexpected and unexpectedly large, showed he was the Republican best able to go toe-to-toe with President Barack Obama in the fall.

“I think virtually everybody who looks at the campaign knows I represent the largest amount of change of any candidate, and I think that’s why they see me as representing their interest and their concerns, not representing Wall Street or representing the politicians of Washington,” he said.

Romney argued that point, but not another, agreeing in a TV interview that he had made a mistake by refusing to release his tax returns before the South Carolina vote.

The former Massachusetts governor, who made millions in business, said he will make his 2010 return and an estimate for 2011 available online Tuesday.

Florida votes next, on Jan. 31, a 50- delegate contest in one of the most expensive campaign states in the country, and one that Romney can ill afford to lose.

The former governor was an easy winner in the New Hampshire primary earlier in the month.

Before that, he was a close runner-up behind former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum in Iowa caucuses where the vote count was so confused that he was originally announced the victor.

Despite his loss Saturday, Romney remains the contender with the largest and best-funded organization.

For all the political momentum gained in South Carolina, Gingrich made it immediately obvious that he is short on funds.

He urged supporters via Tweet on Saturday night to donate money, and then announced the name of his campaign website while making a nationally televised victory speech.

Romney and Gingrich indicated the race was a two-way competition, likely to go into the spring if not longer.

Santorum had other ideas.

“We’re going to Florida and beyond,” he said. As he did in a pair of debates in South Carolina, he criticized both Gingrich — calling him a “very high-risk candidate” — and Romney, whom he called a moderate ill-suited to appeal to conservative voters.

Texas Rep. Ron Paul, the fourth contender, has said he will skip Florida and focus on Nevada and other caucus states.