Gingrich portrayed as a 'Washington insider'"We don't need folks who are lifetime Washington people," Romney said, adding his time as head of a private equity firm helped him understand how to turn around the economy and made him more electable than a Washington politician like Gingrich.But Romney may have hurt himself by challenging Texas Governor Rick Perry to a $10,000 bet over healthcare in a quip that drew criticism of Romney as out of touch with normal Americans in economic hard times.It was the first debate since Gingrich roared past Romney to take a big lead in polls in the Republican battle to pick a 2012 challenger to US President Barack Obama, and the other candidates were quick to attack.US Representatives Michele Bachmann and Ron Paul criticized Gingrich as a hypocrite who profited from his contacts and wound up taking taxpayer money when Freddie Mac was bailed out by the federal government."When you're taking money to influence the outcome of legislation, that's the epitome of establishment," Bachmann said.Gingrich said he did not lobby for the housing giant but offered "strategic advice," and he shot back at Romney's criticism of him as a career politician."The only reason you didn't become a career politician is you lost to Teddy Kennedy in 1994," Gingrich told Romney, who lost a Senate bid in Massachusetts that year but later became governor. "It's a bit much, you'd have been a 17-year career politician now if you'd won."The debate came less than a month before Iowa kicks off the state-by-state Republican nominating contest, and Gingrich also faced questions from religious conservatives in the state about his three marriages and his admitted marital infidelities.Perry, who has aired two television ads aimed at winning over evangelical voters, said that was a legitimate question for voters. "I think that issue of fidelity is important," he said. "If you're cheating on your wife, you'll cheat on your business partner."Gingrich agreed it was a legitimate issue and said he had gone to God for forgiveness. "People have to measure who I am and whether I'm a person they can trust," he said.
Rivals slam Gingrich over Palestinian comments
Republican front-runner stays calm as he comes under heavy attack; criticized for calling Palestinians "invented people."
Gingrich portrayed as a 'Washington insider'"We don't need folks who are lifetime Washington people," Romney said, adding his time as head of a private equity firm helped him understand how to turn around the economy and made him more electable than a Washington politician like Gingrich.But Romney may have hurt himself by challenging Texas Governor Rick Perry to a $10,000 bet over healthcare in a quip that drew criticism of Romney as out of touch with normal Americans in economic hard times.It was the first debate since Gingrich roared past Romney to take a big lead in polls in the Republican battle to pick a 2012 challenger to US President Barack Obama, and the other candidates were quick to attack.US Representatives Michele Bachmann and Ron Paul criticized Gingrich as a hypocrite who profited from his contacts and wound up taking taxpayer money when Freddie Mac was bailed out by the federal government."When you're taking money to influence the outcome of legislation, that's the epitome of establishment," Bachmann said.Gingrich said he did not lobby for the housing giant but offered "strategic advice," and he shot back at Romney's criticism of him as a career politician."The only reason you didn't become a career politician is you lost to Teddy Kennedy in 1994," Gingrich told Romney, who lost a Senate bid in Massachusetts that year but later became governor. "It's a bit much, you'd have been a 17-year career politician now if you'd won."The debate came less than a month before Iowa kicks off the state-by-state Republican nominating contest, and Gingrich also faced questions from religious conservatives in the state about his three marriages and his admitted marital infidelities.Perry, who has aired two television ads aimed at winning over evangelical voters, said that was a legitimate question for voters. "I think that issue of fidelity is important," he said. "If you're cheating on your wife, you'll cheat on your business partner."Gingrich agreed it was a legitimate issue and said he had gone to God for forgiveness. "People have to measure who I am and whether I'm a person they can trust," he said.