Today Newt Gingrich fired back at Mitt Romney’s suggestion that he should return the money he earned consulting for Freddie Mac by condemning Romney’s private equity career:
If Governor Romney would like to give back all the money he’s earned from bankrupting companies and laying off employees over his years at Bain, then I would be glad to then listen to him. And I will bet you $10, not $10,000, that he won’t take the offer.
Gingrich has basically adopted the language of the anti-corporate left with this line of attack. It may have some political resonance, although it’s doubtful that Republican primary voters will regard leveraged buyouts as more questionable than taking consulting fees from Freddie Mac. Reihan Salam has argued in The Daily that Romney’s private equity background is not only respectable, it also recommends him for the presidency.
