FL Primary: 2-Man Race Emerging

A two-man fight for Florida is emerging ahead of the state’s final Republican presidential debate tonight, with Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich pounding each other over personal and professional vulnerabilities.

Former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum and Texas Rep. Ron Paul will take their places on the stage for Thursday night’s debate, but they have their sights set elsewhere and have largely stayed away from the Romney-Gingrich drama.

NJ Decides: Presidential Election 2012
GOP Campaign

Public opinion polls have Romney and Gingrich in a tight race. Sharp exchanges Wednesday highlighted the stakes in the battle to determine President Barack Obama’s fall challenger. Gingrich is trying to paint Romney as out-of-touch by noting his Swiss bank account and another in the Cayman Islands. But Gingrich also faced questions about his extramarital affair in the 1990s.

Rubio: Immigration Not Only Issue For Hispanics

A Hispanic-American U.S. senator from Florida who’s considered a rising star in the Republican Party says too much is being made of the significance of immigration to his community.

Sen. Marco Rubio says that while immigration is of critical importance, economic security weighs more heavily on Hispanics’ minds “on the vast majority of the days of the year.” Rubio appeared on “CBS This Morning” Thursday after harshly criticizing Newt Gingrich’s campaign ad labeling Mitt Romney the most anti-immigration candidate. Rubio said “I wouldn’t characterize it as a scolding,” and said he was a Gingrich “admirer.”

The ad has been pulled off the air.

Rubio declined speculation about the GOP’s vice presidential nomination, saying he didn’t think it would be him. He’s remained neutral in the closely fought Florida Republican primary.

Gingrich Donor Is Casino Mogul, Israeli Hardliner

He’s an ardent supporter of Israel and a megabillionaire casino mogul whose empire is under federal investigation. And he’s the self-proclaimed “richest Jew in the world.”

Sheldon Adelson is also, far and away, the biggest patron of Newt Gingrich’s surging presidential bid. Adelson and his wife, Miriam, have pumped $10 million into a political action committee backing Gingrich. Campaign finance experts say the two $5 million contributions are among the largest known political donations in U.S. history.

No other candidate in the race for president appears to be relying so heavily on a single donor. It’s been made possible by last year’s Supreme Court ruling that recast the political landscape by stripping away restrictions on contributions.

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