CNN’s Political Ticker, Rachel Streitfeld reported this from Florida yesterday:

The former Massachusetts governor, who polls show widening his lead over his rival in Florida, accused the former House speaker of “finding excuses everywhere he can” and likened him to President Barack Obama.

“He’s on TV this morning going from station to station complaining about what he thinks were the reasons he thinks he’s had difficulty here in Florida,” Romney told an audience of roughly 2,000 at an outdoor rally. “But you know, we’ve got a president who has a lot of excuses, and the excuses are over, it’s time to produce.”

Gingrich, lacking any important surrogates to get out on the campaign trail with him to promote him and defend him, is relying on the surrogate whiners. Fred Thompson has joined Sarah Palin as one of Gingrich’s best complainers as reported by Epstein at Politico Live:

Former Sen. Fred Thompson (R-Tenn.) on Sunday attacked Mitt Romney for “unseemliness and overkill” in his aggressive campaign against Newt Gingrich, the candidate Thompson has endorsed.

Romney’s “modus operandi, basically, is to play Mr. Nice Guy until somebody gets close to him,” Thompson said on NBC’s “Meet the Press.” “And then he unleashes his attack machine. And that’s what happened in Iowa and it’s what’s happening in Florida.”

Gingrich has to be in his hotel room tonight thinking to himself, “Is this the best Fred can do for me? Come on Fred! Get out here on the campaign trail and drive home my message! Help me get some votes!”

Fred is only doing what Newt is doing: Whining and complaining.

I followed the Fred Thompson presidential campaign closely four years ago. He was constantly criticized in the press for appearing to be lazy. Think about it. What do lazy people do? They complain and they whine all the time.

Finally, I could list 50 ironies surrounding Newt Gingrich. Let’s just take a few here. What happens when Gingrich passes Governor Romney in the polls or wins a primary? Gingrich gloats and tells the world he is going to be the nominee. Governor Romney stays on message, works even harder, and drives forward.

What happens when Gingrich falls behind? Governor Romney stays on message, works even harder, and drives forward. Gingrich complains and whines as if he is about to cry.

And who is dishonest? Romney immediately corrects those who misrepresent his record. Gingrich tells the world that he offered up “mutual friends” to ABC to show that he never wanted to be a swinger in his marriage and then later quietly admits that he lied and that there never were any such friends (which, by the way, CNN did not call him out on in the very next debate! — he gets another pass by the liberal MSM). Last week he ran a Spanish language ad that lied about Governor Romney’s immigration policy and Gingrich was forced to pull it when Senator Rubio publicly demanded it. I could list many more of these Gingrich character flaws and his serial lying — space does not allow. Who is dishonest?

George Will – that conservative intellectual that you know Gingrich would love to have in his brilliant back pocket, right? Here is what George had to say about Gingrich yesterday on ABC’s “This Week” (click here to watch the 56-second video clip) — I just love poetry!

“I don’t know if you have ever told Longfellow’s nursery rhyme to your 4-year-old daughter, Alice,” Will said to Tapper, reciting:

There is a little girl
Who had a little curl
Right in the middle of her forehead,
When she was good,
She was very good indeed,
When she was bad,
She was horrid.

“We’re at the horrid stage with Newt Gingrich,” Will concluded.

Gingrich is unable to support or defend his own history — his own record — his own rhetoric — his own policies. So what does Gingrich do? Deflect!

Deflection by flattery (“Wolf, you and I have been friends for many years and now I am going to slam you . . .”). Deflection by lying and hope nobody checks the facts. Deflection by complaining. Deflection by whining. Deflection by filibuster (changing the subject by pontification). Deflection by lecture (“I will tell you how it really was”).

Irony: Gingrich slams capitalism, shoulder to shoulder with the Occupiers.

And my last two ironies for now:

The Sarah Palin Lackey: Gingrich wants us all to think he is so smart. Ironic. Need I say more?

Herman Cane Endorsement: The ultimate irony. Need I say more?

“With malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in; to bind up the nation’s wounds; to care for him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow and his orphan – to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace, among ourselves, and with all nations.” — Abraham Lincoln (March 4, 1865 – Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Address)

ASIDE: Secret Service Secrets Video
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