(Newser)
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Chris Christie's horse lost last night's South Carolina race, and the New Jersey governor came out swinging at victor Newt Gingrich this morning, calling the former House speaker an "embarrassment" to the Republican party. “Gingrich has embarrassed the party over time," said Christie, who has enthusiastically endorsed Mitt Romney. "Whether he'll do it again in the future I don't know, but Gov. Romney never has." He also blasted Gingrich as a lobbyist: “Strategic adviser? That is the oldest Washington dodge in the book. That's because he didn't want to register as a lobbyist." Christie also notably said he wouldn't rule out a Romney-Christie ticket. The Sunday dial was clogged with political luminaries dissecting last night's upset win for Gingrich; as per Politico:
- Gingrich on ABC's interview with second wife Marianne: "It was totally inappropriate. It was almost as though ABC was an arm of the Romney campaign, deliberately trying to set the stage and rig the game. People just repudiated it. I was amazed at how intense the feeling was."
- Gingrich on Romney: "You end up with a guy who is a very good salesman, who very much wants to sell, but has a very weak product. He's been dancing on eggs, trying ... to find a version of Romney that would work."
- Rick Santorum on whether he'll quit: "Absolutely no pressure at all. I think people realize that Mitt Romney is now no longer the inevitable.”
- Christie on Romney's showing: “You know, I’m not going to try to say last night was good news for the Romney campaign. So, you pick yourself up, and you get to Florida and fight. I still believe that Gov. Romney’s going to win in Florida, and then return to Florida in August as the Republican nominee.”
- Lindsey Graham on Gingrich's evolution: "Newt's putting on the table real solutions in a way today that he wouldn't have done in 1994, and that kind of maturing of thought I think is going to help the party and help him."
