Newt Gingrich makes it clear he's on a mission to defeat Mitt Romney

Chuck Todd interviewed Newt Gingrich earlier this morning
 

If there was any question whether or not Newt Gingrich was serious last night when he hinted at waging a scorched earth campaign against Mitt Romney, he erased it this morning. Just watch the clip above if you had any doubts: in it, Gingrich not only slams Mitt Romney, but he praises Rick Santorum and says that he and Santorum together will make it clear to Republican voters that Mitt Romney isn't really a true conservative.

Gingrich said that Santorum had "a great night" by essentially tying Romney, but that Romney's finish showed that "three out of four Republicans once again repudiated him." Given Romney's money advantage—and the fact that he's been running for five years—Gingrich said Romney's showing underscored the fact that there is a ceiling to his support.

Gingrich acknowledged that Romney would do better in New Hampshire than in Iowa, but said that by the time South Carolina and Florida come around, it would be clear that Mitt Romney is "not going to be the nominee." He predicted that "phase one" of the rest of the campaign would be a team effort between his campaign and Santorum's to make it clear that Romney is not a real conservative, though he added that both Santorum and he would continue to make the case for their individual candidacies in addition to bashing Romney.

Whether or not Santorum is as eager as Newt Gingrich to tear down Mitt Romney, this has to be pleasant for him to hear. Hell hath no fury like a Newt Gingrich scorned, and if Newt is more interested in taking down Mitt Romney than he is in winning the presidency, Rick Santorum is in the best position to reap the rewards.