Foot in Mouth Disease - Republican Verbal Missteps Continue Unabated

Now that Iowa is out of the way, and New Hampshire's almost done as well, the Republican presidential primary more and more resembles a horse race - one being run on a muddy track. Going into New Hampshire after a squeaker win in Iowa's caucuses, Mitt Romney should have known that he would be target number one for his rivals, determined to erase his apparent lead.

Thus, it's a bit amazing that in speaking to voters at the Chamber of Commerce in Nashua, NH, Romney would say, "I like being able to fire people who provide services to me." Okay, a rational listener, considering the context of his entire speech, would know he was referring to the ability of Americans to 'fire' their health insurance providers and make other choices, but in a campaign that has been characterized by nothing short of character assassination and mud-slinging, he perhaps should have known better, and made a better choice of words. Predictably, his rivals immediately jumped on him, with former Utah Governor Jon Huntsman firing the first shot, accusing Romney of being 'out of touch with the economic reality playing out in America.'

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, in describing Romney's business record, used the word 'looting.' Of course, in Gingrich's case, trying to spin a rival's comments against him is a lot like the pot calling the kettle black. He is himself under fire from the NAACP for his recent comment that 'African-Americans should not be satisfied with food stamps.' Benjamin Todd-Jealous, President and CEO of the NAACP called Gingrich's statement 'inaccurate and divisive,' and pointed out that he should be aware that the majority of people using food stamps are not African-American, and most food stamp recipients have a job. Gingrich denied that his remark had any racial overtones - a lame denial, given his statement on CBS's Early Show that he would speak to Latinos or any other minority group that wanted 'paychecks over food stamps.' Gingrich, according to Jealous, had been invited several times during his tenure as speaker to speak to the NAACP, but had declined.

Rick Santorum, who nearly tied with Romney in Iowa, was also slammed by the NAACP for remarks he made recently that appeared to single out African-American recipients of federal aid. Santorum denied the allegations

This whole thing is becoming political theater at its worst - sort of a tragi-comedic farce of epic proportions - as the candidates, in their efforts to woo specific constituencies by proving that they are more 'conservative' and 'pro-American' than their rivals, they open their mouths and insert their feet; and then, tap dance on their molars. There's an old saying that seems particularly appropriate at this juncture; 'Engage brain before starting mouth.'