The New York Times JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Mitt Romney, facing his greatest challenge of the campaign so far, relentlessly pressed Newt Gingrich on Thursday night in their final debate before the Florida primary, seeking to regain the offensive against an insurgent challenge that has shaken his claim to inevitability. On immigration, personal finances and the grand ideas that have been the trademark of Gingrich's candidacy, Romney gave his rival no quarter, giving prime time voice to his campaign's all-out, round-the-clock assault on Gingrich here. In a debate in which Romney could ill afford to allow Gingrich another triumphant night, he delivered sharp lines that gave him an advantage usually held by Gingrich: applause from the audience. After being accused in so many debates of pandering, this time it was Romney accusing Gingrich of playing to the crowd with his proposal for a lunar colony, which Romney said may be popular around the Kennedy Space Center in Florida but unrealistic in practice. “I spent 25 years in business,” Romney said. “If I had a business executive come to me and say they wanted to spend a few hundred billion dollars to put a colony on the moon, I'd say, ‘You're fired.' ” And, clearly prepared with reams of research, he frequently turned Gingrich's attacks back against him. When Gingrich pressed Romney for having investments in F http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2012/01/26/us/20120127_DEBATE_337.html annie Mae, Freddie Mac and with Goldman Sachs, “which is today foreclosing on Floridians,” Romney was ready with an attack of his own. “Speaker, I know that sounds like an enormous revelation, but have you checked your own investments?” he asked. “You also have investments for mutual funds that also invest in Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.” Effectively shut down, Gingrich turned grim and said meekly, “All right.” The most intensive attack on Romney came not from Gingrich but from Rick Santorum, who insisted that Romney's health plan for Massachusetts when he was its governor was no different from President Obama's and that as a result Romney would be unable to combat the president effectively on the issue if he became the Republican nominee. __
