Gingrich Slammed While Romney Washes His Hands on the Matter

The lead article in today’s New York Times, “PAC Ads Rip Gingrich as Romney Stands Clear,” describes an unprecedented assault on a candidate by a “Super PAC” closely affiliated but not directly coordinating with the Romney campaign.

The Super PAC, Restore Our Future, is not bound by any campaign finance regulations and does not even have to disclose its contributions until January. Meanwhile Mr. Romney’s campaign is only running positive ads, effectively outsourcing the negative stuff because negative campaigning tends to effect both the target and the one making the charge.

However, Mr. Romney attended an organizational meeting of Restore Our Future this summer with several high-stakes campaign contributors, effectively blessing the organization’s efforts, and his former finance director is now ensconced with the PAC.

This duplicity has been enabled by the Supreme Court in the Citizens United ruling, a decision that allows so-called outside organizations to evade any regulations in the name of free speech. But this result has nothing to do with free speech; it just legitimizes the tearing down of an individual by those used to having their way through money and power.

The ravaging of Mr. Gingrich shows the worst in American politics, and Mr. Romney deserves to be punished for it.