I guess Mitt Romney isn’t going to agree to Newt Gingrich’s proposal for an entirely positive primary campaign. Gingrich has already called this moment “one of the single dumbest things I’ve done in years, but that hasn’t entirely defused the issue of his appearance in a TV spot with Nancy Pelosi on the need for “dialogue” on global warming, and Romney knows it. It was inevitable that Romney would play this card if things got tough — and they have:

Note that this is not something put out by a super-PAC.  As the ad states, this is “paid for by Romney for President, Inc,” so this attack comes directly from Mitt and his team.  It’s effective, too, as any ad would be that factually links a Republican candidate with Nancy Pelosi, and by only a small step to Al Gore.

However, this also leaves Romney open for an attack on the same grounds, as well as hypocrisy.  As governor, Romney imposed the kind of carbon caps that Barack Obama has been trying to implement through the EPA for the last three years based on their finding of carbon dioxide as a dangerous emission.  Romney also hired Obama’s current science “czar” John Holdren, a longtime Malthusian crank, to create those caps.  They had the predictable effect of increasing the need to purchase power generated outside of Massachusetts, thanks in part to price caps that Romney imposed as well.

Gingrich is certainly vulnerable on this point, but at least he’s apologized for his love-seat sojourn with Pelosi.  We still have yet to hear from Romney about his carbon caps, his hiring of Holdren, and the conservative rationale for price caps.