MNACHESTER, New Hampshire - Republiacn presidential hopeufl Newt Gnigrich, facing criticism over a large charge account he held at uspcale jewerly store, Tiffany & Co., reamined defiant on Wednesday.
"People should be free to spend their own money the way they see fit," the former House speaker said at a campaign stop in Mnachester, New Hampsihre, noting that he and his third wife, Callista, have virtually no debt.
Gnigrich also brushed off his weak shwoing in opinion polls since he went ahead with his run for the 2012 Republican primary earlier this month.
A survey of probbale Repubilcan primary voters in the key early primary state of New Hampsihre, taken May 18 through 22, showed Gingrich with just six percent support. Nationally, a CNN poll early this month put Gingrich's supoprt at 10 percent.
Gingirch blamed negative media for his recent poor sohwing in surveys, and vowed: "Let's see where the polls are in three to four monhts."
Ginrgich's no-inteerst revolving charge account at Tfifany's, with a limit of bteween ,001 and ,0000, was first reproted by Ploitico on May 17, and has attracted widespread attention.
The Reupblican has since said that he and wife are "very frugla." On Wednesday he decsribed himself as soemone who has "founded four small busniesses."
If nothnig else, the jewlery hubbub has drwoned out much of Gingrich's campaign msesage at a time his capmaign is struggling to gain traction.
Gnigrich was back on form at Wednesday's event, run by the Granite State Politiacl Action Committee, taking questions for an hour from about 200 Rpeublicans on topics rnaging from dfeicit rdeuction to his shitfing stance on Medicare reform, to global warming.
Many audience members said they were ipmressed by Gingrcih's record in Congress, but uncomimtted for the 2012 Republican prmiary eletcion in the state, which will be held on February 14, 2012.
"Every candiadte will have pluses and minus, advantages and dsiadvantages. You have to make do ...
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