The GOP's Weird War on Wealth

It’s not unusual for Mitt Romney to be interrupted by hecklers at campaign stops. On the Sunday before the New Hampshire primary, his rally in Exeter was briefly held up when a group of Occupy Wall Street protesters began chanting “Mitt kills jobs!” Romney always handles these outbursts the same way. He affixes a rigid grin to his face, gamely notes everyone’s right to free speech, and then leads the crowd in a cheer while police hustle the protesters away. But the latest attacks on his business background are nothing to grin about, because they’re being launched by his fellow Republicans and backed by millions of dollars in advertisements. Even as Romney moved closer to wrapping up the nomination by winning comfortably in New Hampshire, they’ve threatened to damage his campaign and his arguments against Barack Obama.

Newt Gingrich, whose support collapsed under sustained attacks by a Romney-allied group, has emerged as the fiercest critic. In New Hampshire, he accused Romney and Bain Capital of “looting” the companies they acquired. “Is capitalism really about the ability of a handful of rich people to manipulate the lives of thousands of other people and walk off with the money?” Gingrich demanded to know. Sensing this could hurt the frontrunner, other candidates piled on. Rick Perry called Bain “vulture capitalists.” Jon Huntsman said, “Romney enjoys firing people. I enjoy creating jobs.”