Stung by a series of setbacks, Mitt Romney yesterday heeded calls to release tax documents detailing his vast fortune and fired back at surging Republican White House rival Newt Gingrich.
The release of the documents to US media followed a fiery debate in which Romney -- trailing in recent polls -- painted Gingrich as a Washington "influence peddler" unfit to challenge President Barack Obama in November.
The documents show that Romney, a former venture capitalist and one of the richest people to ever seek the presidency, paid some $6 million in the past two years on more than $40 million of income, almost all from investments.
Romney attacked Gingrich's work for state-backed mortgage lender Freddie Mac, which many Republicans blame for the housing bubble and the ensuing recession, which hit Florida particularly hard.
"Freddie Mac was paying speaker Gingrich $1.6 million at the same time Freddie Mac was costing the people of Florida millions of dollars."
A Rasmussen poll found Gingrich was now running at 41 percent in Florida, with Romney at 32 percent. Just last week, Romney had a 22-point lead in the Sunshine State.