Romney Congratulates Gingrich, But Says Speaker Can't Be Nominee

Even as he congratulates Newt Gingrich on his victory in the South Carolina primary, Mitt Romney is telling supporters that Gingrich isn't the one to lead the Republicans to victory in November.

He says Republicans can't win with a candidate who has never run a business and has never run a state. Without singling out Gingrich by name, Romney again criticized Republican opponents who he said had joined Democrats in attacking the free enterprise system. Gingrich had been among those raising questions about Romney's tenure as head of a venture capital firm.

Romney devoted most of his other remarks to an attack on President Barack Obama, repeating his charge that Obama wants to "fundamentally transform" America, while Romney wants to restore it to its founding principles. He promised to repeal Obama's health care overhaul, balance the budget and reduce the size of government.

Romney vowed to "keep fighting for every vote" in the weeks and months ahead. He's already looking ahead to the next primary in Florida, a state that he says has "suffered terribly" under what he calls the "failed policies" of Obama.