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Campaign Surrogate Admits Romney Is Changing Positions Just To Win Votes

Mitt Romney campaign surrogate Rep. Phil Gingrey (R-GA) admitted that the GOP presidential candidates was changing his positions and moving towards the middle in order to win over voters, during an appearance on CNN’s Starting Point on Friday morning. Gingrey’s comments, reminiscent of Romney advisor Eric Fehrnstrom’s claim that Romney would “Etch-A-Sketch” his positions after the GOP primary, came in response to the candidate’s recent claim that his 47% remarks were “completely wrong.”

“[T]he Republican, the conservative candidate in the primary, is always going to lean right and come back to the center for the general, the opposite for the Democrat,” Gingrey explained. “That’s all you are seeing here. It is very typical. We strong conservatives understand that. There are a lot of undecideds in this country…we want those votes too. So, this is campaign strategy.” Watch it:

Romney began moving towards the center during Wednesday night’s debate, distancing himself from his $5 trillion tax cut plan, embracing portions of his Massachusetts health care law as a model for the states, faulting Wall Street reform for providing “the biggest kiss that’s been given to New York banks,” and considering eliminating tax deductions for oil companies.

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He continued to change his rhetoric on Fox News’ Hannity on Thursday night. Romney described his remarks about the 47% as completely wrong, despite telling Hannity’s colleague Neil Cavuto last month that he stood by the comments.

“This is a message I’m carrying day in and day out and will carry over the coming months,” Romney said after his secretly taped comments calling half of Americans “dependent upon government” surfaced. “I’m talking about a perspective of individuals who I’m not likely to get to support me…. And those that are dependent upon government and those that think government`s job is redistribute, I — I’m not going to get them.”