Mitt Romney is sharpening his warning to Republicans about the consequences of nominating Newt Gingrich, declaring in an interview on Wednesday: “Zany is not what we need in a president.” 
 
 “Zany is great in a campaign. It’s great on talk radio. It’s great in print, it makes for fun reading,” Mr. Romney told The New York Times. “But in terms of a president, we need a leader, and a leader needs to be someone who can bring Americans together.” 
 
 With 20 days before the voting begins at the Iowa caucuses, Mr. Romney is intensifying his forceful attack on the credibility of Mr. Gingrich, who has emerged as his leading rival in the Republican nominating fight.
– Mitt Romney gave an interview to the New York Times today in which he fleshed out his line of attack that Newt Gingrich is unfit to be president. The main takeaway quote: “Zany is great in a campaign. It’s great on talk radio. It’s great in print, it makes for fun reading. But in terms of a president, we need a leader, and a leader needs to be someone who can bring Americans together.” It echoes a comment Romney made earlier this week when he called Gingrich "an extraordinarily unreliable leader," notes USA Today. In the Times interview, Romney also seemed to tamp down expectations in Iowa and New Hampshire. "If a candidate didn’t win in either one, let’s say one of the people in this contest—Rick Santorum, you know—didn’t win either one, do you write him off? No."