A round-up of today’s news and the emerging political narrative:

Newt Gingrich attacked Mitt Romney and Ron Paul yesterday, despite his pledge to remain positive during his campaign.  In an interview with CNN, Gingrich said he would not vote for Paul if he were to become the GOP nominee, calling his views “totally outside the mainstream of virtually every decent American.”  In the same interview, Gingrich said if Romney wants to run a negative campaign attacking him he should “at least be man enough to own up to it.”

Paul is up with a new ad in Iowa and New Hampshire, which begins airing today. The ad criticizes Gingrich for being a serial hypocrite and Romney for being a flip-flopper.

With Paul facing an onslaught of attacks from his GOP rivals, an army of Ron Paul supporters began arriving in Iowa to ”bolster an aggressive ground operation” in the state, the New York Times reports.

Saying Obama is risking “the soul of America,” Romney kicked off his stretch run to Tuesday’s Iowa caucus with his eyes squarely on the general election, the Washington Times reports. Addressing Obama, Romney declared: “You have had your moment. We have seen the results. And now, Mr. President, it is our time.”

Playing to socials conservatives in the final week before the caucus, Rick Perry confirmed yesterday that he no longer supports abortion in any cases, including rape. “You’re seeing a transformation,” Perry said in response to a voter’s question about his changed stance at a town hall meeting.  The Note has more on Perry’s “transformation.”

An offshoot of the Occupy Wall Street movement met last night to organize and plan protests in Iowa’s capitol during the week leading up to the state’s caucuses.  According to the AP, Occupy protesters are vowing to interrupt candidates at events and campaign outside their campaign offices.

Tags | Mitt Romney, newt gingrich, rick perry, Ron Paul