COLUMBIA, SC — After bringing criticism on himself for attacking Mitt Romney’s business record, but also succeeding in drawing attention to the issue of Romney’s taxes, Newt Gingrich has decided that his work targeting Romney’s past is done, and the former House speaker has moved into the final phase of his South Carolina campaign.

“The conversation about how Romney conducted himself needed to happen,” Gingrich spokesman R.C. Hammond said at a Gingrich event in Aiken, S.C. Tuesday night.  “It was not part of the campaign.  Nobody else was forcing the issue.  Gingrich was probably the only one who was capable of forcing the issue.  The issue was forced.  Romney is back on his heels.  He’s answering these questions — slowly.”