MESA, Ariz. — With just minutes to go before the last Republican debate, a spokesman for Newt Gingrich says the former House speaker will not make any effort to compete in the critical Michigan primary next Tuesday.

“Rick Santorum is going to win the state of Michigan,” Gingrich spokesman R.C. Hammond told reporters shortly before the debate.  The Gingrich campaign sees a Santorum victory over Romney in Michigan as a critical step in damaging the Romney effort, and therefore ultimately a good thing for Gingrich.  “Whatever means we can use that are to our advantage to get rid of Mitt Romney, if that means Rick Santorum is the one who exposes him as a flawed candidate, we’re happy to have that happen,” Hammond said.