South Carolina primary: Gloves off against Mitt Romney - live

Newt Gingrich and Republican rivals pitch in against Mitt Romney as the crucial South Carolina primary looms - live

GOP front-runner Mitt Romney gets on his campaign bus in South Carolina. 

11.22am: Tortured metaphor of the day comes from the Associated Press in explaining the importance of Jim DeMint in South Carolina's Republican political sphere:

In the 2012 Republican nominating contest, Senator Jim DeMint is like the pretty girl all the boys want to take to the prom.

11.02am: What the internet-papers are saying, Republican civil war edition.

• Perry loses key SC backer after attack on Romney – Associated Press
Rick Perry's attacks on Mitt Romney's time at the helm of the private equity firm Bain Capital cost him an investment banker supporter
• Bolton Endorses Romney, Citing Strong Defense Posture – New York Times
The neocon's neocon John Bolton backs Mitt Romney and snubbing the candidate who said he'd appoint him as US sceretary of state – Newt Gingrich
• The PolitiFact guide to the anti-Romney King of Bain video – PolitiFact
A helpful summary of what happens in the video, minute by minute
• Who Doesn't Like Being Able to Fire People? – Forbes
Josh Barro in Forbes deconstructs the meaning of Mitt Romney's "I like being able to fire people" comment

10.45am: As a preview of the fireworks to come in South Carolina, Newt Gingrich popped up on CNN – to be interviewed by Piers Morgan in a zoo, insert your own joke about reptile enclosures – to announce:

This is going to be Armageddon. I mean, [Romney's campaign] will come in here with everything they've got, every surrogate, every ad, every negative attack. At the same time, we're going to be basically drawing a sharp contrast between a Georgia, Reagan conservative and a Massachusetts moderate who is pro-gun control, pro-choice, pro-tax increase, pro-liberal judge.

Armageddon? I hate to be the one to criticise Professor Gingrich for a slight exaggeration here – although former South Carolina governor Mark Sanford did compare the state's choice to the start of the Civil War in 1861.
Anyway, Piers Morgan shows why he is the number three-rated cable news host in the 9pm daytime slot with this exchange:

Piers: What kind of animal would Romney be?
Newt: I have no idea and I'm not going to go down that road.

South Carolina's GOP primary is infamous for dirty tricks and brutal politics. And since it may be the last chance for Republican rivals to slow down Mitt Romney's march to the party's presidential nomination, the gloves have come off with more than a week to go.

It's the eternal battle: glove or Mitt?
And here's why the likes of Newt Gingrich, Rick Perry and Rick Santorumare so eager to stop Romney in his tracks in the Palmetto State: a new Rasmussen poll of Florida – the behemoth holding its primary at the end of month – shows Romney with a towering lead.
Source:http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/jan/12/south-carolina-primary-romney-live