Video: Romney Ad Highlights the Newt and Nancy Show

On the Chronicle Politics Blog: Carla Marinucci writes about Mitt Romney's new ad painting Newt Gingrich as just to the left of Fidel Castro, all because he supported "Al Gore's liberal global warming agenda" in the form of a public service announcement he made with Nancy Pelosi.

"We do agree, our country must take action to address climate change," Gingrich says into the camera, seated all cozy on a couch next to the liberal Democrat.

Jeez, Newt may as well have been caught french-kissing Michael Moore in front of a "Free Palestine!" banner at Occupy Oakland. You may remember the period leading up to the 2010 mid-term election, when the entire Republican campaign seemed to revolve around the pillorying of Pelosi -- then Speaker of the House -- and by extension San Francisco. From an Oct 30, 2010 Bay Citizen article:

In the waning days of a highly charged election season, Republicans near and far are united against a common opponent: San Francisco. In ads and stump speeches, the city is repeatedly flogged as a symbol of the kind of out-of-step liberalism that Republicans vow to banish if they wrest control of Congress from Ms. Pelosi and the Democrats.

Nationally, the Republican National Committee has begun a “Fire Pelosi 2010 Bus Tour,” and ads tying Democrats to San Francisco have proliferated. In Georgia, a conservative Democrat seeking to distance himself from Pelosi is running a commercial featuring gyrating hippies and warning: “Georgia is a long way from San Francisco.”

The Bay Guardian, never a Pelosi fan, wondered at her status as a bete-noire of conservatives:

"It's odd that Pelosi's become such a symbol of liberal Democrats and fodder for the right-wing attack machine. When you look at her record, she's hardly a San Francisco liberal and certainly no progressive."

With Republicans now controlling the House and running roughshod over what's left of President Obama's agenda, Pelosi makes for a less chimerical figure. But she still clearly has negative star power in GOP circles. Carla Marinucci writes:

"She may no longer be House Speaker, but San Francisco Rep. Nancy Pelosi continues to positively fascinate and galvanize Republicans..."

Gingrich, for his part, has renounced the ad, saying on Fox News last month, "that’s probably the dumbest single thing I’ve done in recent years."

In any event, barring the use of special effects, Newt and Nancy will probably not be appearing in another commercial together anytime soon, unless it's one promoting a pay-per-view steel cage match. They're not getting along so well anymore...