Romney ads target Huckabee in Iowa

DES MOINES, Iowa, Dec. 29 (UPI) -- GOP presidential hopeful Mitt Romney has pounced on his closest rival, Mike Huckabee, by unleashing new attack ads in the tight Republican race in Iowa.

Romney, a former governor of Massachusetts, released the ads Friday against Huckabee, a former governor of Arkansas, as the Republican field has developed into a two-front battle with Huckabee challenging Romney in Iowa and Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., amassing strong support in New Hampshire.

The new ads accuse Huckabee of fiscal excess in Arkansas government during his tenure as governor, initiating plans to provide college benefits to the children of illegal immigrants, and for issuing more than 1,000 pardons and commuted sentences, The Washington Post reported Saturday.

The ads also features Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice saying the Arkansas governor was "ludicrous" in his criticisms against the foreign policy initiatives of President George Bush.

Huckabee deflected the criticisms in a Friday conference call with reporters saying Romney was "desperate and dishonest."

Huckabee's campaign team said a strong showing in Iowa would boost his campaign, which has emerged from the second tier on contenders to mount an assault on the long front-running Romney.