Gingrich sends pointed tweet to Romney over immigration

While campaigning in Iowa on Wednesday, Mitt Romney painted Newt Gingrich as a supporter of amnesty for illegal immigrants.

“It certainly [is amnesty] for the people [Gingrich] was referring to,” Romney said, according to the Washington Post. “He didn’t go on and describe how about someone who’s been here 20 years? How about 12 years? How about 10? Five? Three? How many children do you have to have to apply this principle? He didn’t describe that.”

Romney's criticism comes after Tuesday's Republican debate in which Gingrich caught some flack for saying he supports a type of path-to-citizenship for illegal immigrants who have been in the United States for at least 25 years.

Gingrich didn't take it laying down. He (or whoever handles his Twitter account) sent a tweet at Romney in response that included an older video of the former Massachusettes governor on "Meet the Press" saying: “Those people who had come here illegally and are in this country, the 12 million or so that are here illegally, should be able to sign up for permanent residency or citizenship.”

Here's the video Gingrich linked to:

The Washington Post notes that this clip was somewhat taken out of context. Romney finished by saying, "They should not be given a special pathway, a special guarantee that all of them get to stay here for the rest of their lives merely by virtue of having come here illegally.”

Romney didn't tweet back.