Newt Gingrich just got asked at an Orange County Liberty Counsel Forum in Winter Park, Florida, about the money that he’s been given by casino magnate Sheldon Adelson, and whether he can offer reassurances about where he stands on casino gambling – which is an important issue in the state, despite barely being mentioned in the campaign (for obvious reasons).

“Well, let me say up front, at the risk of offending some of my friends who’ve been very helpful,” Gingrich began, “…I worry about the degree to which the poor are the most likely to spend a large percentage of their income gambling.”

He added, sounding very much like Mitt Romney as he went to great lengths to create distance between himself and his super PAC, that he hasn’t coordinated on money and all he knows of Adelson’s support is what he reads in the news.

“Sheldon Adelson has clearly, according to the articles, has been very generous,” he said. “Sheldon Adelson’s passion in life is (the security of) Israel.”

He added that Adelson is very concerned about Iran posing the threat of a “second Holocaust” to Israel.

Adelson was helping out “to offset the Goldman Sachs, the big banks” helping Romney, Gingrich said, because the casino magnate’s perspective is, “I really want somebody to be there who understands foreign policy, understands national security … my relationship with Sheldon is about a very specific public thing.”

Gingrich never said specifically what he thinks about casino gambling, which was the question.

That said, the event was a far better one for Gingrich than his previous stop in Orlando. This time, he had what appeared to be more than 800 people in the crowd. And he received repeated standing ovations as he talked policy, especially the executive orders he would use to overturn portions of President Obama’s platforms – and to move the U.S. Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

He took a few jabs at Romney, including on a question about immigration, saying, “The other night I saw Mitt Romney dance a half step closer to my position,” after having denounced Gingrich as supporting “amnesty.”

(Source: Politico)