DES MOINES -- Mitt Romney and his backers decided that to win in Iowa they had to destroy Newt Gingrich's campaign. Now Gingrich looks eager -- and able -- to return the favor.

Romney got his victory, but it doesn't feel much like one. It's embarrassing that the supposed Republican front-runner could only manage to beat Rick Santorum by eight votes out of about 120,000 cast in Tuesday's caucuses. It's troubling that Romney has spent the past five years campaigning in Iowa and still could draw just one-quarter of the vote.