(Image source: Newsy)

BY ALYSSA CARTEE AND VICTORIA CRAIG

The GOP candidates go round and round-- again.  With the Florida primary fast approaching, and no more debates until the end of February, candidates took to Sunday shows to defend themselves.

Newt Gingrich tells “Fox News Sunday” Romney’s attack ads focusing on his ethics violations as speaker are simply not true. He accuses Romney of knowing better.

“Romney knows all these things are true. He’s running an ad that’s factually false.”

There is no doubt the Tea Party carries a lot of weight in this race. But Ron Paul questions Gingrich’s attempt to paint himself as a Tea Party Republican.

“The Tea Party is not a tea party. I mean, it’s all over the place. Everyone’s claiming they’re Tea Party. How somebody like Newt Gingrich who’s been in politics all these years and insider and claim that he’s leading the Tea Party movement, that’s to me, a little strange.”

Ron Paul continued his attacks on his fellow conservatives saying money, not policy, could win the nomination.

“We can raise those millions, but we can’t compete with tens of millions of dollars for each individual state. And that’s what, you know, they did in Florida. You need a lot of money. So it’s a money game.”

Despite the bickering, Gingrich told ABC’s “This Week” the party is starting to coalesce behind one candidate.

“Gradually, conservatives are consolidating. I was very grateful to have Gov. Rick Perry’s endorsement. I was very grateful last night to have Herman Cain’s endorsement. Gov. Sarah Palin’s comments have been very helpful. Todd Palin’s endorsement has been helpful. Monday Mike Reagan is going to be campaigning with me here and Fred Thompson has endorsed me. So, as you look around, you see a lot more grassroots conservatives coming together.”

On policy, Paul took aim at the TSA -- saying it needs reform.

“When you look at some of these pictures of prodding groin areas and breast areas and all this. And old women having to take their clothes off. If we as a people are so complacent that we can look at this and say, ‘oh well that’s okay, they’re making us safe,’ It doesn’t make us safe.”

And Gingrich says he believes his ideas for space colonies are not much different from space programs of the past.

“Greta Van Susteren, I thought, had the most interesting insight. She said, ‘You know, in 1961, when John F. Kennedy offered a similarly big, bold idea, there was remarkably less skepticism, remarkably less doubt, remarkably less rejection.

When asked about President Obama’s plan to enact the “Buffett Rule,” Representative Paul Ryan said he didn’t think the president would follow through.

“We have learned already that the president, who’s had three years to try and propose real solutions to fix our fiscal crisis, is ducking it. He hasn’t put a plan on the table yet. He formed commissions and super committees, so he sort of outsourced the leadership only to decry their results.”

But politics doesn’t always have to be negative. House Speaker John Boehner praised Representative Gabrielle Giffords and Congress’ ability to come together to honor her service.

Boehner: “She’s been through an awful lot and her constituents, those who lost their lives about a year ago, and it was a, I’ve never quite seen a farewell in the House like this. A bi-partisan effort, all the members were there, sad day for the House.
Host: “Sad day for you personally?”
Boehner: “Yup. But a very brave lady.”