Chris Rock gets Newt Gingrich question, smashes Pap's camera

PARK CITY, Utah -- Apparently Chris Rock is not endorsing Newt Gingrich, as evidenced by the comic’s recent run-in with the paparazzi. While attending a Sundance Film Festival event, Rock erupted in a fit of rage when asked a question about the Former Speaker of the House. One photographer who got a little too close and overzealous is down one camera.

Reportedly, when Rock and his entourage were leaving a Google hosted bash, a sly videographer asked the Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted star for a picture with his girlfriend, while the comedian's back was turned.

But when he faced the cameraman, it turned into a question and answer session about politics and Newt Gingrich. Chris Rock responded angrily by grabbing and smashing the photographer's camera, leaving him with a few choice words, according to Page Six of the New York Post.

“Chris pushed the interviewer and grabbed the camera. He smashed it so hard, it broke into pieces. He cursed the guy for filming when he had asked them to stop." ~ Statement from an unnamed witness to the camera smashing incident

Meanwhile, GOP candidates Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich locked horns Thursday ahead of the 2012 Florida Primary. After stomping around Tampa and other hot spots in the Sunshine State, the two Republican front runners clashed over immigration policy.

In yesterday's Republican debate in Jacksonville, Wolf Blitzer could hardly contain the two politicians. Both are vying for their party’s nomination ahead of the 2012 elections showdown against incumbent president Barack Obama, according to a CNN news report.

The former Speaker of the House is coming off of a surprise victory last week in the South Carolina Republican Primary. With the conservative base largely behind him, the elder statesman was hoping to build on momentum going into Florida.

With so much at stake in a diverse state that largely favors Obama, Gingrich's approach was to find common ground among the 1.2 Latino voters in the Sunshine State. And the best way to do that was to make his position on immigration and undocumented workers more favorable than Mitt Romney's.

In a series of radio announcements, the former Speaker assailed Mitt Romney's stance on deporting illegal immigrants. Early this week at a forum in Miami hosted by Univision, he referred to Romney as an "anti-immigrant." And he continued to build on the message and his radio announcements.

Mitt Romney, who is in a virtual tie with Gingrich ahead of the Florida Primary, began the debate in Jacksonville fully prepared to counter any of Gingrich’s toxic attacks towards his stance on immigration policy.

Just like a heavyweight boxer, who comes out of his corner swinging at the sound of the bell, Romney adopted the same stance against the former Speaker of the House. Perhaps he took lessons from Chris Rock in the Newt Gingrich matter in giving an overwhelming response.

"Mr. Speaker, I'm not anti-immigrant. My father was born in Mexico. My wife's father was born in Wales. They came to this country. The idea that I'm anti-immigrant is repulsive. Don't use a term like that." Romney said.

After drawing first blood, the audience erupted in applause for the former governor of Massachusetts. And from the look on Gingrich's face he dared not counter with his "anti-immigrant" rhetoric. Instead he turned his attention to the governor’s finances and investments.

Again, a sharp and well prepared Mitt Romney countered with a rhetorical question of his own about his colleague’s paid advice to Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae. And in sly fashion, Romney suggested that perhaps it was his advice that led to the collapse in the housing market and the raging foreclosure crisis in the state of Florida. Again the crowd erupted in applause.

Perhaps Chris Rock erupted over the Newt Gingrich question at the Sundance Film Festival because it touched a nerve in the comic about the former Speaker's failed past controversial policies. Or maybe the Madagascar 3 star is not in favor of starting a moon colony instead of investing in the fractured economy on Earth.

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