ST. PAUL, Minn. -- A national group of prominent GOP donors that supports gay marriage is pouring new money into lobbying efforts to get Republican lawmakers to vote to make it legal.

American Unity PAC was formed last year to lend financial support to Republicans who bucked the party's longstanding opposition to gay marriage. Its founders are launching a new lobbying organization, American Unity Fund, and already have spent more than $250,000 in Minnesota, where the Legislature could vote on the issue as early as next week.

The group has spent $500,000 on lobbying since last month, including efforts in Rhode Island, Delaware, Indiana, West Virginia and Utah.

Billionaire hedge fund manager and Republican donor Paul Singer launched American Unity PAC. The lobbying effort is the next phase as the push for gay marriage spreads to more states, spokesman Jeff Cook-McCormac told The Associated Press.

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"What you have is this network of influential Republicans who really want to see the party embrace the freedom to marry, and believe it's not only the right thing for the country but also good politics," Cook-McCormac said.

In Minnesota, the money has gone to state groups that are lobbying Republican lawmakers and for polling on gay marriage in a handful of suburban districts held by Republicans. So far, only one Minnesota Republican lawmaker has committed to voting to legalize gay marriage: Sen. Branden Petersen, of Andover.

"I think there will be some more. There are legislators out there that are struggling with this," said Carl Kuhl, a former political aide to former GOP Sen. Norm Coleman and Republican gubernatorial candidate Tom Emmer. Kuhl's public affairs firm is contracted by Minnesotans United, the lead lobby group for gay marriage in Minnesota and main recipient of American Unity's Minnesota spending.

Gay marriage's fate in Minnesota may rest with the House, where support is seen as shakier than in the Senate. A handful of votes from Republicans could put it over the top. Nearly two dozen House Republicans represent more socially moderate suburbs and might be candidates to vote yes.

House Speaker Paul Thissen, DFL-Minneapolis, said he has encouraged advocates of the marriage bill to round up Republican votes, if nothing else than to send a message to Minnesota residents that it's not a partisan proposition. But that will be politically risky; the main opposition group to same-sex marriage, Minnesota for Marriage, has said it will seek consequences for Republicans who stray on gay marriage.

Part of American Unity PAC's original mission was to spend money on behalf of Republican gay marriage supporters. Many GOP lawmakers have faced primary challenges funded in part by anti-gay marriage groups such as the National Organization for Marriage, which argue that the lawmakers had betrayed the party's core principles.

Since forming the lobby group last month, American Unity also spent money to win over Republican lawmakers in Rhode Island, where last week all five Republicans in the state Senate jumped on the gay marriage bandwagon. Rhode Island is on track to legalize gay marriage by next week, which would make it the 11th U.S. state where gay marriage is legal.

There are also plans to lobby federal lawmakers on gay rights issues.

"We intend to work on this effort until every American citizen is treated equally under the law," Cook-McCormac said. Other wealthy, traditionally Republican donors giving money to the group include Seth Klarman, David Herro and Cliff Asness.

Though only one current GOP officeholder in Minnesota is on record supporting gay marriage, a handful of prominent Republicans have spoken out in favor of it. They include former state auditor Pat Anderson and Brian McClung, who was spokesman for former Gov. Tim Pawlenty. Prominent Republican donors including former politician Wheelock Whitney and businesswoman Marilyn Carlson Nelson have also lent support and donated money.

Since it first formed to campaign against last fall's gay marriage ban and then shifted to pushing for its legalization at the Capitol, Minnesotans United has been building Republican alliances, hiring multiple lobbyists with Republican ties.

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The House GOP came under a blistering bipartisan assault Wednesday for punting on Sandy relief, with Republican New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie complaining he couldn’t even get Speaker John Boehner to return his calls.

Fallout from the surprise vote pullback on a $60 billion aid package mounted by the hour with cries of outrage and calls for revenge.

By late afternoon, it seemed like the onslaught was having an effect. The House scheduled a Friday vote on $9 billion in flood insurance funds, to be followed by a Jan. 15 vote on another $51 billion in assistance.

It was unclear if the larger allocation would pass – or if the belated vote would mollify the New York and New Jersey politicians who unleashed unusually personal attacks against Boehner and other House Republicans.

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House to vote on Sandy funding Friday, placating outraged lawmakers

Earlier, New York Rep. Pete King said his Republican colleagues had exposed a bias against the blue states of the Northeast and that anyone from the area who donates money to them “should have his head examined.”

“They can’t count on any vote from me now,” he said on MSNBC.

Christie, who has been touted as a possible White House contender, put the blame for the delay squarely on Boehner and marveled that he called the Ohioan four times before he would take his call.

“Shame on you, Congress,” he said, adding that he has received no explanation for the “disappointing and disgusting” decision.

The $60 billion request for assistance for to victims of Superstorm Sandy has been passed by the Senate, and House supporters were pushing for a Tuesday night vote.

Instead, King said, Boehner “just walked off” the floor and had an aide break the news that there would be no vote. The House adjourned on Wednesday without considering the measure; lawmakers are back Thursday for an hour before they gavel in the 113^th Congress.

While some Republicans have criticized the aid package for funds not directly linked to Sandy, Boehner spokesman Michael Steel said the speaker is “committed to getting this bill passed this month.”

That promise didn’t quiet the fury.

“Totally obscene,” said Tom Jordan, a former firefighter whose house in Rockaway, Queens, was flooded by the storm that killed 120 people and damaged almost 400,000 homes.  

“They’re quibbling about $60 billion? That’s nothing as far as the federal budget goes. They should come down here and see what the beach looks like. They want to wait? We need repairs before the next hurricane season.”

Rep. Michael Grimm, a Republican who represents parts of Staten Island and Brooklyn, called the delay “a personal betrayal.” Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand dared Boehner to visit Staten Island, then added that she doubts “he has the dignity nor the guts to do it.”

First Read: 'Betrayal': Congress punts on Sandy recovery funding, infuriating local lawmakers

“They’re a bunch of idiots,” Staten Island Borough President James Molinaro, a Conservative, said of House Republicans. “There’s no other logical reason they’d be doing this.”

In a joint statement, Christie and New York’s Gov. Andrew Cuomo, a Democrat, accused the house of a “dereliction of duty.”

“When American citizens are in need we come to their aid,” they said. “That tradition was abandoned in the House last night.”

But it was King who really let his Republican colleagues have it.

“The fact is that the dismissive attitude that was shown last night toward New York, New Jersey and Connecticut typifies, I believe, a strain in the Republican Party,” he said on the House floor.

“I can’t imagine that type of indifference, that cavalier attitude being shown to any other part of the country,” he added.

“We cannot believe this cruel knife in the back was delivered to our region… This is not the United States of America! This should not be the Republican Party. This should not be the Republican leadership.”

Although he said he is not thinking of switching parties, King suggested New Yorkers should hit House Republicans who don’t support the bill where it hurts – in the campaign coffer.

“These people have no problem finding New York when it comes to raising money. They only have a problem when it comes to allocating,” he fumed.

“If this is not delivered and very quickly…anyone from New York or New Jersey who contributes one penny to congressional Republicans after this should have their head examined,” he added on MSNBC.

Boehner is supposed to meet with Republican members of the New York and New Jersey delegations on Wednesday to reassure them that the relief bill will be passed.

But King expressed skepticism about a quick vote, noting a majority of House Republicans don’t support the bill and Washington will be soon be preoccupied with the inauguration and the State of the Union.

President Obama called on the House to bring the bill to a vote immediately and “pass it without delay for our fellow Americans.”

It’s unclear what impact the vote delay with have. The head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency testified this month that it had enough funding to “respond to the immediate needs.”

Rep. Darrell Issa (R-California) defended Boehner’s move, blaming the Senate for padding the relief package with non-essential funding.

“The Senate didn’t do their job. They sent us a bunch of pork, and then left town,” he said on “Fox and Friends.”

NBC News' Tom Curry and Frank Thorp contributed to this report.

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SAN FRANCISCO -- Australia's foreign minister privately warned Sunday that foreign leaders see "America in decline," Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney said.

Romney said he met with Foreign Minister Bob Carr in a San Francisco hotel Sunday night shortly before a Republican fundraiser.

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He said Carr suggested that America could improve that international perception "with one budget deal" that helps balance the budget.

"And this idea of America in decline, it was interesting [Carr] said that; he led the talk of American being in decline," Romney said at the fundraiser, according to The Sydney Morning Herald newspaper. "And if they're thinking about investing in America, entrepreneurs putting their future in America -- if they think America's in decline they're not gonna do it."

The foreign minister requested the private meeting, a Romney spokesman said. The campaign would not say whether the two discussed foreign policy.

Risk and reward await Romney on foreign trip

Romney is scheduled to launch his first trip abroad as his party's presumptive presidential nominee later this week. He's set to meet with leaders in England, Israel and Poland.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Updated at 3:56 p.m. ET: The chairman of the Rutland County, Vt., Republican Committee on Tuesday admitted to posting comments on Facebook that he said were meant to be satirical but which Democrats labeled “racist” and “appalling.”

In a statement issued to the local newspaper, the Rutland Herald, Rob Towle said he took full responsibility for the post, which has since been taken down along with the entire Rutland County GOP Facebook page.

Towle called his post “stupid and insensitive” and said he was “truly sorry.”

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His statement continued:

"It was a case of bad judgement and anyone that knows me, knows that the post does not reflect my personal values, nor does it in any way reflect the values or beliefs of any GOP official, Candidate, GOP worker, or any person that I am friends with or associate with. At no time was any person other than myself involved with this post and I wanted to make sure people understand I take full responsibility.

In writing this statement (with a heavy heart and great sorrow), I hope this message will reach those offended and will take this apology for face value and find it in their hearts to forgive."

The post was spotted on Sunday by the Vermont political blog Green Mountain Daily. It read:

“Just wanted to let you know - today I received my 2012 Social Security Stimulus Package. It contained two tomato seeds, cornbread mix, a prayer rug, a machine to blow smoke up my butt, 2 discount coupons to KFC, an "Obama Hope & Change" bumper sticker, and a "Blame it on Bush" poster for the front yard. The directions were in Spanish. Watch for yours soon.”

Green Mountain Daily also pointed to three comments written by the Rutland County GOP in response to the post. One read “Comedy is usually based in reality ... call it racist if you must ... not too far off from the truth (I didn’t write this one but it IS funny and scary at the same time).”

By Monday, the post was deleted and Towle issued a statement saying the post was meant to be "satirical" and intended to "show the author's frustration at the current economic situation that he/she finds themselves in."

"I realize now that there are those that were deeply offended and for that I am very saddened and I will make sure that our editoral process will result in posts to our pages that reflect the spirit of good natured political discussions. My hope is that we can get back to the critical dialog necessary to move Vermont and the US back towards economic prosperity.”

 On Tuesday, the entire Rutland County GOP Facebook page was taken offline.

Towle wouldn’t comment to NBC News on Tuesday beyond what he wrote in the letter to the Herald.

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Vermont Democratic Party Chair Jake Perkinson called the original post discriminatory, noting it came the same week that Republican Gov. Paul LePage of Maine compared the IRS to the Gestapo. 

“For the second time in a week, Vermont Republican Party Chair Lindley is continuing to sit by and allow his candidates and county chairs to align with discriminatory remarks instead of discussing a real plan for strengthening Vermont’s middle class and economic future,” Perkinson said in a statement Monday.

“Comparing the 2012 Social Security Stimulus Package to racist rhetoric is appalling. Deleting the post from the internet is not enough, both the Rutland County Republicans and Lindley should apologize for vile comments that only move Vermont backwards.”

In a follow-up email to NBC News on Tuesday, Perkinson described Towle's Monday comments as “sophomoric and insincere.”

“Instead of apologizing, he attempts to shift the blame for his actions to 'Democrats' for being offended by his racist post. Mr. Towle should take full responsibility for his words and make a meaningful apology.”

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WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama will call on Monday for a one-year extension of Bush-era tax cuts for families earning less than $250,000 a year, according to a White House official, seeking to spare the economy the impact of taxes going up on January 1.

Obama, a Democrat, will make the request in a statement at the White House, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity. Republicans in Congress, however, are unlikely to be swayed, as they have consistently argued that the Bush tax cuts should be extended for everyone.

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 Obama has made what he calls "tax fairness" a key feature of his campaign for re-election on November 6, repeatedly urging Congress to make the tax cuts permanent for families making less than $250,000 a year.

The tax cuts enacted by Obama's Republican predecessor, George W. Bush, will expire on January 1 without congressional action, part of a so-called fiscal cliff that potentially could hit the U.S. economy alongside deep automatic spending cuts.

Analysts warn the impact of rising taxes and lower federal spending could tip the economy back into recession.

The New York Times said Obama would announce the tax cut extension in the Rose Garden on Monday, citing un-named senior administration officials.

It reported that the proposal would mean another fight between the White House and Republicans, and could also “put him at odds with Democratic leaders like Representative Nancy Pelosi of California and Senator Charles E. Schumer of New York, who have advocated extending the cuts for everyone who earns up to $1 million”.

Its report said the announcement comes “as both parties and their presidential candidates head into the rest of the summer trying to seize the upper hand in a campaign that has been closely matched and stubbornly static”.

Representative Tom Price, a member of the House Republican leadership, said earlier on the "Fox News Sunday" program that the House would pass legislation before the end of July to preserve the Bush tax cuts for another year.

Republicans control the House of Representatives and Obama's fellow Democrats control the Senate.

Representative Xavier Becerra, a member of the House Democratic leadership, said Democrats would not support any measure that did not address the nation's fiscal challenges on a long-term basis.

"Those are bills to nowhere," Becerra said on "Fox News Sunday," referring to the House Republicans' legislation to extend the Bush tax cuts. 

 

Leaders of the Republican Committee of Luzerne County, Pa., are trying to figure out whether they can oust a reputed white supremacist who was elected to the committee with one vote – his own.

Steven Smith, co-founder of a racist group called the Keystone State Skinheads, was elected to one of two committee seats for his district, Pittston City's Ward 4, during Pennsylvania’s April 24 primary election.

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Pennsylvania election law allows any registered Republican or Democrat to write in their name to become a member of the County Committee. Smith was elected with only one write-in vote, which he has since acknowledged was his own, said Terry Casey, chairman of the Luzerne County Republican Party.

“We unequivocally denounce Mr. Smith and his abhorrent views and would like to make it clear that in no way do his personal views reflect the views of the Republican Party,” the Luzerne County Republican Committee said in a statement issued this week.

The county GOP’s executive committee will meet to discuss what action, if any, it can take in response to Smith’s election, Casey told the Wilkes-Barre Times Leader. No action is likely until after the next county convention is held to elect a new chairman, which won’t be until late June at the earliest, Casey told msnbc.com.

“I’m not sure what procedure will be introduced,” he said.

“I have heard many people stating they’re very, very unhappy with this situation and are looking to remedy it. I would be surprised if there isn’t such a thing proposed.”

The GOP committee’s current bylaws don’t include a provision that would allow a member to be expelled for his beliefs.

Watch US News crime videos on msnbc.com

Smith told the Times Leader he intends to serve out his four-year term and will resist any effort to remove him. "I’m community-minded and wanted to get my foot in the door,” he said, explaining why he sought the political post.

News of Smith’s election victory went viral after he posted an announcement titled “I won election to the Republican Party’s County Committee,” along with a picture of his certificate of election, to an online forum called WhiteNewsNow.com.

The Pennsylvania Democratic Party spread word of Smith’s election by posting a link on its website to a Southern Poverty Law Center report on Smith’s white supremacist ties. Luzerne County GOP officials accused state Democrats of trying to "create a political football" out of the issue.

According to SPLC, the 41-year-old Smith is a longtime racist activist with a criminal record. Keystone State Skinheads, the group he co-founded, is now known as Keystone United.

SPLC says of Keystone United:

While its members attempt to project a mediagenic image of being part of a new breed of more sophisticated and less spasmodically violent skins, the truth is that the group’s members have been convicted of a string of remarkably violent attacks dating back to at least 1998, ranging from bar brawls to murder. Keystone United frequently sponsors white-power picnics and music festivals across Pennsylvania, including the annual "hatecore" event known as "Uprise."

In March 2003, Smith and two other members of the Keystone State Skinheads were arrested in Scranton, Pa., for allegedly beating a black man with stones and chunks of pavement. Smith pleaded guilty to terrorist threats and ethnic intimidation and received a 60-day sentence and probation, according to the SPLC.

Smith told WNEP-TV on Monday that he is no longer a member of the Keystone State Skinheads and denies being a racist. Asked why he left the group, Smith said, “Just because of the name 'skinhead.' People get a knee-jerk reaction from it and they think of movies like ‘American History X’ and think we are a bunch of violent thugs and people don’t listen to you as much, so that’s why I got away from that.”

Smith told the Times Leader he is currently the director of the local chapter of the European American Action Coalition, which describes itself as an advocacy group for white Americans.

He said he was surprised by the media attention his election is getting. "This is not a powerful position. I don’t know why everyone is getting their panties in a bunch,” Smith told the newspaper.

Msnbc.com could not immediately locate Smith by telephone for comment and the European American Action Coalition did not immediately respond to an email request for comment.

As a GOP county committee member, Smith’s main responsibilities include making sure he has poll watchers at his voting precinct and organizing door-to-door campaign strategies, Casey said.

The county GOP chief said that as much as other committee members want to distance themselves from Smith, their hands are tied for now by committee bylaws.

“The feedback from my constituents has been very loud and clear: They do not want anyone who espouses these hateful viewpoints to be involved in the governance of our party,” Casey said.

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Florida Gov. Rick Scott has shot down a request by Tampa's mayor to allow local authorities to ban guns from the city's downtown during the Republican National Convention in August.

Citing Second Amendment protections in the U.S. Constitution, Scott told Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn that conventions and guns have co-existed since the nation's birth and would continue to do so during the four-day event beginning Aug. 27.

"It is unclear how disarming law abiding citizens would better protect them from the dangers and threats posed by those who would flout the law," the Republican governor said in a letter on Tuesday.

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Local officials need Scott's permission to enact the temporary restrictions after state lawmakers last year passed a measure that prohibits local governments from adopting gun ordinances that are stricter than state law.

Florida has some of the most lenient gun laws in the United States and by some counts leads the nation in gun ownership, with about 6.5 percent of all adults licensed to carry a concealed weapon, state records show.

New applications for concealed gun permits have quadrupled since 1998.

In a letter to Scott, Buckhorn said the Tampa City Council had banned a host of items from the area surrounding the convention facility, a list that includes water guns, poles and pieces of wood.

"One noticeable item missing from the city's temporary ordinance is firearms," Buckhorn wrote. "In the potentially contentious environment surrounding the RNC, a firearm unnecessarily increases the threat of imminent harm and injury to the residents and visitors to the city."

Scott said he was confident law enforcement officials, who are expected to number nearly 4,000, would be able to protect the public without having to enforce a blanket gun ban.

That city officials have banned other items is irrelevant, he said.

Watch the most-viewed videos on msnbc.com

"The choice to allow the government to ban sticks, poles but not firearms, is one that the people made in enacting their state and federal constitutions," Scott wrote. 

Weapons will not be allowed in the convention center itself or in the immediate area surrounding the site. Security in that venue is being handled by the U.S. Secret Service. 

The City Council wants to extend the restrictions to all of downtown, including areas that have been designated zones for protesters expected at the event. 

"As governor, you have the duty to meet dangers presented by events such as the RNC where there is a threat of substantial injury and harm to Florida residents and visitors to the state," Buckhorn wrote.

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Vice President Joe Biden will lead a Democratic push to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act, the 1994 legislation that now faces opposition from some conservatives.

Biden will be joined Wednesday by Attorney General Eric Holder, Senior Advisor Valerie Jarrett, White House Advisor on Violence Against Women Lynn Rosenthal and Sharon Love, mother of Yeardley Love and founder of the One Love Foundation, to talk about the need to reauthorize the law.

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The New York Times has reported that the law would expand financing for and broaden the reach of domestic violence programs. 

However, it said some Republicans say the measure unnecessarily expands immigration avenues by creating new definitions for immigrant victims to claim battery, and also dilutes the focus on domestic violence by expanding protections to new groups, like same-sex couples.

The Washington Post reported that Biden will be joined by Maryland Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown, a Democrat, whose cousin was killed by her estranged boyfriend in 2008.

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Less than a week before Tuesday’s crucial Republican presidential primary in Michigan, a new NBC News/Marist poll shows Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum locked in a statistical tie, while a separate NBC/Marist survey shows Romney comfortably leading in Arizona, which holds its primary the same day.

In Michigan – which has turned into a make-or-break contest for Romney – the former Massachusetts governor gets the support of 37 percent of likely GOP primary voters, including those who are leaning toward a particular candidate.

NBC-Marist poll results: Michigan | Arizona

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Santorum, the former Pennsylvania senator, gets 35 percent, and he’s followed by Texas Rep. Ron Paul at 13 percent and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich at 8 percent.

NYT: GOP campaigns grow more dependent on 'super PAC' aid

“Michigan is neck and neck,” says pollster Lee Miringoff, director of the Marist College Institute for Public Opinion, which conducted both surveys.

But in Arizona, Romney is on safer ground: He receives the support of 43 percent of likely GOP primary voters, Santorum gets 27 percent, Gingrich 16 percent and Paul 11 percent.

And looking ahead to November’s general election, President Barack Obama enjoys a double-digit edge over his closest GOP competition in Michigan (a state Republicans are hoping to target), while he’s trailing the leading Republicans in Arizona (which the Obama camp wants to put into play). 

Romney vs. Santorum ideological breakdown
In both states, support for Romney and Santorum breaks down along ideological lines, as well as whether voters have already cast their ballots.

In Michigan, Santorum leads Romney among self-identified Tea Party supporters, 48 to 29 percent, and those who describe themselves as “very conservative,” 59 to 20 percent.

Michigan voters: Santorum connects better than Romney

Yet among those who don’t support the Tea Party, Romney is ahead by more than 20 points, 45 to 24 percent.

And among those who have already voted absentee in Michigan – 16 percent of likely GOP voters – Romney leads Santorum, 49 to 26 percent.

NYT: After auto industry bailout, Detroit fallout trails Romney

The same ideological pattern is true in Arizona, although Romney performs much better with the most conservative voters there than in Michigan. 

And among those who have voted early or absentee in Arizona – more than half of all likely Republicans voters in the poll – Romney holds a 30-point advantage over Santorum, 52 to 22 percent.

Obama leads in Michigan, trails in Arizona
Turning to the general-election race in November, Obama leads Romney in Michigan by nearly 20 points among registered voters, 51 to 33 percent, with 15 percent undecided.

Against Paul, the president’s lead is 22 points (53 to 31 percent); against Santorum, it’s 26 points (55 to 29 percent); and against Gingrich, it’s 28 points (56 to 28 percent).

What’s more, 51 percent of registered Michigan voters approve of Obama’s job; 63 percent of them believe the auto industry bailout was a good idea (including 61 percent of independents and 42 percent of likely GOP primary voters); and a majority think the president deserves credit for the auto industry’s recovery.

But Arizona is tougher territory for the president, whose approval rating among registered voters in the state is just 38 percent.

NYT: Obama offers to cut corporate tax rate to 28%

In hypothetical match-ups, Obama trails Romney by five points (40 to 45 percent); Santorum by three (42 to 45 percent); Paul by 2 points (41 to 43 percent); yet he leads Gingrich by five (45 to 40 percent).

The NBC/Marist survey of Michigan was conducted Feb. 19-20 of 3,149 registered voters (margin of error of plus-minus 1.8 percentage points) and 715 likely Republican primary voters (plus-minus 3.7 percentage points).

The NBC/Marist survey of Arizona also was conducted Feb. 19-20 of 2,487 registered voters (plus-minus 2.0 percentage points) and 767 likely GOP primary voters (plus-minus 3.5 percentage points).

Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney released tax records on Tuesday indicating he is paying $6.2 million in taxes on a total of $42.5 million in income over the years 2010 and 2011.

Bowing to increasing political pressure to provide more detail about his vast wealth, the former private equity executive released tax returns indicating he and his wife, Ann, paid an effective tax rate of 13.9 percent in 2010. They expect to pay a 15.4 percent rate when they file their returns for 2011.

Romney's 2010 returns show the candidate is among the top 1 percent of taxpayers.

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Romney's tax rate is below that of most wage-earning Americans because most of his income, as outlined in more than 500 pages of tax documents, flows from capital gains on investments.

• Vote: How would you change the tax code?

Under the U.S. tax code, capital gains are taxed at 15 percent, compared with a top tax rate of 35 percent for wage earners.

Rival Newt Gingrich made public his returns on Saturday, showing he paid almost $1 million in income taxes — a tax rate of about 31 percent.

'Not a dollar more'
Romney released the tax returns after a week in which Gingrich questioned whether Romney was hiding information about his finances and cast him as being out of touch with most Americans.

Romney's campaign confirmed the details of his tax information after several news organizations saw a preview of the documents. He had said planned to release his returns in full Tuesday morning, and campaign officials would be prepared to discuss them in detail with reporters.

"You'll see my income, how much taxes I've paid, how much I've paid to charity," Romney said during Monday night's debate in Tampa. "I pay all the taxes that are legally required and not a dollar more. I don't think you want someone as the candidate for president who pays more taxes than he owes."

Gingrich's attacks on Romney helped him upset the former Massachusetts governor in the South Carolina primary on Saturday.

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Since then, Romney has vowed to be more aggressive in returning fire.

He has launched a series of attacks questioning Gingrich's character, judgment and lucrative work as a Washington consultant, and released his tax returns to try to nullify Gingrich's criticisms on that front.

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The tax rates Romney reported paying could add fuel to a national debate over the fairness of the tax code, and coincides with broader concerns about income inequality symbolized by the Occupy Wall Street movement.

Swiss bank account closed in '10
Romney's campaign officials stressed that his tax rate is based mostly on income from investments. His holdings include an undisclosed amount in funds based in the Grand Cayman Islands and other overseas entities.

Romney advisers stressed that the holdings in the Caymans -- along with those in a Swiss bank account that was closed in 2010 after an investment adviser decided it could be politically embarrassing to Romney -- were reported on tax returns and were not vehicles to avoid taxes.

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They also stressed that Romney, whose holdings are in three blind trusts, makes no decisions as to how his money is invested.

Regardless, the emerging picture was of a man of great means who contributes mightily to charity. The documents showed he and his wife contributed $7 million in charity over the two years, much of it going to his Mormon church. That represents more than 15 percent of the Romneys' income for those years.

• New state, new strategy as Romney comes out swinging

Romney, whose estimated net worth is $190 million to $250 million, is among the wealthiest Americans ever to seek the presidency.

Top campaign officials and the director of Romney's blind trust, Brad Malt, briefed Reuters on the details ahead of a more general release of the information Tuesday morning.

'We're proud of it'
Campaign counsel Ben Ginsberg, asked why Romney was not releasing tax records for the years in the 1980s and 1990s in which Romney made his fortune at private equity firm Bain Capital, said the two years covered by the tax returns should give a broad picture of Romney's financial situation.

"We're not going to get into the game of once you give them something, they demand more," Ginsberg said. "This is a fulsome release and we're proud of it."

The tax issue may have been a factor in Romney's loss to Gingrich in South Carolina. It became a distraction to Romney's campaign, and Romney's fuzzy answers on when and if he would release his records aggravated the problem.

First he said he might release them, or might not. When the questions kept coming, he said he would put them out in April, after his 2011 forms were completed. Only after he was defeated in South Carolina did his aides say he would release them this week. Gingrich has released his returns for 2010, but has not released an estimate for last year, as Romney did.

Long considered the front-runner for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination, Romney was staggered by Gingrich's lopsided win in South Carolina, and is looking to regain enough momentum to defeat Gingrich in Florida, which votes on January 31.

• Gingrich foes fight to remind GOP of ex-speaker's ethics woes

Before the tax records were released, Romney's old investments in two controversial government-backed housing lenders stirred up new questions at the same time his campaign targeted Gingrich for his work for Freddie Mac.

Gingrich earned $1.6 million in consulting fees from Freddie Mac even though Romney has as much as $500,000 invested in the U.S.-backed lender and its sister entity, Fannie Mae.

Tax experts told The Associated Press that Romney's income tax returns may contain other charity structures and tax strategies designed to both boost his income and charity donations, while minimizing his involvement because of his presidential ambitions.

 Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report.