MIAMI (January 30, 2012)--With a new poll showing him trailing by 15 points on the eve of Florida’s primary election, Newt Gingrich is slamming GOP presidential rival Mitt Romney for "carpet-bombing" his record.

An NBC/Marist poll showed Romney with support from 42 percent of likely voters in Tuesday's Florida primary.

Gingrich slipped to 27 percent.

A barrage of attacks from Romney and a political committee that supports him has put Gingrich on the defensive.

Appearing on "Fox News Sunday" and ABC's "This Week," Gingrich accused Romney of lying about him and also accused Republican Party leaders of allowing it out of fear of "losing control of the old order."

Gingrich characterized his campaign as a "genuine insurgency."

Romney and Gingrich have tangled over policy and character since Gingrich's victory in the South Carolina primary.

While Romney spent several days sharply attacking Gingrich, this weekend he's refocused his criticism on President Barack Obama, calling the Democratic incumbent "detached from reality."

Rick Santorum and Ron Paul stayed out of the Florida fray over the weekend.

Santorum was with his 3-year-old daughter, who's hospitalized in Philadelphia. Paul was focusing on winning delegates in caucus states, including Maine and Nevada.