ADELSON GIVING TO ROMNEY -- INDIRECTLY?

Earlier this month, there were stories -- from The New York Times, from CNN -- making the point that casino zillionaire Sheldon Adelson really, really likes Mitt Romney, even though he gives millions of dollars to Newt Gingrich's super PAC. Adelson, we were told, has promised to help Romney just as soon as Mitt gets the GOP nomination -- a nomination Adelson's millions are preventing MITT from obtaining.

But maybe there's no paradox in this anymore.

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich's faltering campaign is about to get another shot in the arm, CBS News has learned.

Billionaire casino magnate Sheldon Adelson plans to give another $10 million to the outside group backing the former Georgia lawmaker who is running behind former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum in the race for the Republican presidential nomination, a source close to Adelson told CBS News....

Does Romney now want this to happen because Gingrich is so far back in the polls he needs to be kept in the race so he can split the anti-Romney vote with Santorum? If I were Mitt, I suppose I'd want this.

Still, Adelson's "I love you, but I'm dating Newt" approach to political check-writing always reminds me of those stories about the young Richard Nixon volunteering to drive Pat on her dates with other men until she finally agreed to marry him -- which always struck me as cringe-inducingly sad.

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UPDATE: My theory is so brilliant that The Wall Street Journal advanced it two days ago.