Mike Huckabee summoned the nation's press corps for a news conference Monday, lined the room with posters listing Mitt Romney's flip-flops and stood before a banner saying "Enough is Enough."

As he prepared to unveil a tough new counterattack ad against Romney's blizzard of critical commercials, Huckabee instead announced the ad campaign wasn't happening.

"I'm going to be having a very different kind of press conference than originally I anticipated having," he said. "This morning I ordered our staff to pull the ad I told them I do not want it to be run."

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Exclusive details from FOX News Channel's Carl Cameron

Then Huckabee played the ad for every news outlet in the country.

"I know some of you are saying did you really have an ad. I'm going to show you the ad," he said to laughter. "I want you to see. No, I want you to see and I think. Once you see it you'll realize this is why we are not going run it."

Skeptical reporters assumed it was a set-up -- free news coverage of a message he claims he no longer wants. Romney's campaign also didn't find the strategy to exude genuine concern about avoiding negativity.

"To say one thing one minute and then turn around and show an attack ad to reporters the next will, obviously, leave folks with a very cynical view of Mike Huckabee and his message. Mike Huckabee has turned from nice to very hot-tempered now that his record has been examined by voters," said Romney campaign spokesman Kevin Madden.

"If people want to be cynical about it, they can be cynical about it," Huckabee said.

The ad says Romney's record includes more than $700 million in new taxes, a deficit in Massachusetts, no executions, support for gun control and a government-mandated health plan that allows a $50 co-pay for abortion.

The former Arkansas governor acknowledged that by not running his own attack ad, he lets Romney's criticism of his record go unanswered on the airwaves.

"Conventional political wisdom is when you are hit and it's beginning to do damage the smart play is to hit back," he said.

Indeed, Huckabee has taken a pounding on the campaign trail and it's taken a toll. He admits Romney's attacks have damaged him.

"That's what I've decided to accept, that yes it has hurt me. He's in many polls now taken the lead back," he said, adding that he hopes the high road wins him support.

"If they abandon us now because we're not going negative that would truly surprise me, I think it may bring people to us who agree," the Baptist preacher said.

Huckabees aides were divided by the plan. Those who wanted to attack were overruled.

For the last two days on the trail Huckabee has been talking about coming in second in Iowa while Romney has talked about winning it all.

In a move often used by candidates in second place, Huckabee challenged Romney to meet face to face.

"I would be happy to have a one on one debate with Mitt Romney this week. Perhaps we could do that if we would agree to that," he said.

With three days left the race is a toss-up. The trend lines show Huckabee taking a nose dive in the last week and Romney coming on strong.

On Monday, Romney was quick to suggest that Huckabee was both disingenuous and indecisive.

"The press conference which Governor Huckabee had today I think is confusing to the people of Iowa," Romney said to reporters following him around in Independence, Iowa. "On the one hand he wants to run a positive campaign and on the other hand he shows a negative campaign ad and hopes that people promote it and provide it to the public through the earned media. And I think that's a very confusing and puzzling message. With that, who wants a slice of pizza?"

FOX News' Carl Cameron contributed to this report.