You can call it what you want, but the school tuition story cost Santorum his senator seat in 2006, when he heavily lost it 41% to 59%.
The two main factors in Santorum's loss were that 2006 was a bad year in general for the GOP and that the PA Dems finally ran an ostensibly pro-life candidate against him - Bob Casey Sr. was about the last true major pro-life Dem and his son banked on that reputation.
Hence the drive in 2005-2006 to peel off pro-life support for Santorum - which many in the Newt camp are embracing in their zeal to attack Santorum now, despite Santorum's stellar pro-life record as a legislator.