Posted on 03/10/2012 7:48:30 PM PST by Steelfish
Santorum Blasts Gingrich Over 'Romneycare'
Chris Welch Springfield, Missouri (CNN) It's a common aspect of Republican Rick Santorum's stump: attacking Mitt Romney for creating - and then "recommending" - "Romneycare" to President Barack Obama.
But Saturday, fresh off his projected win in the Kansas caucuses, Santorum added that GOP presidential rival Newt Gingrich is "honestly not a whole lot better."
"For 20 years when I was pushing medical savings accounts, he was pushing a federal mandate for health insurance," Santorum said. "And when 'Romneycare' passed, he sent out a glowing statement talking about how this wonderful bill had just passed in Massachusetts."
Santorum argues that Obama, Gingrich and Romney all line up on the same side when it comes to their support for an individual mandate.
The campaign points to a 2006 newsletter Gingrich wrote for his consulting firm, the Center for Health Transformation, in which he praised Romney's Massachusetts health care reform.
"The health bill that Governor Romney signed into law this month has tremendous potential to effect major change in the American health system," Gingrich wrote, according to the report.
Also in the newsletter, Gingrich expressed his support for the individual mandate in Massachusetts, but only for those making at least $54,000 a year. And while he commended Romney's effort in building the plan, he acknowledged the bill will likely face "tremendous scrutiny" from those who doubt the law will work.
(Excerpt) Read more at politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com ...
In the case of Steelfish, he hides behind the posting of Santorum supporting articles in order to try and aggravate and discourage supporters of the only candidate who terrifies Obama.
The Democrats are not fearful of Santorum. They know he is a fake conservative.
Gingrich is the real deal.
True, he did help with that, but then a couple years ago, he went around with her pushing the it would be more "efficient" if we let the Federales control our health records.
There you go again- when you cannot reasonably rebut the charges, go personal. We win.
Ricky - You need to remember I was from the state of Pennsylvania
Typical politician. Abandoning conviction to appease voters instead of leading.
We’ll see about that. Your posting record indicates that you only attack Gingrich. Never Romney.
Defend yourself. More eyes than mine are watching.
Actually correction. Santorum is hiding behind voters. He is following conviction. Big labor convictions.
Santo is an appeaser
I'd rather have an innovator in charge who hires analyzers than appeaser regardless of their supporting cast.
I thought Rick’s take one for the team moment was about NCLB.
Rick Santorum, Mr. Bipartisan Compromise and Mr. Pro Wrestling? {Praised Hillary/Boxer/Lieberman)
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2848555/posts
Go see my recent post: “It’s RomneyCare, Stupid”
It’s not just Rush, but Mark Levin and a host of other solid conservatives who attacked Gingrich for calling Paul Ryan’s Medicare Entitlement as Right-Wing Social Engineering.
If anything it is these kinds of reckless comments by Gingrich that gave Romney much needed ammunition.
See below how the Romney camp pounced on Gingrich’s comments:
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http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/presidential-races/198093-top-romney-surrogates-gingrich-irrational-self-serving
Team Romney ramps up Gingrich attacks
By Cameron Joseph - 12/08/11
Mitt Romneys presidential campaign on Thursday launched the harshest attacks yet on Newt Gingrich in a call where two top supporters described the former Speaker as irrational and self-serving.
Top surrogates for the Romney campaign sought to portray the GOP front-runner as a selfish leader more interested in sounding smart than in achieving conservative goals.
Former Sen. Jim Talent (R-Mo.) and former New Hampshire Gov. John Sununu (R) blasted Gingrich for what Sununu described as a pattern of self-aggrandizement.
After praising some of Gingrichs ideas, Talent said that he also says outrageous things that come from nowhere and he has the tendency to say them at the exact time to undermine the conservative agenda.
If the nominee is Newt Gingrich, the election is going to be about the Republican nominee, which is exactly what President Obama and the Democrats want.
The call is likely to be the first of many attacks on Gingrichs perceived lack of discipline. Romney Communications Director Gail Gitcho promised on the call that the campaign will continue to make these contrasts.
Sununu hit Gingrich for describing the Medicare plan from Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) as right-wing social engineering. The plan would turn Medicare into a premium-support system that directs money to private insurance companies to cover seniors.
Gingrichs undercutting of Paul Ryan proves that hes more concerned about Newt Gingrich than he is about conservative principles, said Sununu, who is a kingmaker in early-voting New Hampshire and served as President George H.W. Bushs chief of staff. What he did to Paul Ryan is a perfect example of irrational behavior that you do not want in the commander in chief.
Talent sought to portray that impulsiveness as a pattern, saying that he and other Republicans who served under Gingrich in the House had to force him from the leadership because he lacked the discipline necessary in a leader.
Wed get up every morning and you would have to check the newspapers ... to see what the Speaker had said that you have to clean up in your own district, he said.
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He does indeed go off the reservation exploring his “big ideas”; fair game that warrants criticism. That said, Newt is a Conservative legislator, and the ideas he ultimately puts into motion are those inline with small govt and Liberty.
Hilarious LoL.
http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2011/12/27/gingrich-and-romneys-health-care-volley/
Gingrich has admitted to supporting said mandates and has since said he was wrong.
You may not like the criticism, but it is factual and certainly isn't a lie.
I kind of expected Santorum to go back after Gingrich in response to the latest Gingrich attack ad (posted here) on Santorum.
While I understand why, I really wish both of these guys would stop attacking each other and instead focus on Romney.
“Yes- Santorum said he made a mistake for supporting Arlen Specter.”
No, he didn’t. He insists that getting Alito and Roberts was worth his endorsememt of specter because specter was head of the Judiciary committee.
Wow, now you’re actually quoting Romney’s own liberal media puff pieces and surrogates, including Sununu, the Bush, Sr. adviser who told him to raise taxes and appoint David Souter to the Supreme Court?
Not to mention it’s an extremely dumb tactic. Should we now link to all of Romney’s ads bashing Santorum for your edification?
We don’t take kindly to Romneybots comin’ ‘round here.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2857430/posts
Actually, if you read carefully, my posts are with a view that Romney is winning by splitting the conservative vote, and he needs to pack it in so that Santorum can beat Romney.
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