I didn’t hear Rick say it. But, if the quote you posted is accurate, I see no other way to interpret what he said. Maybe he didn’t mean it. Maybe it was meant to be hyperbole. He probably wishes he hadn’t said it. But, none of that changes the fact that he said it.
By the way, Sen. Santorum has been my choice since Herman Cain was shamed into quitting. I served as Santorum’s captain for my precinct in the Iowa Caucus. I’ve contributed to his campaign a number of times, as recently as 4 days ago. So, obviously, I wish he hadn’t said it.
And, as I posted last night, there are a LOT of people here on FR who have said much the same thing; if it’s Romney vs. Obama, they will vote for some third-party rather than hold their nose for Romney, even if they know that means Obama wins.
Here is the video if you have yet to see it.