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FRANKSVILLE, Wis. -- What started as a good day for Rick Santorum took an abrupt turn on Sunday after the GOP presidential candidate grew frustrated with reporters asking him to clarify his remark that Mitt Romney is the worst Republican in the country to take on President Obama.
During his final campaign stop of the day here, Santorum said of Romney, “Pick any other Republican in the country, he is the worst Republican in the country to put up against Barack Obama." The comments, Santorum would clarify, were in reference to the similarities between Romney's and the president on the issue of health care. It is a common critique he levels against his chief rival, but never has the former Pennsylvania senator called Romney the "worst Republican in the country" to go head-to-head with the president.
When pressed by reporters to clarify his statement, Santorum said, “On the issue of health care. That’s what I was talking about, and I was very clear about talking about that. OK? Come on guys, don’t do this. I mean you guys are incredible. I was talking about Obamacare, and he is the worst because he was the author of Romneycare.”
But the questions struck a chord with Santorum, and when he faced the same question again, he used a profane word and accused the media of "distorting" his speech.
The Washington Post's Dan Balz and MSNBC political analyst Karen Finney review presidential candidate Rick Santorum losing his cool following a Wisconsin speech.
However a press release sent out from the Santorum campaign shortly after the rally here seemed to double down on the candidate's comments. "Rick Santorum spoke plainly and clearly that of all the Republicans in the field, Mitt Romney is the worst possible candidate to take on Barack Obama, because Mitt Romney authored the blueprint for Obamacare and the issue of healthcare would be off the table," the release said.
Santorum has done a lot of clarifying lately, with recent comments suggesting Obama would be a better choice than Romney in a general election and saying the unemployment rate will not affect his campaign. In both cases, he accused the media and his opponents of taking his words out of context. But in both cases, the Romney campaign used his own words against him.
Sunday's remarks were no exception, with Romney spokesperson Ryan Williams telling reporters, “Rick Santorum is becoming more desperate and angry and unhinged every day...He’s panicking in the final stages of his campaign.”
Before his last event, Santorum had been all smiles on the trail the day after receiving nearly double the amount of support Romney did in the Louisiana primary. Along with two rallies today, the GOP hopeful also fit in brunch at the Machine Shed and, for the second time in as many days, a few frames of bowling. In an earlier rally in Fond du Lac, WI, Santorum drew an overflow crowd.
But by Sunday's end, Romney advisers were using the hash tag "Tantorum" to draw attention to past instances of the former senator losing his cool. The response blasted out by the Santorum campaign no mention of his use of a not so family friendly word.
Santorum heads to Washington, DC where he will spend Monday before returning to the Badger State later in the week.
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just like a little kid jumping up and down,i want a oompaloopa now !!,lol can you taste victory rick ? I cant wait to see the expression on his face when obama pulls the rug from underneath his feet ,gonna be a great vid for youtube.I'll call it Ricky's Fail ...
Santorum is a bully and an idiot...he would be an intolerable asshat to live with, and a terrible president, which he will never be!
Vatican Rick is saying they are only words and they are the words coming out of his mouth that goes along with that wrong context video tape the media has Vatican Rick mentioning them?
Mr. Holier-Than-Thou used profane language?
Not so holy are we now, Ricky?
little ricky a** froth can't handle the press. he reminds me a lot of george w. moron*.
Dinga dinga dinga dinga ding. Santorums an idiot. anybody home?
Santorum/Palin ticket??? I think they go together so well.
Still much better than that idiot Romney. Rathar take someone that loses his cool from time to time than someone who will mistake the launch button for the stand down button. And he is vastly better than that Djiboutian.
I love watching politician's become mentally unhinged. There's something cathartic about it.
Poor Republicans, they have to choose between one that lying like there is no tomorrow, or another one that pretends to be afraid of God (while growing visible horns on his head).
So this self proclaimed "man of god" loses his cool and swears at reporters. Obviously he is a phony in public trying to win over the religeous voters and the real person slipped out. He probably beats and molests his kids too.
Slick Rick is starting to crack. That veneer he had laminated over himself to try to hide his failings is finally starting to come apart. Just a few more cracks and BOOM, Slick Rick implodes like he always does. Look through the last 25 years of his political history. It's all there. You can't hide, Slick Rick.
No, the press never hounds someone or beats the dead horse just to get a rise out of someone and then it's all, "we didn't do anything but ask a simple question, we are not in love with the Democrats".
Santorum wants Dickwad Cheney to be his running mate. He's going to call it the god and Satan ticket.
I'm surprised that he hasn't blamed his stupid comments on having Tourets disease .
So what everybody is saying here, is that you would rather have a puppet in the White House than someone who speaks his mind. That's all the Romney is a obscenely rich puppet on a string.
I choose door number three Bob, neither one of the stooges the Republicans have. :)
steve
We had the puppet with the Burning bush and the puppet master Dick (deficits don't matter) cheney.
OBAMA/BIDEN 2012
There is something mentally wrong with old Scrotorum.
Lil Ricky, how you make me laugh! Lose your cool, dude? Ahhhhh, too bad, Lil Ricky got mad? Did he cussy wussy? Po lil baby! How will you ever handle the tough questions in the W.H.? Or out in the world, dealing with those leaders determined to piss you off? No, no, no, Lil Ricky, we cant have that. Pick up you toys and go on home now, no one wants to play with you anymore! This is priceless stuff, comming from these guys!
If he loses his cool that easy he has no business as president
The reason he has to "defend" himself constantly is because the media pulls comments out of context and turns them to make controversy...this is their jobs...anyone who really thinks this doesn't happen is naive.
Everyone hates Santorum because he claims to be a Christian...Romney is less of a moral threat than Santorum. For me, anytime the media "likes" one Republican better than another, I know the right guy is that underdog...
BAHAHAHAHAA
Nope, they did no such thing. Old Dipsh!t can't open his mouth without sounding like a frothing mouth Bozo because that's what he is. :D
Media bias? No, dipsh!t syndrome more like. :D
I can see Ricky now ,running through the street waving his hands and screaming ,ican't take it anymore and Mitt standing on the sidewalk with his smile on his face saying wasn't me
It never ceases to amaze that whenever one of these clowns makes a verbal gaffe, they blame it on the press. I guess that the Republicans are just mere puppets and the press is pulling their strings.
The Republicans are starting to pay the price from courting the Religious Right for so long. They now can't even pick someone to run for president because the RR goes into self-destruction mode.
GOP has a decision to make. Stop courting the Religious Right who wish to make the country a Theocracy or find a real leader.
President Obama needs to do some more singing at the Apollo to present a clear contrast to the GOP field of candidates!
Right, far-right, or wrong: the ex-Senator lacks manners. It's very adolescent.