• MSN
  • Hotmail
  • More
    • Autos
    • My MSN
    • Video
    • Careers & Jobs
    • Personals
    • Weather
    • Delish
    • Quotes
    • White Pages
    • Games
    • Real Estate
    • Wonderwall
    • Horoscopes
    • Shopping
    • Yellow Pages
    • Local Edition
    • Traffic
    • Feedback
    • Maps & Directions
    • Travel
    • Full MSN Index
  • Bing
  • NBCNews.com
  • TODAY
  • Nightly News
  • Rock Center
  • Meet the Press
  • Dateline
  • msnbc
  • Breaking News
  • Newsvine
  • Home
  • US
  • World
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Sports
  • Entertainment
  • Health
  • Tech
  • Science
  • Travel
  • Local
  • Weather
Advertise | AdChoices
  • Recommended: Immigration bill clears hurdle with 13-5 approval by Senate committee
  • Recommended: IRS official to invoke Fifth Amendment at hearing
  • Recommended: With high-tech visa compromise, immigration reform proponents win GOP ally
  • Recommended: VIDEO: First Read Minute: Disaster relief politics lurks in tragedy's shadow

The first place for news and analysis from the NBC News Political Unit. Follow us on Twitter.

  • ↓ About this blog
  • ↓ Archives
    • Icons Email E-mail updates
    • Icons Twitter Follow on Twitter
    • Icons Feed Subscribe to RSS
  • 7
    Mar
    2012
    8:04pm, EST

    As backers clamor, Santorum says he won't call for Gingrich exit

    By NBC’s Carrie Dann

     

    Follow @CarrieNBCNews

     

    Lenexa, Kan. – Despite calls from his Super PAC's top contributor for Newt Gingrich to drop out of the presidential race, Rick Santorum insists that he isn't pushing for the former Speaker's exit.

    "People should stay in the race as long as they feel they should stay in the race," Santorum said. "And you know, I'm going to stay in the race because we're doing really well."

    Speaking to reporters after a campaign event outside Kansas City, Santorum quipped that he would relish the departure of either Mitt Romney or Gingrich – who won only his home state of Georgia in last night's primaries.

    "I'm not saying I don't want (Gingrich) to get out," he said. "If he wants to get out, I'm all for him getting out. I'm all for Mitt Romney getting out, I'm for everybody getting out, I wish President Obama would just hand me the thing, but that's not going to happen."

    The former Pennsylvania senator added that if members of his staff have telegraphed a direct call for Gingrich to drop out, "it's certainly not coming from me and I don't support it."

    Despite his limited primary victories, Gingrich has cut into Santorum's conservative support, preventing him from key wins over Romney in close-fought states like Ohio and Michigan.

    During remarks to about 150 supporters, Santorum conceded that Romney's Super Tuesday performance gave the former Massachusetts governor a boost. 

    "We had a good night last night, but so did Gov. Romney. That's why we have to start anew," Santorum said, adding that he must win the Kansas caucuses on Saturday.

    A Romney adviser told reporters earlier Wednesday that it would take "an act of God" for Romney to lose the GOP nomination at this point.

    That's a challenge Santorum wouldn't mind taking.

    "If the governor thinks he's now ordained by God to win, then let's just have it out," Santorum said.

    39 comments

    Yeah... all the Republicans should drop out so we can suffer 4 more years under the neighborhood organizer's leadership, who by the way, has yet to get a clue about how to be president! Yes, that's the ticket! OMG!

    Show more
    Explore related topics: kansas, mitt-romney, rick-santorum, newt-gingrich, super-tuesday, 2012-election, decision-2012

Browse

  • featured,
  • decision-2012,
  • first-read,
  • barack-obama,
  • politics,
  • mitt-romney,
  • 2012,
  • white-house,
  • congress,
  • appfeatured,
  • capitol-hill,
  • first-thoughts,
  • obama,
  • republicans,
  • 2010,
  • economy,
  • programming-notes,
  • romney-embed,
  • video,
  • newt-gingrich,
  • democrats,
  • paul-ryan,
  • romney,
  • first-read-minute,
  • rick-santorum,
  • updated,
  • alex-moe,
  • veepstakes,
  • garrett-haake,
  • gingrich-embed,
  • joe-biden,
  • boiler-room,
  • week-ahead,
  • perry,
  • senate,
  • carrie-dann
Also
Advertise | AdChoices
Upload an avatar and edit your bio
Please edit your bio and upload an avatar. Click the pencil icon above to edit.
Edit your blogroll, facebook and twitter links.

Blogroll

Please edit your blogroll by adding entries to the "Blogs" section. Use the "Follow Links" section to add links to Twitter and Facebook. Click the pencil icon above to edit.

Chuck Todd

Chuck Todd became NBC News’ political director in March 2007. He also serves as NBC News' on-air political analyst for "NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams," "Today," "Meet the Press and MSNBC, including "Hardball with Chris Matthews."

Mark Murray

Mark Murray is NBC News' Senior Political Editor. Since joining the network in 2003, he has reported on and written about political races, trends, and issues -- including the 2003 California recall, the 2004 Bush-Kerry presidential race, the 2006 midterm elections, the 2008 presidential contest, the 2010 midterms, and the 2012 presidential race.

Domenico Montanaro

Domenico Montanaro is NBC News' Deputy Political Editor. He writes, reports and edits for First Read, the network's political blog, provides editorial guidance for NBC's broadcast shows and online content, and appears on air. He has covered the 2008 and 2012 presidential elections for NBC and has reported from Capitol Hill.

Ali Weinberg

Will Springer

Natalie Cucchiara

Carrie Dann

Archives

  • 2013
    • May (173)
    • April (233)
    • March (272)
    • February (232)
    • January (254)
  • 2012
    • December (213)
    • November (237)
    • October (344)
    • September (330)
    • August (362)
    • July (268)
    • June (308)
    • May (342)
    • April (291)
    • March (387)
    • February (329)
    • January (446)
  • 2011
    • December (383)
    • November (371)
    • October (341)
    • September (258)
    • August (303)
    • July (232)
    • June (293)
    • May (262)
    • April (277)
    • March (295)
    • February (239)
    • January (277)
  • 2010
    • December (261)
    • November (297)
    • October (267)
    • September (244)
    • August (262)
    • July (285)
    • June (296)
    • May (262)
    • April (300)
    • March (315)
    • February (256)
    • January (242)
  • 2009
    • December (234)
    • November (277)
    • October (312)
    • September (277)
    • August (209)
    • July (325)
    • June (343)
    • May (302)
    • April (316)
    • March (283)
    • February (285)
    • January (362)
  • 2008
    • December (285)
    • November (313)
    • October (514)
    • September (476)
    • August (385)
    • July (372)
    • June (408)
    • May (482)
    • April (510)
    • March (446)
    • February (543)
    • January (946)
  • 2007
    • December (578)
    • November (519)
    • October (607)
    • September (419)
    • August (423)
    • July (387)
    • June (467)
    • May (343)
    • April (254)
    • March (179)
    • February (163)
    • January (203)
  • 2006
    • December (110)
    • November (256)
    • October (224)
    • September (199)
    • August (9)

Most Commented

  • Obama calls IRS flap 'inexcusable,' announces resignation of acting IRS chief (3714)
  • Holder scolds Issa for 'shameful' demeanor (2473)
  • White House defends IRS handling, McConnell asserts 'culture of intimidation' (6034)
  • White House aides learned of IRS details in April, but didn't tell Obama (2772)
  • Obama names acting IRS chief, denies knowledge of IRS report (2925)
  • Acting IRS head apologizes, blames 'foolish mistakes' for targeting of conservative groups (3522)
  • IRS official to invoke Fifth Amendment at hearing (2100)

Other blogs

  • Daily Nightly
  • The Maddow Blog
  • The Last Word
  • Hardblogger
  • First Read
  • World Blog
  • Field Notes
  • Inside Dateline
  • Behind the Wall
  • The Ed Show
  • Morning Joe
  • Daily Rundown

NBCNews.com top stories

3147,10
© 2013 NBCNews.com
  • Politics on NBCNews.com
  • About us
  • Contact
  • Help
  • Site map
  • Careers
  • Closed captioning
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Privacy policy
  • Advertise