After celebrating what it apparently believes to be the end of Newt Gingrich’s presidential nomination run, Mitt Romney’s campaign machine is now targeting Rick Santorum, as the former Pennsylvania senator is expected to be a threat to Gov. Romney in caucuses in Minnesota and Colorado on Tuesday.
What is somewhat amusing about the new strategy against Sen. Santorum is that the not-yet-ready-for-prime-time-conservatism Mitt Romney is attacking the former senator from the right. Former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, who works for Mr. Romney’s campaign, is characterizing Sen. Santorum as an earmark-lover who voted to raise the federal debt ceiling. “He has been part of the big spending establishment in Congress and in the influence peddling,” Gov. Pawlenty said of Mr. Santorum.
In a radio interview in Minnesota, Gov. Romney said, “His [Santorum’s] approach was not effective and, frankly, I happen to believe if we’re going to change Washington we can’t just keep on sending the same people there in different chairs.” The Romney campaign also rereleased Sen. Santorum’s endorsement of Gov. Romney in the 2008 race.
In addition, the Romney campaign is countering the stinging blow Mr. Romney experienced, at the hand of Sen. Santorum, during a Florida debate, regarding “Romneycare” in Massachusetts. The campaign states that Factcheck.org and Politifact.org both have rated Sen. Santorum’s claim that the Massachusetts healthcare system is top-down and government-run as “not true” or “mostly false.”
By attacking Sen. Santorum from the right, will Mitt Romney get conservatives on board with him? After all, in his Nevada victory speech, he did mention the Constitution.
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