Romney Campaign Press Release - Urgent: If You See Rick Santorum, Tell Him to Stop Attacking Himself

"In a bizarre development, Rick Santorum has been traveling across Wisconsin to repeatedly attack his own record of putting aside principle to 'take one for the team.' It is clear that Senator Santorum has no path to the nomination, but that is still not an excuse to run a campaign against himself. Voters in Wisconsin and across America can't help but be confused by this absurd and hypocritical approach." —Ryan Williams, Romney Campaign Spokesman

Santorum's Curious New Campaign Strategy? Launch Blistering Attacks Against Himself For "Selling Out" His Values And Principles:

Santorum, Earlier This Afternoon: "[Politicians] Start Selling Out The Values They Say Were Important To Them. And It Disgusts You. It Discourages You. It Makes You Lose Faith In The Political Process." SANTORUM: "I know all of you have looked at politicians in the past and say a lot of politicians, you know, they'll say one thing and they get to Washington and they start compromising. They start selling out the values they say were important to them. And it disgusts you. It discourages you. It makes you lose faith in the political process because people don't have the courage of their convictions. Don't have the courage to step up, when everybody's saying hey, compromise, we got to win, we got to pass this bill, we got to get this done. And they betray you and they do things that are against their values and their principles and your values and your principles." (Rick Santorum, Remarks in Onlaska, WI, 3/28/12)

• Watch Video of Santorum's Remarks Here

Last Night, Santorum Castigated Politicians For "Compromising On Their Principles" In The Name Of "Trying To Get A Deal Done, Trying To Pass A Piece Of Legislation." SANTORUM: "A lot of Tea Partiers, a lot of conservatives talk tough. They go out and castigate members of Congress and elected officials for compromising on their principles, for not doing what they say they were going to do. For trying just to get a deal done, trying to pass a piece of legislation and therefore sacrifice and walk away from their principles in order to win." (Rick Santorum, Remarks in Janesville, WI, 3/27/12)

• Watch Video of Santorum's Remarks Here

Over The Weekend, Santorum Said People Are "Sick And Tired Of Politicians Going To Washington, D.C. And Not Standing Up For Their Principles." SANTORUM: "How many times have you said you're sick and tired of politicians going to Washington, D.C. and not standing up for their principles? How many times have you said that in the last umpteen years?" (Rick Santorum, Remarks in Milwaukee, WI, 3/24/12)

Senator Santorum Desperately Needs A Refresher On His Own History Of Taking "One For The Team" In Washington:

Santorum: "It Was Against The Principles I Believed In, But ... Sometimes You Take One For The Team." SANTORUM: "I supported No Child Left Behind. ... I have to admit, I voted for that. It was against the principles I believed in, but, you know, when you're part of the team, sometimes you take one for the team, for the leader, and I made a mistake. You know, politics is a team sport, folks." (GOP Presidential Debate, 2/22/12)

• The New York Times: "For A Presidential Candidate, It Was A Curious — And Unusual — Acknowledgement Of Politics Trumping Values." "Mr. Santorum just offered up what may be the evening's most wince-inducing moment: he declared that he had voted for President George W. Bush's No Child Left Behind education law even though 'it was my against my principles.' For a presidential candidate, it was a curious — and unusual — acknowledgement of politics trumping values." (Michael Barbaro, "A Negative Ad In The Making?" The New York Times, 2/22/12)

• The Washington Examiner: "It Was An Easy Opportunity For Any Of The Candidates To Paint Santorum As An Establishment Republican And A Washington Insider." "When asked about education reform and the 'No Child Left Behind' act, Rick Santorum admitted that he voted for the Bush legislation even though he didn't agree with it. ... It was an easy opportunity for any of the candidates to paint Santorum as an establishment Republican and a Washington insider." (Charlie Spiering, "Santorum Blows It: 'I Took One For The Team,'" The Washington Examiner, 2/22/12)

• National Journal: Santorum Sounded "Like The Ultimate Washington Insider." "For more than a year, Rick Santorum has labored to cast himself as an outsider ready to go to Washington to challenge business as usual, which makes it all the more puzzling why he decided to use the crucial debate in Mesa to sound like the ultimate Washington insider. ... Perhaps his worst moment was his attempt to explain why he voted for No Child Left Behind even though he opposed it. There were echoes of John Kerry's 'I voted for it before I voted against it' only without Kerry's coherence." (George E. Condon Jr., "Santorum Sounds Like Ultimate Washington Insider in Debate," National Journal, 2/22/12)

Roll Call Headline, 2004: "For Santorum, 'Team' Is First." (Paul Kane, "For Santorum, 'Team' Is First," Roll Call, 5/11/04)