Santorum Campaign Press Release - Santorum Surge Prompts Romney to Use Attack Machine

Verona, PA - Today Mitt Romney's well financed seek and destroy attack machine turned its sights on Rick Santorum. And the reason is clear. Recent polling data strongly suggests that Rick Santorum is by far Romney's most significant opponent.

Polling results just released today by Magellan Strategies BR show Rick Santorum beating Romney in Missouri. Polling results by Public Policy Polling, also show Rick Santorum beating Romney in Minnesota, and catching up to Romney in Colorado. Polls earlier last week showed Rick Santorum ahead of Romney in Missouri and Ohio.

And according to a Rasmussen survey released yesterday, while Mitt Romney loses to Barack Obama by 4 points in a potential matchup, Rick Santorum is ahead of Obama 45% to 41%. This last piece of information is particularly damaging to Romney because it destroys his argument that he is the strongest opponent to defeat Obama. It also reveals that a trusted conservative is better positioned to defeat Obama than a moderate who agrees with Obama on big government healthcare mandates, government bailouts, and radical cap and trade initiatives.

Hogan Gidley said, "If Governor Romney were confident running on his record and his vision for the future, he would. But Gov. Romney does what he always does and directs his well-funded attack machine to destroy the opponent. Mitt Romney's act is tired, old and wearing thin with voters and I suspect at this point, with the media too. Romney never touts his own record - because it's abysmal. In the Republican Party we have a name for someone who supports government healthcare mandates, big bank bailouts, and radical cap and trade initiatives - we call them Democrats. Rick Santorum is the only conservative candidate who is positioned to defeat Obama because he can credibly and effectively attack the President for supporting big government healthcare mandates, government bailouts, and radical cap and trade initiatives. Mitt Romney can't attack Obama on any of those major issues because Gov. Romney agrees with Obama on all of them - and his attack and smear campaign is his way of avoiding his liberal record."