Santorum: Gingrich moon plan "crass politics"

By: Rodney Hawkins
Topics: Campaign 2012

Republican presidential candidate former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum

(Credit: AP)

Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum on Thursday accused rival Newt Gingrich of "crass politics" for visiting Florida's NASA-dependent "Space Coast" and promising to build a permanent U.S. base on the moon in eight years.

Santorum said he saw no way for the deficit-strapped country to undertake a moon colony in the near future.

"The idea that anybody is going out and talking brand new, very expensive schemes to spend more money at a time when we do not have our fiscal house in order, in my opinion, is playing crass politics," the former Pennsylvania senator told students at a town hall meeting at Florida State University.

Gingrich, who described his moon plan at a campaign event on Wednesday, is "not being realistic with the people of this country as to the nature and threat of the (fiscal) problem," Santorum said.

"NASA and the Space Coast and Houston, Alabama, all of those places that have done remarkable work are huge assets to the country but there are other huge assets in the country too."

After his double-digit win over Mitt Romney in South Carolina's primary on Saturday, Gingrich has come under heavy fire from his two main rivals in Tuesday's Florida primary.

Rodney Hawkins
Rodney Hawkins covers the 2012 presidential campaign for CBS News and National Journal.
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by euge005 January 27, 2012 4:23 PM EST: OMG, Santorum has a flash of lucidity. Finally. The shuttle had been a corporate welfare boondoggle since Clinton's first term runing mostly high school students science projects and make work projects. A new level of technology is needed and an economy without the trillions in debt before we consider more manned space adventures. And Newt stoops to a new low which he must be finding harder to do every day.; Reply to this comment


by actornaught January 27, 2012 12:39 PM EST: I like the part about how little Ricky, a first generation American, has full blown communists for close relatives in Italy, as his father and grandfather both were.; Reply to this comment


by lilylongflower January 27, 2012 11:09 AM EST: gingrich is a d-bag blow hard...who likes to be blown, hard.; Reply to this comment


by obwan222 January 26, 2012 10:06 PM EST: What does the tea party think about using the federal deficit to finance a base on the moon?

And I apologize in advance for stealing this joke:

Three marriages only weigh as much as one on the moon.; Reply to this comment


by sandy 1027 January 26, 2012 6:14 PM EST: Considering the problems that we have, with masses of people out of work, and in poverty; to say nothing of the deficit, Newt Gingrich's idea of building a U.S. base on the moon is ludicrous. With what? We need to take those monies, and invest in building right here.; Reply to this comment


by rooney72 January 26, 2012 5:01 PM EST: Aww, let Santorum have his whacks at Gingrich. After all, only republicans can criticize Gingrich anymore--if the media 'elite' does it, he accuses them of being biased and despicable, and puts another primary in the 'win' column.; Reply to this comment

by realidad-2009 January 26, 2012 4:53 PM EST

Newt Gingrich who calls himself a "No Federal Deficits Conservative",

Throws OUT Future Federal Spending "BILLIONS $$ POLITICAL PORK" For MOON CITIES to NASA SpaceCoast Republicans?

Gingrich is Either... "Delusional, Crazy, or a Hypocrite"!

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by ProgressNow January 26, 2012 4:59 PM EST: I think he's all three...and then some...


by ProgressNow January 26, 2012 4:50 PM EST: See...I know what's going on here folks. Newt has Brewer slated to be the Governor of the new state of "Moon" and has promised his $$$ man in Las Vegas exclusive rights to build casinos all over it... They can't fool me... I know what they're up to.; Reply to this comment