Despite promise, Santorum goes negative on Romney

By: Stephanie Condon
Topics: Campaign 2012

Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum promised this week to run a positive campaign against his GOP rival Mitt Romney, but he's out today with a new ad that lampoons Romney as a big-government politician on the defensive.

Called "Rombo," the 30-second spot features a Romney impersonator running through an empty warehouse, using a machine gun to shoot mud at a cardboard cutout of Santorum.

"Mitt Romney's negative attack machine is back, on full throttle," a narrator says. "This time, Romney's firing his mud at Rick Santorum...Why? Because Romney's trying to hide from his big-government Romneycare, and his support for job-killing cap-and-trade. And in the end, Mitt Romney's ugly attacks are going to backfire."

The Santorum campaign said the ad would run statewide in Michigan, though it declined to say how much it is spending to put it on the air. Romney grew up in Michigan, where his father was governor, and would be expected to have a natural advantage there -- but polls suggest Santorum is taking the lead in the state. The latest CBS News/ New York Times poll shows Santorum with a slight lead among Republican voters nationally as well.

Romney responded to the "Rombo" ad Wednesday morning on Fox News, calling it "the nature of politics."

"You always accuse the other guy of what you've done yourself," he said. "So, my campaign hasn't run any negative ads against Rick Santorum. His campaign ran attack ads against me, in South Carolina, and his PAC did so in Missouri. So, I'm not saying we won't finally go after the guy, but frankly, he's been going after me as that ad suggests."

While his campaign may not have run any attack ads against Santorum, the Romney camp has held a series of conference calls to criticize the former senator's record. Additionally, the pro-Romney super PAC Restore Our Future is running $640,000 worth of ads in Michigan, which holds its primary on February 28; the group released a Santorum attack ad on Tuesday.

Stephanie Condon
Stephanie Condon is a political reporter for CBSNews.com.
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by Avignon-Mimi February 15, 2012 11:23 PM EST: Whoever the next President is, he will have to nuke Iran. Which man do you think can get the job done.

This is no drill. The world has pretty much gone down the checklist, and a regime change is going to be the answer. There is no way the west can win with conventional weapons. The nuclear sites will have to have neutron bombs to contaminate the sites for a 100 years.

Pick the man who can do the job. Alas, he won't be a veteran. Real people don't serve in the volunteers anymore.; Reply to this comment


by fwd23515 February 15, 2012 10:41 PM EST: I go to Sears because I like to buy tools, and Sears has good tools. However, Santorum is a tool no one needs.; Reply to this comment


by Lawyers-Guns-n-Money06 February 15, 2012 6:42 PM EST: Obomney for president.; Reply to this comment


by smittyc February 15, 2012 6:18 PM EST: Well it's humorous. Look forward to Romneys counter attack.; Reply to this comment

by longtree-2009 February 15, 2012 5:20 PM EST

santorum will be easily defeated by obama as will newt. the two are just too far right for the majority of voters across the nation. the nation is not made up of conservatives and the bush years still sting many across the nation. mccain picking palin as his running mate set the republicans back some as moderate and centrist republicans no doubt voted for obama. how else did obama win by a landslide since the nation is not made up of entirely registered democrat voters.

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by aheadace February 15, 2012 10:05 PM EST: longtree a Republican would vote for death by a firing squad before voting for a Democrat


by petesis February 15, 2012 4:33 PM EST: I love it.; Reply to this comment

by Herne42 February 15, 2012 3:53 PM EST

Ron Paul 2012!

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by frankblank February 15, 2012 6:56 PM EST: No! Bachmann-Paul 2012


by jimbom121 February 15, 2012 3:49 PM EST: Looks like Santorum may have learned from what happened to Gingrich (twice); Reply to this comment


by sickie66 February 15, 2012 3:08 PM EST: Just shows that none of the current GOP candidates are fit, or have the class, to be .....remember PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES! Where are you George, Abe and Teddy. Help us.; Reply to this comment


by DidHeSayThat February 15, 2012 2:40 PM EST: Is it true, the Rick Santorum is a sanctimonious hypocrite?

Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum has advocated capping medical malpractice awards at $250,000, but in 1999, his wife sued her doctor over a back injury and asked for twice that amount...

She sued her chiropractor for $500K. Settled for reported $300K.

The entire family is full of ****.; Reply to this comment