Santorum: "Mitt Romney is in bed with Barack Obama" on tax deductions for charitable giving

Rick Santorum, left, makes a point as Mitt Romney listens during a GOP presidential debate, Feb. 22, 2012, in Mesa, Ariz.

/ AP Photo/Jae C. Hong

During an appearance on Glenn Beck's radio program this morning, Rick Santorum slammed Mitt Romney's tax plan, comparing it to President Obama's plan and charging that "Mitt Romney is in bed with Barack Obama."

Santorum was pointing to the part of Romney's tax plan that would cut the deductions of charitable donations from the top one percent of the tax bracket. Santorum said "this is Obama's plan," adding that the "plan was to destroy mediating institutions in our society the Churches, the Civic Organizations the Hospitals."

Santorum then compared Romney to the president.

"Mitt Romney is bed with Barack Obama on destroying these vital mediating institutions in our society by starving them of money from the very people that keep these organizations alive and well in our society," Santorum said. "He's hollowing out the public square and allowing the naked individual out there trying to make it on their own to only have the government to look to if there are problems in their lives."

Romney lays out economic vision

Santorum also fired at Romney when asked about the former Massachusetts governor's attack during Wednesday night's debate over Santorum's support for former Sen. Arlen Specter in 2004, a Republican then who later switched parties in 2009.

"The person who attacked me on this was Mitt Romney, who supported liberal activist judges on the Supreme Court of Massachusetts. Not one not two, but about 36 of them," Santorum said. Ffor him to attack me and who supported all these liberal candidates, said he didn't vote for Ronald Reagan. You go on down the list."

Glenn Beck interrupted him there and asked: "Hold on, did Romney actually not vote for Reagan?"

Santorum replied: "He said he didn't like Ronald Reagan. He wasn't a Reagan supporter."

During Wednesday's debate, Romney also went after Santorum's decision to support No Child Left Behind as senator. Santorum responded to that as well in the interview today. "I can't imagine how you can run a campaign when you're out there attacking me on votes like NCLB which he supported and by the way continues to support today as good federal policy," he said.

Comparing the candidates' corporate tax plans
Full CBS News coverage: Rick Santorum

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Rick Santorum on the campaign trail

[catalinda8]

Santorum says Romney and Obama are in bed together -- can this man NEVER stop thinking about gay sex? He has a better gay fantasy life than any gay man. He should just come out of the closet.

[nearl451]

Santorum is a wack-job social conservative extremist......but he is right about the corporate tax plans of Obama and Romney. They are nearly identifcal.

Where they differ is in personal tax and other areas- where Obama's is fairer on the middle class.

[voxtrot]

I am going to say this knowing It may not go over too well - I have not seen it anywhere in the media because it is not something that is comfortable to discuss- But Is there anybody else that noticed Santorum's rise in the polls and noteriety only came after his daughter was in the hospital???...Don't get my wrong, I like everyone, was pulling for her and was so glad she pulled through - BUT THAT IS MY POINT. After the momentum surge of this emotional issue wore off-- I think I just saw the guy that we all remembered sitting at the end of the stage, ranting on about family values and abortion during the early debates...The magic was gone.

[catalinda8]

Yes, I do think there was a bit of a 'sympathy push' - I don't think you were wrong to think this. But he's suck a d*ck that he quickly tanked his own momentum.

[twmat311]

Glenn Beck aside, when Karl Rove has problems with a Republican candidate, it's a good idea to listen. Beck and Santorum are only out for themselves, but Rove is a strategist; maybe not everyone's choice, but in this case he's on to something.

[rlbybee]

Santorum is acting like a petty little child distorting the truth as usual and way out of line attacking Romney like that who is a man of integrity. What has Santorum run? He admits himself he is not a manager. You need to have managing abilities to run this country and leadership experience ability to run this country of which he has neither.

[thomasmc1957]

Santorum just can't stop thinking about two men in bed together, can he?