(CNN) - Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul will take on rival Rick Santorum in a new ad in South Carolina, less than two weeks before the state's first-in-the-South primary.
In the commercial, set to begin airing Monday on statewide cable TV, Paul hits the former Pennsylvania senator as a "corporate lobbyist and Washington politician" with a "record of betrayal."
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The spot takes a similar tone as a scathing ad the Paul campaign released against former House Speaker Newt Gingrich during the candidate's November surge, calling Gingrich a "serial hypocrite."
"Now, another has emerged," said the new ad, as images of Santorum appeared on the screen.
The commercial attacks the former senator on a number of issues, including his vote to raise the debt ceiling five times. Paul also spotlighted Santorum's vote for the infamous "Bridge to Nowhere" in Alaska, a federal earmark over which Perry also railed Santorum in a recent radio ad.
While a new CNN/Time/ORC Poll released Friday showed former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney far ahead of the GOP pack in South Carolina with 37% of support, Santorum took second place with 19%.
Following behind were Gingrich at 18% and Paul at 12%.
"This ad showcases the real Rick Santorum and it's the reason why Santorum should be leery of competing in the 'First in the South' Republican primary, and it is why we hope for a strong, competitive showing in the Palmetto State," added Mr. Benton.
Earlier in the week, Paul made headlines when he described Santorum as "very liberal" in an interview with CNN just hours before the former senator bested Paul in the Iowa caucuses by four percentage points.
This week Sen. John McCain, while stumping for Romney, also lobbed charges of earmark spending against Santorum.
Defending himself, Santorum argued the government's biggest spending problem isn't earmarks but entitlement programs, adding that his earmark record was simply an effort to funnel taxpayer money back to his constituents.
"When you go to Congress, you make sure that when taxes go from your state to Washington, D.C., you fight to make sure you get your fair share back," Santorum told CNN's "John King, USA" earlier this week.
– CNN's Dana Bash contributed to this report.
Also see:
Poll: Romney in South Carolina surge
Paul disavows anti-Huntsman ad
Gingrich defends food stamp comment
From CNN Politics
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What a pathetic clown show the party of the wealthy has given us this year. How can the party of no morals from Rove, the Kochs, Mittens swift boat PAC, and Ron Paul live with themselves?
Attacking your fellow fools running for the GOP nominee for president is the right wingnut Christian thing to do.
the MittMexiMormWifeMulitasker......he should be thrown in the dumpster for his hypocrisy, prevarication and arrogance.
We need to see his birth certificate....not in spanish but in plain english....how many great and grand mothers did he have due to the plurality of marriages of his ancestors???????
answers and not BS as is his usual modus operandi
You could remove Santorum's name and insert any Republican's name in this commercial. They are all "serial hypocrites" as well as rich, arrogant, extremists who constantly slip up and show their racism, disdain for middle America, and not one has offered a single solution for jobs or the economy. They attack the only real leader who has created jobs, has our economy rebounding, saved the auto industry, got Osama bin Laden, took out 3 dictators in 9 months with not one US soldiers in harms way, and has worked tirelessly for the benefit of ALL Americans – not just the rich white corporate ones. President Obama is an outstanding President and the only one with any real values and humanity. I stand with my President and can't wait to see him re-elected in 2012 so our nation continues to improve and so we will not be put into any more failed and debt-causing wars.
Paul attacks Santorum
Santorum attacks MITTens
MITTens attacks Obama
NEWTron attacks MITTens
Huntsman attacks EVERYONE
EVERYONE attacks Paul
MITTens gets nasty because everyone will be attacking him and he wants to attack President Obama and after awhile, he will have to defend himself and he does not do that well and it will show but it will also NOT be enough to take him down in the polls and he will end up being the nominee and when he goes up against President Obama in the General Election, he will LOSE!!! How's that for a run-on????
;Obama 2012 – Because after the debates, he will come out as being the only adult in the room!!!
Absolutely Rick Santorum can't be trusted: he's a would-be theocrat, a religious fanatic who utterly rejects the notion that freedom of religion implies freedom from religion. He's not a true Conservative in any sense of the word, he's a religious radical nut.
The Ad should have been "None of the GOP idiots are Trustworthy". That would have been truth.
Fancy Santorum being called-out liberal...only Dr. Ron Paul! I don't want my taxes funding abortion mills. #occupythewomb
Politicians don't like "negative" ads; as long as they're truthful, I don't see anything wrong with them. Santorum didn't think his record would get scrutinized.
I'm not convinced I like this Santorium candidate but I do like that he pulled way ahead from what media has been telling the public was going to happen. I mean, and 8 point difference between first & second is practically a tie. Here's hoping something like this – or even better than this – happens in New Hampshire. Ron Paul has some good and bad points but, I don't see him being able to grab a win. Romney and Gingrich need to go away – enough of the old school politicians. We need new blood – someone who will make logical promises that are attainable and will improve the current state of our country. I think that's person is Huntsman... we'll see.
I dont really care for Ron Paul but i do like seeing him go after the other canidates. Im a democrat & i find it VERY amussing
I certainly hope that you people have taken the time to google "Santorum.". Everything you need to know about this wonderful man should come up near the top of the results page.
Paul's right. Santorum want's to bomb Iran in his first day in office. He's just mad.
Ron Paul 2012 – PEACE to the world, FREEDOM for America.
Another crazy person that wants to be in the white house to change laws to benifit his faith and only his faith crazy talking
( santorum ) is crazy talker won't make eye contact.
Rick complained in the past he wasn't getting enough attention at the debates, well NOW he is going to get a LOT of attention and it may not be the kind that he wanted
Paul is great at pointing out problems and absolutely terrible at offering workable solutions. He reminds me so much of Ralph Nader in that his ideology appeals to very young and very naive voters. He uses sound bites as solutions – knowing full well the proposed solutions can never become reality.
Boy, once the candidate is chosen, all the DNC is gonna have to do is replay the Republican campaign videos.
What the GOP needs to realize is if Ron Paul is not the nominee, Barak Obama will be president. They need to decide if they want Paul or Obama as president. The reason being is because 80% of Paul supporters will not vote for any nominee except Paul. That is a big chunk of voters. They will either write him in or vote Gary Johnson or Buddy Roemer. Like it or not, that is just the plain truth.
All these evangelical "fake chrstians" are hypocrits. Romney, Gingrich, and especially C-Street Family Santorum.. (You remember - the former gov from SC, etc.).
He is SO right! Sanitarium can't be trusted! Talk to any Pennsylvanian that had to deal with his lies when he was representing them in Congress. He was all about earmarks. Then lied about it.
Neither Paul nor Santorum are worth "writing home about". Neither has the right to criticize the other.
OBAMA/BIDEN 2012
I'm beginning to wonder if Ron Paul is being paid to get people out of Romney's way. How come that's the only person he doesn't attack? How come none of them do?
I don't think that I would call him that. This is not to say that I would support Santorum. I know that I wouldn't support any of these men because don't have the correct understanding of what is going on out there and here at home.
Did anyone else see Ron Paul checking his cell phone? Holding it below the podium. Someone texting him??
Maybe it was a notepad, but didn't look like it...