(CNN) - Just a few hours after Mitt Romney's landslide victory over Rick Santorum in Puerto Rico's Republican presidential primary, the Santorum campaign put out an e-mail release titled "Santorum campaign congratulates Romney on Puerto Rico victory."
But the statement Sunday night from the campaign of the former senator from Pennsylvania was anything but congratulatory.
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In the release, Santorum communications director Hogan Gidley said, "Rick Santorum has a consistent core – and he showed that when he went to Puerto Rico and took a locally unpopular but principled stance about English being the official language of America. Mitt Romney on the other hand, switched another one of his positions to gain favor in Puerto Rico, by saying that Puerto Ricans shouldn't have to learn English if they want to become a state. We all know Mitt Romney will do and say anything to get votes, and this is just another example of that."
Santorum did take a controversial stand on English as a condition for Puerto Rico's possible statehood last week in a newspaper interview on the island. He later said to an extent that he was misquoted or taken out of context.
He told CNN National Political Correspondent Jim Acosta that both English and Spanish should be required if Puerto Rico were to become the 51st state.
"Obviously Spanish will be spoken here on the island. But this needs to be a bilingual country, not just a Spanish speaking country," Santorum told Acosta.
The Romney campaign reacted to the Santorum campaign statement Monday morning.
"Sen. Santorum is lashing out at Mitt Romney because voters know we won't get the economy going again by replacing one president with no job creation experience with another with no job creation experience," Romney press secretary Andrea Saul told CNN. "Sen. Santorum doesn't understand how the economy works and also doesn't understand that English has been an official language of Puerto Rico for over 100 years."
Romney, the former Massachusetts governor who's making his second bid for the GOP nomination, won more than 80% of the vote in Sunday's primary, capturing all 20 delegates at stake. Romney has a more than a two-to-one advantage over Santorum in the race for delegates, but he's still less than halfway toward the 1,144 delegates needed to clinch the nomination.
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Ricky Santorum and the delusional GOBP. The gifts that keep giving.
In this country, Liberty (a.k.a. Freedom)has been bought and paid for by young Americans' lives on the battlefield. A battlefield often declared by a President who has absolutely no experience in the heat of battle (a condition all too prevalent in most of the commentaries set forth above.) BTW, the "political party" does not select candidates for higher office. Most candidates follow this mold, excepting for the current president whose candidacy and election was ushered in by rich, power and political brokers (recall Hillary Clinton's surprise loss?). FYI: Republican language is directly tied to the mantra and goals of this great country . . . giving of yourself rather than a body politic more interested in taking: the brain dead lazy populace calling itself Democrat.
Romney is on a roll. The community organizer 's days in the WH are numbered
Ummm, Puerto Rico is already bilingual. While the majority feel comfortable speaking Spanish – they all speak and understand English. Rick just can't help but be patronizing and condescending. They all sound so, so, so petty.
English is the language of politics, commerce, and society in the USA. Gotta agree with Rick on this one, and only this one & that Romney is once again glad-handing. Having English as the official language in no way means that everyone must speak it, or that historic relevance is diminished. But, come on, both these guys are a frightening prospect as hopefuls to the POTUS. Serves the GOP right (yes, pun), since their fringe now runs the party & the middle is lost.
Santorum is just sad because there were no unions to team up with (and get them to vote for him – the weaker candidate!).
None of these four clowns is at all stable and sane enough to be President, and all the people saying they will do also said the same thing about that babbling moron Sarah Palin. Face it; no reason to vote GOP this time, and every reason not to. Sorry, GOP; come back in four years and we'll see.
And while Rmoney is celebrating his "big win" in Puerto Rico, he should maybe notice that about half as many people showed up for this GOP primary as did for the Democratic primary in 2008.
You are absolutely RIGHT Chicago! Pres. Obama's days ARE numbered after this term; 4 years times 365 days.
If all you Obama lovers get your way, you can kiss your medical goodbye, it has already started. Patients are paying for 80 percent of their meds, most are doing without. The new formulary is a joke, old gerinetic drugs are all thats covered. Unless you have the congress healthcare. You will eat your words, dealry panels are becoming the norm. Patients can't afford meds, treatments. Oh, that's those who work, or have worked their entire lives, and now depend on Medicare. But Medicaid is not to worry, free care. The O B / GYN's give more care to the illegals. So if you are not an illegal, or on Medicaid your screwed, it's already started. So sad, I had hoped the AMA would allow us to give proper care. AARP sold the seniors out sad story. The life expectancy in the US will soon drop from lack of proper healthcare. But that's what the Dems wanted.
Giving of yourself, VietVet? Your party is influenced by Ayn Rand, who's interpretation of Objectivism meant that the greatest virtue was self-interest. Learn a little before you post. Your side takes, and laughs at anyone who needs help unless they can get something out of it. You make all relationships transactional.
Santorum IS NASTY... plain and simple!
90% of Puertrriquenos do not speak or understand English, so we are not bilingual.
another good christian shows his real self. santorum is just a freak
At least Santorum tries to be consistent unlike the "well oiled weatherwane" who likes to fire American workers, liquidate their companies, raid their pension funds and send the loot off to the Cayman Islands, Swiss Banks and to the MORMON Temple.
Google "Romney Flip Flops" – you won't stop laughing at the clips of him speaking out ou both sides of his mouth.
Romney is so open-minded (eg abortion or jobs or war) that I'd swear he has no mind at all!
Tired of obamie, I can't begin to state just how wrong you are. If the republicans have their way, forget about medicare because it will be a thing of the past. You think you are paying high prices for medication now, then boy are you in for a rude awakening. Under the Paul Ryan plan, your heathcare cost will totally be at your own expense except for the little voucher they will throw your way. Good luck finding a doctor that will perform surgery for a couple of hundred dollar vouchers.
Dave Koch can't get the votes for ya ricky boy....forget it racist
Santorom got Biden's problem – foot in mouth disease!
Santorum's 'principled stance' is perfect-for the pulpit. In more relevant forums he's just another life-long bible thumper flaunting his closed mind and abject cluelessness as to how the Real World works.
Santorium seems to present consistant ideas. Many of his views seem to be anti-controception, anti-public education, and generally anti-modern women. His views are beyond conservative and are reactionary as if from the eighteenth century. However, they are consistant. Constant restrictive and retroactive ideas will not lead to growth, nor to freedom in personal lives.
Jesus would never vote Republican and Satanurum is going to hell.
Romney said the same thing as Santorum about English. Most of Puerto Ricans know the English language already so it made Santorum look silly.
I'm confused. Does Santorum think the the US should be bilingual, English and Spanish, or does he think PR is a country?
Women need to fear Rick S. He would put us back 5,000 years.
I don’t understand what the discord is over. All these Republicans promise the same thing: Big tax cuts for the wealthy, and threatening war with anyone we don’t like. Which happens to be the same policy as Bush, and the same policy that drove our economy over a cliff. Wake up America. Tax cuts + War = Debt.