Santorum's congratulatory statement anything but congratulatory
(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.
THIS SANTORUM IS THE POPE CONVERTED TO BORN AGAIN CHRISTIAN!! Very dishonest guy who use RELIGION FOR HIS GAIN!! WAKE UP AMERICA AND VOTE THIS GUY TO GO AND BECOME A BAPTIST MINISTER OR BORN AGAIN PASTOR!! He will sure make more money there than being a SENATOR!! He is trying to become the next President so he can have more money in his pockets!!
Santorum wont be getting the Hispanic or black vote! LOL!!
Every vote for Romney was a vote AGAINST Santorum, who stuck his whole leg into his own mouth, but Mitt thinks it's because they love him. What can you say about a guy this delusional?
I'd much rather have Romney, despite being a loser, than Santorum as the GOP's "contender" for the Office of the President of the United States. Santorum is too extreme. Under Santorum, we'd all be forced to wear chastity belts and apply for permits to have sex.
Praise be the Lord!
Yeah, whatever.
Oh so nasty ! Come on ticker crew, nothing new here.
I don't think that Romney has any principles unlike Santoram. Romney seems to stoop to any level and panders to any thing just to get nominated. I doubt if he would be good for GOP. Besides he touts his job creation experience which is not entirely correct. He dumped many jobs and made many unemployed before he created a few during his business deals.
As far as I know, US Territories may have elections for US Presidents, but thier votes don't count towards the total or electorial college. It's too bad, because if, by some miracle, a Republican wins this November, thier stances on many issues will directly endanger the native cultures of our territories. That is NOT what this country is about!
These republicans are nuts!
Santorum whose "holier than thou" social religious posture is a hypocrite who won't practice what he preaches.
Santorum is going to prove to be a fly-by-night. He is more and more obviously not qualified to even be a candidate, and people who used to think he had good ideas are starting to realize that he actually does not have any clue about finance, foreign affairs, global economy, etc. He just has a social agenda (which is so hard line that it bacomes backward) and that is not what this nation needs as a leader for all Americans
It is true that Romney flips like a fish on land. But Santorum also points up the need for adults, elected by adults, to lead the country. I don't know that the Republican party has any of those on hand, but if there is one it's not the sore loser Santorum.
Republicans will do ANYTHING for a vote! Both of these men are dirty players who can't even say a decent thing about each other. You think there's gridlock in DC now? Just wait and see what happens if either one gets elected in November! We'll be in a world of hurt!
Santorum is a pocket ayatollah – it's that simple. 100% focused on selfish pursuit, and uses religion as a hammer to get the job done.
Just another example of santorum continuing to press is "all white – all right" view on the rest of the country. We colonized PR a century ago, took it's resources yet do not give it proper representation. Now santorum wants to add additional conditions that don't exist for other states. I don't remember any southwest states needing a language law to be admitted. Again, just more proof that santorum wants an "all white – all right" country that is based on his religious views.
Let's keep in mind that every issue santorum has brought up has been in 2 categories. First, Obama is wrong in what he is doing (but I don't have a better solution). Second, " I have a clear social agenda that is more important than the economy, jobs or economic stability". Keep that in mind at the polls
Hmmm..... Santorum sounding more and more bitter like Newt....the end for the pork barrell senator is near!
IIf Santorum would just shut the hell up he would win so many more votes because Romney would bury himself. Santorum cant seam to realize there are not enough crazy people other than the south who believes in his rhetoric. He making it so Republicans have to vote for Romney.
May respondents highlight the "fact" that 80% of Puerto Ricans already speak English. Here in Massachusetts, I've met hundreds of PR's and just half speak understandable English. About 25% can't speak enough English to get a job. Almost none of them can READ and WRITE clear, concise English. So, are we just seeing the worst linguists from Puerto Rico or are their "English" classes, and by extension, their Public School Teachers, that bad? So which is it?
"We all know Mitt Romney will do and say anything to get votes..."
Apparently, Rick Santorum will do and say anything to NOT get votes!!! 😉
People like Santorum are why Puerto Ricans consistantly vote against statehood.
Santorum is exactly what is wrong with the Republican party: Bigoted, wrong on civil rights, wrong on women's rights, appealing to irrelevant issues to distract from real ones. He is a failed senator who couldn't even win his own re-relection, and he wants to take on Obama?? But he is a successful D.C. Lobbyist, and like Gingrich, this campaign will raise his rates.
George Bush Jr. drove most of the nails into the GOP coffin – Santorum will drive the final one. R.I.P. G.O.P.
Santorum and Romney and Gringrich, all talk about their religious beliefs in on breath, then turn and want to send our troops into another war, and want to bomb another country, and kill civilians in a foreign land..and none have been in the military or faced combat, I find that very ironic...
It seems all Rick Santorum cares about is pushing a radical right wing social agenca in his bid to win the Republican nomination. Well, as demonstrated in Puerto Rico yesterday, it isn't going to fly. He can attack Romney all he wants, but he simply is not going to get the nomination.
"This needs to be a bilingual country, not just a Spanish speaking country." – The U.S. ? Or Puerto Rico? Puerto Rico's not a country, Rick. Which means you were referring to the U.S. So you're suggesting your inbred, home-schooled constituency needs to learn a second language? Most of them are having enough trouble with a first.
Santorum....3 words embody your core....condescending, lecturing, antiquated. Grow up man!
Romney doen't know how to create jobs either!!!! Michigan was 47th in jobs while he was governor and in a recent speech said-The govenment can't create jobs but when I am President I will create jobs-a 1 sentence flip=flop
Mitt Romney creates jobs? I'd love to see the stats on that one. He was a vulture capitalist who went in and broke up companies, selling them off piecemeal, raiding their pension plans, and making a whole lot of money in the process. God bless him, but job creator he is not.