Santorum Criticizes Potential GOP Rivals as ‘Bomb Throwers’
Santorum Criticizes Potential Rivals as ‘Bomb Throwers’
By JONATHAN MARTIN JAN. 11, 2015
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Before even officially declaring his candidacy, Rick Santorum criticized other potential Republican presidential contenders. CreditMatt Rourke/Associated Press
WASHINGTON — Rick Santorum sharply criticized a group of potential rivals for the Republican presidential nomination in an interview that indicated he intends to reclaim conservative primary voters ahead of another White House bid in 2016.
Mr. Santorum, the runner-up to the Republican nominee, Mitt Romney, in 2012, took direct aim Friday at Mike Huckabee, Senator Rand Paul and Senator Ted Cruz, each of whom could offer the party’s right wing a fresh alternative to Mr. Santorum in conservative states with early primaries or caucuses.
Discussing Mr. Huckabee, the former Arkansas governor and winner of the 2008 Iowa caucuses, Mr. Santorum raised four policy issues that he said would prompt questions about Mr. Huckabee’s fealty to conservative principles. Mr. Santorum was even harsher when discussing Mr. Paul of Kentucky and Mr. Cruz of Texas, both first-term senators, dismissing them as “bomb throwers” with scant achievements.
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The early salvos from Mr. Santorum, a former Pennsylvania senator, highlight the fierce competition already underway to win support from conservative activists.
The criticisms also illustrate the two simultaneous campaigns already taking shape. While former Gov. Jeb Bush of Florida, Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey and perhaps Mr. Romney begin vying for commitments from center-right contributors, elected officials and activists, a parallel race is taking place among more conservative contenders including Mr. Santorum, Mr. Huckabee and the two senators.
Already, there is notably less restraint in the language used by the more conservative aspirants than in the public statements from the establishment-backed potential candidates.
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“Do we really want someone with this little experience?” Mr. Santorum asked, referring to Mr. Paul, Mr. Cruz and Senator Marco Rubio of Florida, who is also in his first term. “And the only experience they have basically — not Rubio, but Cruz and Paul because I don’t think Rubio is going to go — is bomb throwing? Do we really want somebody who’s a bomb thrower, with no track record of any accomplishments?”
Mr. Paul’s top strategist responded that the party should not take advice from a politician who was soundly defeated in 2006.
“Senator Santorum lost re-election in his home state by 18 points nearly a decade ago, and has spent the time since then trying to convince people to elect him to an even higher office than the one he was booted out of,” said Doug Stafford, senior adviser to Mr. Paul. “We will pass on responding to his alleged wisdom.”
Jason Miller, an adviser to Mr. Cruz, said the senator had “done exactly what he promised he’d do,” contending that Mr. Cruz had led “the fight to repeal Obamacare, protect the border and defend American sovereignty.”
Mr. Huckabee, who has a following of Christian conservatives, may present the biggest obstacle to Mr. Santorum, who narrowly won the Iowa caucuses in 2012. But Mr. Santorum said Mr. Huckabee would have considerable vulnerabilities on the right.
“He has to talk about Common Core. I love talking about Common Core,” Mr. Santorum said of the education standards that have become deeply unpopular among conservatives. “He has to talk about immigration and the Dream Act. I love talking about immigration and the Dream Act. He has to talk about taxes; I haven’t voted for a tax increase. I have a 100 percent record on taxes, signed every pledge every year.”
Mr. Santorum then turned to an aide and asked: “What’s the other one?”
Reminded that Mr. Huckabee had once backed a cap-and-trade program to reduce carbon emissions, Mr. Santorum exclaimed: “Climate change. This guy was for climate change.”
Mr. Huckabee’s spokeswoman declined to address the individual issues, instead criticizing Mr. Santorum for “pulling the pin on grenades tossed in our own G.O.P.tent.”
“Governor Huckabee’s actual views — not the distortions of them — are fortunately well documented in his own voice through 12 published books, six and a half years of television and radio commentary, and daily postings on his blog and Facebook,” said Alice Stewart, Mr. Huckabee’s spokeswoman and a former spokeswoman for Mr. Santorum.
Mr. Santorum suggested that he was likely to declare his intention to run in the spring or early summer, and that the only reason he would not enter the race was if there were family-related concerns.
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/12/us...-throwers.html
