Santorum SuperPAC Ties Romney and Gingrich to Obama
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PAUL J. RICHARDS/AFP/Getty Images(WASHINGTON) — The pro-Rick Santorum superPAC has released a new television ad in Ohio that seeks to tie both Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich to President Barack Obama, ABC News has learned exclusively.
Titled “Obama,” it will run in Ohio along with another Romney attack ad already running in Michigan called “Vital Decisions.” The Ohio buy is $257,000 and was announced Friday morning.
The narrator says over photos of Romney, Gingrich and Obama: “How can Mitt Romney or Newt Gingrich beat Barack Obama when on the vital decisions they’re not much different? Like Obama, Gingrich supported individual health insurance mandates and lobbied for Freddie Mac. Mitt created RomneyCare — the blueprint for ObamaCare. And just like Obama, Romney even left Massachusetts 1 billion (dollars) in debt.”
The ad then asks “Who can win?” It then touts Santorum’s jobs plan.
Santorum consistently goes after both Romney and Gingrich for supporting health care mandates and in Romney’s care his health care plan in Massachusetts. Unlike this commercial, the former Pennsylvania senator has said he won’t attack Gingrich for his work at Freddie Mac because he was using his “talents” to provide for his family.
“Vital Decisions” also ties Romney to Obama with a very similar ad. The narrator reads over photographs of just Romney and Obama and the script is almost identical with Gingrich not mentioned.
The ads will run through Wednesday. The superPAC poured $1.3 million into Michigan ahead of their primary there Tuesday.
A Quinnipiac Ohio poll from earlier this month had Santorum leading in the state with 36 percent to Romney with 29 percent and Gingrich with 20 percent.
Earlier Friday, the Santorum campaign previewed a new attack on Romney that will paint the former Massachusetts governor as a “liberal” who supported “activist judges,” who granted marriage licenses to gay and lesbian couples, who allowed “$50 dollar abortions” and who fought “against the 2nd Amendment” and for “radical environmental regulations.”
Santorum has made some of the points before, however several of the new lines attempt to turn Romney’s words at Wednesday night’s Arizona debate against him.
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