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Romney Campaign Press Release - What They're Saying About Rick Santorum's Debate Performance

February 23, 2012

The Washington Examiner Headline: "Santorum Blows It: 'I Took One For The Team'"

  • "When Asked About Education Reform And The 'No Child Left Behind' Act, Rick Santorum Admitted That He Voted For The Bush Legislation Even Though He Didn't Agree With It."  (Charlie Spiering, "Santorum Blows It: 'I Took One For The Team,'" The Washington Examiner, 2/22/2012)

ABC News' Jake Tapper: "Rick Santorum, Last Night, Committed Political Malpractice Among Himself."

  • Tapper: "If You Just Floated In And Out Of The Debate Last Night, You'd Think That Rick Santorum Spent Two Hours Defending The Worst Things About Washington DC. The Things That Conservatives Hate: Earmarks, Deal-Making, Compromise, Party Before Principle." (Good Morning America, 2/23/12)

National Review Headline: "Santorum Loses"

  • "Again And Again Santorum Got Tangled Up In His Senate Record. Overall, He Was Too Defensive, Too Insider, Too Complicated." (Rick Lowry, "Santorum Loses," National Review, 2/22/12)

TIME Magazine's Mark Halperin: "A Tone-Deaf Mix Of Shrill Emotion And Clinical Derision, Employing Each At The Wrong Time, Especially When Challenged By Romney." (Mark Halperin, "Grading The Mesa Debate," TIME: The Page, 2/22/12)

ABC News: "Santorum Has Spent The Last Couple Of Weeks Portraying Himself As An Outsider. He Undid All Of That Work In Tonight's Debate." (Amy Walter, "Winners And Losers From Final GOP Debate," ABC News, 2/23/12)

National Journal: "Over And Over Again, Santorum Came Off As A Defender Of Congress, A Champion Of Earmarks And A Master Of Legislative Minutiae."  ("Santorum Sounds Like Ultimate Washington Insider in Debate," National Journal, 2/22/2012)

The Atlantic Headline: "That Was Not the GOP Debate Rick Santorum Needed"

  • "...Long, Pleading Stretches Of Santorum Trying To Justify His Pursuit Of Earmarks In Congress, His Enthusiastic Support For Former Sen. Arlen Specter's 2004 Reelection, And His Vote In Favor Of The No Child Left Behind Education Law. More Than Once, He Was Booed." (Molly Ball, "That Was Not The GOP Debate Rick Santorum Needed," The Atlantic, 2/22/12)

Slate's John Dickerson: "He Was In A Defensive Crouch For Much Of Tonight's Debate, Fending Off Attacks On His Tenure In Washington And His Conservative Credentials." (John Dickerson, "Out Of Air In Arizona," Slate, 2/23/12)

Politico: "The Former Pennsylvania Senator...Seemed Nervous, Tired And Uncomfortable At The Outset." (Maggie Haberman, "Republican Debate In Arizona: 6 Takeaways," Politico, 2/23/12)

Boston Herald: "Santorum Was Booed By The Audience Later When He Explained That He Voted For No Child Left Behind Because He Was 'Taking One For The Team,' And Explained That Sometimes A Lawmaker Has To Vote Against His Principles." (Hilary Chabot, "Rick Santorum Hit Hard In Faceoff," Boston Herald, 2/23/12)

The Washington Post Headline: "Rick Santorum On The Defensive Over Earmarks, Contraception In Arizona Debate" (Felicia Sonmez, "Rick Santorum On The Defensive Over Earmarks, Contraception In Arizona Debate," The Washington Post, 2/22/12)

The Washington Post: "Former Senator Rick Santorum...Found Himself On The Defensive Wednesday Night As Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney Slammed His Record On Earmarking And His Conservative Credentials At A Mesa, Ariz., Presidential Debate." (Felicia Sonmez, "Rick Santorum On The Defensive Over Earmarks, Contraception In Arizona Debate," The Washington Post, 2/22/12)

The Huffington Post: "Rick Santorum Attempted To Explain His Vote For [No Child Left Behind] ... Admitting That He Had Supported The Bill Despite It Being Against His Personal Beliefs." ("Rick Santorum Apologizes For No Child Left Behind Vote: 'I Made A Mistake,'" Huffington Post, 2/22/12)

Mitt Romney, Romney Campaign Press Release - What They're Saying About Rick Santorum's Debate Performance Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/node/300551

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