Ron Paul Calls Rick Santorum 'Insufficiently Conservative'

NASHUA, N.H. — Texas Rep. Ron Paul on Friday dismissed Republican presidential rival Rick Santorum as being insufficiently conservative, predicting GOP voters would cool on the former Pennsylvania senator once they learn of his support for spending programs in Washington.

Paul spoke to reporters after a boisterous rally at an airport hangar. It was his first event in the state after taking two days off following the Iowa caucuses, where he placed third

Santorum has come under renewed scrutiny after he battled Mitt Romney to a virtual tie for first place in Iowa. Santorum has defended many of his votes on spending in Washington, saying he was representing the interests of his state's citizens.

Santorum served two terms in the House and two in the Senate. He was soundly defeated for re-election by Democrat Bob Casey in 2006.

Asked if Santorum represented his biggest threat, Paul laughed and said "hardly."

"He brags about being for a balanced budget amendment, but never did anything about it," Paul said of Santorum. "He voted 4 or 5 times to raise the debt ceiling. He voted to double the size of the Department of Education."

Earlier, Paul's son, Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul, complained about excess spending by both parties in Washington and noted that "a guy who did pretty well in Iowa" with the initials "RS" had voted for many of those programs.

Ron Paul also distanced himself from an ad run by some of his supporters suggesting rival Jon Huntsman had "Chinese values." Huntsman served as ambassador to China and has an adopted daughter from the country.

"I understand it's an ugly ad and I've disavowed it," Paul said, calling the ad "way out of order."

He added, "Obviously all campaigns have to suffer these consequences when someone goes up and puts the candidate's name on there and you get bad press for it."

Paul has a full schedule of campaign events in New Hampshire, which holds its primary Tuesday.

Earlier on HuffPost:

 

 

Comments

[smartguyJim]

05:32 PM on 01/07/2012

RON PAUL 2012 ... The only candidate with class !

[chris hatala]

09:42 AM on 01/07/2012

All these candidate are beyond evil.

[photobug90802]

09:40 AM on 01/07/2012

How far to the right do you have to move to be conservative enough? I'd guess till you fall off their flat planet. The politics of all these buffoons benefits a small number and is a disaster for everyone else.

[nlkennedy]

09:35 AM on 01/07/2012

I'm disgusted hearing about that Paul add that attacks Jon Hunstman and his adopted children.

That is why conservatism is a scourge on America and it's implied freedoms.

Join the melting pot, or get the ***k out!

You xenophobic maniacs. That demon resides in all of you. Even you Paul supporters.

[Jester2069]

12:25 PM on 01/07/2012

Go read that "article" on HuffPo. There's evidence galore showing the Huntsman Campaign was involved with the ad's creation.

Simply disgraceful.

[nlkennedy]

12:59 PM on 01/07/2012

WHOA!

That's a dirty trick. Why attack Paul. With all respect to Paul, he just isnt the prime target. but Thats probably what makes it easier and less conspicuous.

I wouldve binned it on santorum.

[nixrox04]

07:51 AM on 01/07/2012

The conservative ads alone have defined the GOP candidates lack of charactar and decency.

[atlasusa]

09:49 AM on 01/07/2012

At least their ads are a truthful reflection of who they are and their values.

[Cratewasher]

01:14 AM on 01/07/2012

However, Santorum is sufficiently self loathing.
He hates everybody; and wants to be their president!

[JohnFromCensornati]

12:26 AM on 01/07/2012

I heard from a reliable source that Ron Paul is possessed by demons and an exorcism has been ordered.

[kathy smelser]

06:58 AM on 01/07/2012

i heard the same thing ...it is going to be performed by Mr Bachmann on live television Michelle will help hold him down and together they will PRAY HIM AWAY

[smartguyJim]

05:36 PM on 01/07/2012

RON PAUL will be the one performing the exorcism on the big bloated federal government

[JohnFromCensornati]

12:15 AM on 01/07/2012

You never know what might happen if Brüno were to drop his pants in front of Rick!

[p456]

09:21 AM on 01/07/2012

LOL.

[TheBearedManOnTheCloud]

11:07 PM on 01/06/2012

Ron Paul is the only Repulican Candidate worth voting for. Any of the others ones run, I vote Democrate.

[Okiemama]

11:59 PM on 01/06/2012

You obviously know very little about Paul. He is a right wing Christian fanatic just like the rest of them.

[TheBearedManOnTheCloud]

08:22 AM on 01/07/2012

I have followed his story for a long time actually and what I said and meant is he is the best out of the bunch.

[chris hatala]

09:44 AM on 01/07/2012

Racist and sexist.

[p456]

09:22 AM on 01/07/2012

Thank you for voting for Obama the 99% of Americans who are not rich need your help.

[NYC619]

11:01 PM on 01/06/2012

"Insufficient" fits Little Dicky Sanctimonious perfectly, as well as ingrate and insignificant.

[carolla7411]

08:27 PM on 01/06/2012

I THINK HE WOULD MAKE A GOOD PRESIDENT

[Okiemama]

11:58 PM on 01/06/2012

Only it this was a third world country or in the 13th century.

[houseofd]

12:49 AM on 01/07/2012

That's because you type in all-caps.

[p456]

09:23 AM on 01/07/2012

I like your micro bio.

[TJ Logan]

07:37 PM on 01/06/2012

None of these candidates are conservative enough.

They are support voting rights for women. They refuse to support slavery. They say nothing of the evils of the small pox vaccine. They support the junk science that says the world is round. They ignore the use of the rack in obtaining truthful confessions. They deny that witches steal babies at night.

No, they are fake conservatives.

Savanarola for President!

[pakaal]

02:22 AM on 01/07/2012

www.staticearth.net

PS #400.

[Fileintothetrough]

07:02 PM on 01/06/2012

Im curious if "someone" that said they liked a candidate made a youtube video about Ron Pauls family it would be front page type news? Im doubtful. It would be a good idea though.Interesting the results of that experiment would be

[Okiemama]

12:04 AM on 01/07/2012

An interesting youtube video of Paul's family would be about the nearly $170,000 in campaign funds (from his loyal donors) that he paid to his various family members for "working" on his campaign in 2008. He paid one granddaughter $77,157 for helping to organize ONE fundraiser. He gave another $2724 for helping to ship some Ron Paul merchandise. Frugal with his family and his donations, Paul is not.

[TheDemockery]

12:52 AM on 01/07/2012

Thank you for sharing that Okiemama. Would you please provide a link where that information could be verified? I've been very interested in RP and have had a tough time finding dirt on him. I would like to gather factual information, hence a link to a credible source would be much appreciated.

[rctiger2004]

07:27 PM on 01/07/2012

Let’s see some sources or links to this fairytale information. Yea, I didn’t think so!!

[TitaniumAvatar]

05:15 PM on 01/06/2012

Santorum would like the Government to be large enough to fit into every bedroom in America.

[Okiemama]

11:57 PM on 01/06/2012

And so would Paul.

[wkgmom]

10:52 AM on 01/07/2012

Wow are you waaaaaay off. Paul would like there to be virtually no government.

[North2011]

05:13 PM on 01/06/2012

Ron Paul needs to focus on Romney & his flip-flops over Rick who will be out of the picture soon enough..

[deacon220]

10:39 PM on 01/06/2012

Correct.