Fox News host Greta Van Susteren confronted GOP candidate Rick Santorum Tuesday night after he accused Fox News of "shilling" for GOP candidate Mitt Romney.
Santorum made the comments on Fox News host's Brian Kilmeade's radio show Tuesday morning. Speaking of Romney, Santorum said, "He's had all the organizational advantage. He has Fox News shilling for him every day -- no offense, Brian, but I see it -- and yet, he can't seal the deal because he just doesn't have the goods to be able to motivate the Republican base and win this election."
Kilmeade staunchly defended his news network. On Tuesday night, Santorum appeared by phone on Van Susteren's show during the Mississippi and Alabama primaries. Van Susteren said she had to give Santorum a "good, hard jab" about his comments.
"On behalf of my staff that's been calling Gov. Romney every single day to get him to come back on our air since our last interview in South Carolina, they want to know if you can help them a little bit. Because they don't feel like they're shilling," Van Susteren said. "He won't even do our show."
Santorum backtracked and said that both Van Susteren and Fox News host Sean Hannity had been "awesome." "When I was talking Fox News, I wasn't talking about your show or Sean's show," Santorum said. Instead, Santorum was referring to the network's news shows. "Look, I'm just looking at the news coverage that goes on...and the domination of time that Romney gets on the air. You guys are great putting me on the air but I'm talking about your news shows," he said.
"Well if it's any consolation, every single day I get an email saying that we are in favor of Gov. Romney, in favor or you, in favor of Speaker Gingrich, in favor of Ron Paul, and we're also carrying the water for President Obama," Van Susteren said. "And we look at all these emails and say, 'well it can't be all of them!"
Santorum called Van Susteren and Hannity "fair and balanced," but maintained his stance on Fox's news shows. "We're calling it like we see 'em because that's what I do. I call 'em like I see 'em."
Watch the exchange in the video above, which comes at 8:40.
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