Airing locally on Wilmington’s WDEL 1150 AM, former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum broached the topic of Rick Perry in a radio interview with conservative radio host Laura Ingraham.
His discussion with Ingraham and her six million listeners will likely raise his media profile ahead of tomorrow's Fox News GOP debate in Sioux City, Iowa.
Fresh off his Saturday debate performance in Des Moines, the Keystone State native reacted to Ingraham’s disapproval of the attempt of one of Santorum’s presidential rivals to arrest the rising popularity of former House Speaker Newt Gingrich mere weeks away from the January 3rd Iowa Caucus.
Ingraham & reproach for Perry
Texas Governor Rick Perry took issue with nominal frontrunner Newt Gingrich’s marital problems during the 1980s and 1990s at the GOP debate on December 11th.
“If you will cheat on your wife, if you will cheat on your spouse, then why wouldn’t you cheat on your business partner? Or why wouldn’t you cheat on anybody for that matter.” Perry remarked this Monday.
Ingraham objected to Texas Governor Rick Perry’s attack (among others) on former House Speaker Newt Gingrich’s marital infidelity throughout her December 12th broadcast.
Ingraham raised Perry’s remarks with Santorum, praising the former Pennsylvania senator for his approach to the topic.
“I think Rick Santorum, he actually had a kind of judicious approach to that issue saying character counts. I don’t think it’s a disqualifier. He looked kind of more mature than the others I believed in dealing with this.” Ingraham maintained.
She then pressed Santorum to respond to the Texas governor’s statements.
“What did you make of that – Perry raising the marital infidelity?”
Santorum did insist it would be brought up as a campaign issue and offered a tepid admonishment for Perry.
“It should be in the mix with a whole host of other issues and I said it’s not a disqualifier but it goes to the person’s character and character in leadership is an important thing. As far as what Rick Perry said I thought that was a little tough – candidly – but that’s his perspective.” he responded.
Don Wade & Roma with Bret Baier
Consensus on the AM Dial was by no means unanimous regarding whether Perry’s charge against Newt Gingrich helped or hurt his own presidential campaign.
Speaking with Don Wade & Roma on WLS 890 AM this Monday, Fox News debate moderator Bret Baier seemed more impressed with Michele Bachmann’s criticism of both Newt Gingrich and Mitt Romney on healthcare.
“As far as their conservative credentials and the whole charge about being a reliable conservative, you saw Michele Bachmann in the debate Saturday effectively make that [case],” Baier argued.
“Yeah, she was good,” Don agreed.
However, Bret Baier did suggest Perry’s remarks would wound Gingrich’s candidacy.
“I think Governor Perry really made a pointed attack and did it in not an angry way but one in which he really made some points there.”
I think so too,” Roma concurred.
What happened to tax reform?
It’s not clear emphasis on a rival's personal failings will resonate with Iowa voters but no doubt they will be coming in the weeks ahead.
Effective or not they will take the focus off of the deficit and economic issues like Rick Perry’s 20% optional flat tax proposal, his stance on domestic energy production, and his job creation record in Texas.
Given these subjects are foremost in the minds of Republican voters they are likely to be more widely featured during the Fox News debate in Sioux City this Thursday.
Follow John Goodman on Twitter @ Literalville here
A free podcast of Laura Ingraham’s complete interview with Rick Santorum is available here
A free podcast of Don Wade & Roma interview with Fox News' Bret Baier is available here
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