A new robocall funded by the Santorum campaign is urging democrats come out tomorrow and vote against Mitt Romney in Michigan.
Michigan democrats can vote in the primary tomorrow.

Talking Points Memo reported, via HotAir:

It has been confirmed that a robocall making the rounds in Michigan the day before the state’s GOP primary comes from the Rick Santorum campaign and urges Democrats to vote for Santorum and against Mitt Romney. TPM obtained audio of the call Monday afternoon.

Santorum spokesman Hogan Gidley confirmed to TPM that the camp was indeed footing the bill. “If we can get the Reagan Democrats in the primary, we can get them in the general,” he told TPM.

It’s a controversial tactic. Bill Ballenger, a longtime Michigan politico and the editor of Inside Michigan Politics, spoke with TPM about the call earlier in the day. He said the call piqued his interest because it sounded like it could have come from a union targeting Romney ahead of the Feb. 28 primary. The call focuses on Romney’s opposition to the auto bailout and calls on Democrats to vote for Santorum Tuesday because of it…

“You talk about chutzpah: here’s Santorum who’s just as opposed to the bailout as Romney is, but he’s putting out robocalls to Democrats urging them to crossover and vote in the Republican for Santorum,” Ballenger said. “The only thing intellectually in the whole message that it seems to be the Santorum committee could use to justify this tactic is the one line that, you know, ‘Romney was all too happy to support bailing out Wall Street, but not Michigan.’ Santorum is in the position all along of ‘a plague on both their houses. No bailouts for anybody.’”

 

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  1. Santorum is the little snot nose kid in school who would leave a nasty note on another students desk unsigned.

  2. Santorum wants it SO BAD. He can’t wait to vacation and spend Obama style.

  3. Mitt Romney is blowing millions with just a measly 2 point lead in Michigan. Rick Santorum is outsmarting him big time.

  4. Dems for Santy. It’s a nice campaign slogan.

  5. I suspect Mitt is a little pissed he didn’t think of it first and it may have added bennies down the road …people are lazy what happens if they don’t cross back over by the general …. a few less votes for obama perhaps …* SHRUG *

  6. So what does Santorum say in these calls? “Hey Dems, vote for me in the primary and I’ll deliver a landslide for Obama in November?” He might as well…

  7. This ain’t bean bags Mitt.

  8. Glad to see Rick taking splay from the old Rush Limbaugh Operation Chaos play book…

  9. asking democrats in an open primary to vote for you-shocking

  10. why didn’t G-d make the robocalls for him?

  11. That’s funny. Open primaries are a stupid idea, but, hey, all’s fair……

  12. Its an open primary ?

  13. #13 Yep, an open primary.

    Dems vote in it all the time to mess up the results.

  14. [Why is Rick Santorum the only GOP candidate talking seriously about Obamacare?]
    http://spectator.org/archives/2012/02/27/santorum-and-the-silence-of-th

  15. Liz, I guess you are trying to be perjorative when using “Santy” for Santorum. I have to say, that the first time I saw it, I thought about Santa Claus. Probably because my friend’s granddaughter calls him (St Nick) Santy. Nice try.

  16. Can’t stand Santorum!

    He is the snot nosed, whiny kid on the playground. He can dish it out, but whines incessantly when he is on the receiving end.

    Obama is going to shred him anyway.

  17. The little whiny boy Tricky Ricky has been crying every night and day about how bad he is treated and then he does this. Ricky has no honor that is why that entire story about his daughter’s miraculous recovery rings as one big lie. He was going to lose in a huge way and he needed to cut and run from Florida. So they concocted the great story that his daughter went to death’s door. This guy is such a loser.

  18. This proves NOT OBAMA pushing dems to vote Santorum as claimed by RINO conspiracy theorists. Rick’s success is by his own hard work ethic…not some vast left wing conspiracy to re-elect Obama coming out of the Whitehouse.

  19. Okay, who’s up for some conversions from dem to repub?

  20. Robo calls from dem strategist:

    http://iowntheworld.com/blog/?p=122042

    “Michigan Democratic strategist Joe DiSano has taken it upon himself to become a leading mischief maker.

    DiSano says he targeted nearly 50,000 Democratic voters in Michigan through email and a robo call to their homes, asking them to go to the polls Tuesday to vote for Rick Santorum in attempt to hurt Romney.

    “Democrats can get in there and cause havoc for Romney all the way to the Republican convention,” DiSano told CNN.”

  21. Rmoney has been ” Sleeping With the Enemy ” his whole career….Its his theme song….> http://youtu.be/gHs7vujRTk4 …..Mitt even fits the creepy controlling Boston hedge fund manager played by Patrik Bergin in the movie. So Rick is beating the RINOs with their own game . Don’t forget to call Bart Stupak !

  22. Rick’s got the gonads. Mitzie, not so much. I’d say he has something more like a vagina. Ron Paul is old and shrunken. One of Newt’s ex-wives has his in a vice.

    So there you have it. Vote for someone who has the balls.

    By the way, he’s gonna need them Dem votes come November.

  23. do the democrats up there have an open primary

  24. Really disappointed seeing Santorum doing this…the dems are bad enough, I don’t like to see it used by our side of the aisle.

    Rick’s giving new meaning to the world of ‘Blood-Sport’ when it comes to politics this time around.

    As an aside, I’ve supported Rick for a long time..but this doesn’t make this gal happy one single bit.

  25. ADVERTISEMENT

    #1 February 27, 2012 at 8:35 pm
    Edward Cropper commented:

    Santorum is the little snot nose kid in school who would leave a nasty note on another students desk unsigned.

    Well said!

  26. Personally my gut tells me that Romney is the one that sandbagged Herman Cain and we know he destroyed Newt Gingrich and no one has addressed why the pig pile on Santorum by Ron Paul. I hope Santorum wins personally. I have always been for ABR, Anyone But Romney!

  27. I am a MI voter and I decided I am voting for Romney. I also have helped several people in MI to vote for Romney. Sorry Rick but maybe you should have not had so many BAD votes.

  28. Talking Points Memo? Is that the original source of this tidbit? Pleeezzzz

    Next we’ll be sourcing the Russian Pravda.

  29. If you bothered to look at the original source of this tidbit, TPM, you will notice that nearly the entire home page is filled with negatives about Santorum.

    Gateway Pundit: Is that were you want to be? in lock-step with the lefty TPM?

  30. It’s amazing how Santorum – the most conservative in the bunch has everyone so afraid of him. And it’s cracking me up how many want to blame Santorum as the dirty fighter when he’s just protecting himself from the Romney-Paul two-punch…

    It’s official who has been playing dirty

    Report: Over 20 debates, Paul attacked Romney’s rivals 39 times – but never once attacked Romney
    http://dailycaller.com/2012/02/27/report-ron-paul-attacked-romney-zero-times-in-20-debates/

  31. @ Got Billy Ayers on Speed Dial #31

    “Gateway Pundit: Is that were you want to be? in lock-step with the lefty TPM?”

    GP is rooting for Newt and he never posts anything positive on Santorum. I like the GP site a lot but the coverage of candidates is the one item I strongly disagree with the site on.

  32. Santorum is disgusting!!!

  33. Here’s another that will drive the Left and establishment Republicans nuts… Mark Levin gives an excellent analysis of the history of Ron Paul and Mitt Romney alliance. Long but worth the listen.

    VIDEO: Mark Levin’s extensive exposition of Ron Paul and Mitt Romney alliance
    http://www.therightscoop.com/mark-levins-extensive-exposition-of-ron-paulmitt-romney-alliance/

  34. @ Wild Thing #34

    Got any other talking points from your WH memo – check your HuffPo or Media Matters talking points.

  35. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/us-election/9110225/Democrats-launch-pro-Santorum-campaign-for-Michigan-primary.html
    “I think Santorum is completely radioactive and will bring an electoral disaster to the Republicans – he could deliver Obama a landslide,” said Michigan Democratic strategist Joe DiSano, who has launched one of the efforts to help Santorum. “We need to focus on the one real challenger to Romney.”
    ….Roughly 12,000 Democrats expressed interest in voting for Santorum when they were contacted during a “robo-call” phone campaign organised by Democratic activists, DiSano said. But it is not clear how many will actually turn out on Tuesday.

  36. The 8500 MI’anders on Daily Kos email list got note today: “Please vote for Rick Santorum…”
    http://twitter.com/#!/jmartpolitico

  37. “Well, obviously, I want to make sure that we maintain the progressivity of the code” — Mitt Romney

    http://cnsnews.com/news/article/romney-taxes-i-want-make-sure-we-maintain-progressivity-code

    Of course Mitt isn’t going to completely overhaul the tax code. Who would do a crazy thing like that? Why that would be severely conservative.

    It really is not hard to see through this guy. Wake up folks!

  38. #14 February 27, 2012 at 9:15 pm
    shibumi commented:
    #13 Yep, an open primary.

    Dems vote in it all the time to mess up the results.
    ::::::::::::::

    100%. THey also use recalls the same way – the GOP better get up to speed or be destroyed by these manipulations of good systems.

  39. Your title for this is wrong, it is Joe DiSano, a Democratic Strategist calling on Democrats to vote for Santorum. I live here, I should know, it is not Rick Santorum camp doing the calling. Please correct it. I have to vote today, and the only thing I want is Obama gone.

  40. “..the only thing I want is Obama gone.” second that. i want him walking out the door in 2013 and in good health. this from yesterday…..huffpost i know….
    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/02/27/louis-farrakhan-racism-co_n_1303955.html?ref=tw

  41. Santorum is a Democrat plant to get Obama re-elected. It is all too coincidental the timing of the HHS mandate and the return to social issues to get people off the topic of the economy.
    Congratulations on your second term Mr. Obama.

  42. MJ – the ad says ‘paid for by the Rick Santorum campaign”

  43. Go Rick! What a brilliant idea! Rick is leading Obama in the swing states! That is what we need, someone who beats Obama in those states. Romney loses in those states. Santorum polls just as strong as Romney against Obama.

  44. That is pathetic. I will be voting for Romney today.

  45. Rammer 12 #8

    You’re comparing this to Rush’s Operation Chaos?
    Sorry, there is no comparison.

    In Operation Chaos, a guy from our side (Rush) called on people from our side (Republican voters) to go into the enemy camp (the Dem primary) and sabotage their process.

    In Rick’s robo-call, a guy from our side (Rick) called on the enemy (Dem voters) to come into our camp (the Republican primary) and sabotage our process.

    Not the same thing at all.
    In terms of combat, it’s roughly the difference between dispatching a troop to go throw a grenade into the enemy’s command tent and bringing giving an enemy a grenade to toss into your own command tent.

    Now he spins it like he was going after the Democrat vote as if it were the general.
    Well, 1. it is not the general Rick, it’s the REPUBLICAN primary, and 2. where was that strategy in the more conservative states?

    There’s no practical way to police it, but party primaries should be exclusive to the party, not open for all.

  46. The outrage indeed!
    I mean it would be like say, Mitt going after Rick in a debate over his vote for No Child Left Behind.
    Oh wait a minute, Mitt DID go after Rick for that, even though he spoke of it very favorably a few short years ago.
    Or say, accusing Rick of being pro-abortion. Oops (again), Mitt did accuse Rick of that even though Mitt, in 2002, was proud and loud to declare himself a staunch proponent of a “woman’s right to choose” (and mysteriously in ’05 or so – about the time he developed presidential aspirations- made a 180 on the issue); and this in spite of Rick always receiving high marks for his solid pro-life stands.

    And this could go on and on. Mitt plays hard and very loose with the facts.
    If Rick has strange bedfellows here, then perhaps we could look a bit at the Mitt-Paul alliance (that they swear doesn’t exist, even though anyone who has watched any of the debates knows does exist).

    Rick is playing to win too. If pointing out your opponent’s weakness is wrong, then talk to Mitt first, and by the way, I believe Rick opposed both bailouts. The ad simply points out that Mitt favored one and not the other, it doesn’t claim a position he doesn’t hold.

  47. Maraz #36

    Telling people who disagree with you to check their White House memo is pretty lame. You said the same stupid thing to me the other day. Maybe what you don’t realize is a lot of us have been coming here for a long time (and we haven’t seen you around) and we know who is and isn’t Conservative.

    And the comment itself makes no sense. You think Obama is scared to run against Santorum who has been polling at 10% since last summer in his own party? He got a bump as a last desperate move by Conservatives who can’t stand to see a moderate like Romney get the nomination. And they only arrived at Romney after first trying Perry, Cain, and Gingrich. So this recent surge isn’t exactly a ringing endorsement.

    Everybody has picked their candidate. Just because you picked Rick Santorum and somebody else didn’t doesn’t make them a liberal or anything else. They simply disagree with you.

    So wise up and grow up.

  48. Santorum doesn’t want the Republican nominee picked by Republicans. He knows that if the nominee is picked by Republicans, he won’t be the nominee.

  49. Wow lots of sniveling trolls.

    Fair amount of RINO supporters too.

    This country needs an enema to get rid of Obama.

    I have heard Ron Paul will be a spoiler in favor

    Of Romney. Perhaps VP for his son Rand Paul.

    Mixed nuts. Powder is dry

  50. StrangernFiction #39

    Nobody’s fooled by Romney.
    We’d all like to see a Conservative get the nomination.
    Republican voters are currently torn between most Conservative (Santorum at this point) and most electable (Romney by all the nationwide polls).

    People who are backing Romney (as I now am) are just resigned to the reality that Romney has the nomination sewn up, and efforts by one non-Romney after another have been futile. Also, we are concerned by the fact that nobody other than Romney beats Obama in any national poll or ever has in this entire election cycle.
    What good is nominating the most Conservative candidate if he can’t win?

    I assumed you’d ask, what good is nominating a guy who can win if he isn’t Conservative? Well, to that I’d say that he’s a far, far cry better than Obama, and he is now on record enough times saying that he will repeal Obamacare, it’d be pretty impossible for him not to follow through.
    Either way, though, the ultimate goal is to get the White House back from the socialist party, and I’ll settle for Romney to do that, especially when there is no evidence that any other candidate will have the numbers to do it.

    I hope that clarifies the reasoning.

  51. Gary #49

    And it indeed is an open primary and Rick’s simply within the rules he didn’t make.

    I know I heard Mitt commenting about everyone but he and Paul should have followed the rules in getting on the Virginia ballot. Mitt didn’t complain a bit that everyone but he and his surrogate were excluded from that primary.

    Actually, Rick DOES have a history of receiving crossover votes. He did win Pennsylvania 2x as a Senator, and he didn’t have to adopt the Mitt strategy of just becoming a left winger to do it (sorry, but the FACT is Mitt ran as a solid progressive, pro-gun control, pro-abortion, PROGRESSIVE kind of guy, who by the way, produced the obamacare model). No comparison at all between the two.

  52. If getting democrats to crossover is bad, then blame Reagan because he provided the example (Reagan democrats)

  53. GOP Kicks Ass 45

    For whatever else you want to say about Santorum, he’s not a Democrat plant.
    He has a 12-year Senate record to demonstrate who he is and what he stands for.

    But I agree that if he somehow wins the nomination, we have very little chance to win the general election.

  54. Gary
    Actually, the national polls have been going both ways, a couple of weeks ago, it was only Rick who could win against barry in the general.
    And now, the difference between Mitt and Rick in these polls is likely within the margin of error.
    Over that past several weeks, the two have been generally even.
    Don’t believe me, then check out Real Clear Politics, they archive the polls (and they track a bunch of them).

  55. Mimi 47

    The swing states are called that for a reason.
    They’re wishy-washy states that sometimes vote Rep and sometimes vote Dem.
    Wishy-washy people tend to line up behind perceived winners.
    So they currently perceive Santorum as being on the way up (when in fact he is now on the way back down) and so they support him. After today’s Romney wins and next week’s sweep, he won’t look as good, and the wishy-washy states will move to support Romney.

    Just ask yourself, how can the swing states be the deciding factor? By their very definition, they are indecisive! They’re waiting to be told who will win and that’s who they’ll vote for.

  56. Mimi brings up an excellent point that is often missed:
    In the swing states, Rick is the only guy who consistently beats barry out of the GOP field.
    You don’t pick up the swing states, the repubs don’t win.
    Generally, the states Mitt does well in are states that the GOP cannot likely win. Either will pick up the red states.

    I seldom hear people talk about that….hmmm………..

  57. Ausonius #50

    I don’t think the outrage is over dirty politics. Dirty politics shouldn’t even be a term because all politics is dirty.
    It’s that Rick Santorum went over to the other side to try to get the enemy (whom we are trying desperately to defeat) to come into our process and sabotage it in hopes that it will benefit him personally.
    That was a sell-out move.

    I do agree with you tht Romney has little room to criticize Santorum’s Conservatism.
    But this was the wrong move.

    Anyway, if Rick is the perceived Conservative and Romney is the perceived liberal, then why did Santorum think that Democrats joining our primary would tip the scales in his favor?

  58. Terry Gain 52

    +1

  59. Militant Conservative

    I don’t know how many people that makes now saying Ron Paul is a spoiler for Romney.

    The way I see it, Ron Paul has a following, and they’re not the GOP or Conservatives. They’re simply Ron Paul followers. The people voting for Ron Paul are only planning to vote for Ron Paul, and not for anybody else. I don’t see how he can be a spoiler.

    Like, is somebody saying, I’m either voting for Santorum or Paul, I can’t decide which, but I’ll vote for Paul. If Paul drops out, then I’ll vote for Santorum.

    I think there’s no such person. The Paul followers show up at straw polls and primaries to support their guy. They weren’t siphoned off from any other Republican candidate.

    As for Paul himself, he just likes being in the process. In his mind (if I dare go there), he is making a difference to the campaign by being in it. He knows he won’t win, and he’ll quit when it reaches the convention. Remember he did this exact thing in 2008, and he dropped out in June, a full four months after Romney dropped out in February.

    So I’m not seeing the connection.

  60. Ausonius 55 56

    I’m aware of that, and I don’t really dispute anything you’re saying.

    Except,
    1. our primaries should not be open, it simply doesn’t make sense. Dems have their chance to vote in their own primary and in November. Why do they get to pick our candidate? Is that what we want?
    2. Reagan attracted Democrats in the general election. We are currently in a Republican primary.
    3. It’s fine to have broad appeal. If Santorum’s politics persuade independents or Democrats to switch parties and vote for him, that’s one thing. But asking the Democrats who will be voting for Obama in November to sabotage our process for his potential benefit crosses a line in my mind.

    Sorry if you disagree.

  61. Ausonius 58

    I haven’t seen any such polls. I get my polls from Real Clear Politics and I check them several times a day. The only time I’ve seen Santorum ahead in the polls was this “swing state” poll referenced above. If you have a nationwide poll showing Santorum beating Obama, please provide a link to it.

  62. Ausonius 60

    I repeat my point to Mimi. Once Romney wins tonight, and then after the sweep next week, Santorum’s funding will dry up, Romney will be the only guy left standing, and the swing states will “swing” back to Romney.
    That’s what they do.

  63. I have to do some actual work now to keep my job in this tough economy.
    I’ll check back at lunchtime for any responses.

  64. Most likely Dems would flip a coin as to who of those two wet politicians to vote for.

  65. Hey, Mitt, after spending more millions of dollars on negative ads against your competitors than all of them have spent altogether on their entire campaigns your whining tells us all we need to know about you.

    BTW, what does Mormonism say about Karma?

  66. Well Gary here in Missouri Romney will never win. He is not a conservative and not a moderate he is LIBERAL. He gives money to planned parenthood personally. He is for abortion and gay marriage. He does cut taxes but increases fees substantially to make up for that. He was asked in a debate when the last time was he exhibited conservatism he couldn’t do it. He cancels the debate on healthcare, HHS mandate against religious beliefs, climate changes, abortion, gay marriage etc etc etc. He is just like Obama.

  67. This piece cites the lefty TPM. This mornings piece cites the DailyKos.

    I smell something fishy when a conservative blog uses lefty blogs as sources. Pheww

  68. Dems for a Republican?! Hey, that hasn’t worked since… er, Reagan.

  69. Mimi 71

    I get what you’re saying, don’t agree with all of it, but we’ve picked these points apart enough times already.
    In November, you (and Missouri) will have to choose between Romney and Obama.
    Choose well.

  70. No we don’t I will write in. I will never vote Romney. Never. I cannot vote for Obama’s twin.
    Never not voted a non-party vote but Romney is over the top for me. I held my nose for McCain. Won’t happen again. I can tell you we have 3 church full of women that will do the same.

  71. Mimi #47

    “Go Rick! What a brilliant idea! Rick is leading Obama in the swing states! That is what we need, someone who beats Obama in those states.”

    I agree… Romney’s just mad he didn’t think of it first. Santorum said that everyone keeps saying he can’t attract the Democrats so he’s doing something to attract Democrats and the establishment is pissed. I love it!! GO SANTORUM!! The true conservative choice.

    #71

    “Well Gary here in Missouri Romney will never win. He is not a conservative and not a moderate he is LIBERAL.”

    I agree but you won’t convince Gary to see it like it is… he’s a sponge for every liberal and media talking point.

  72. Maraz
    You’re a fool.
    I’ve been on this site a lot longer than you and everybody knows me.

    Mimi
    If you want to write in, go ahead. You think 2 million people are going to write in the same name that you do? You’re just putting Obama one step closer to winning your state.

    Maraz
    You agree with Mimi that she should write in a candidate and throw away her vote in this critical election? And you’re trying to call me a liberal?
    Man are you a fool.

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