Santorum’s attacks on Romney call attention to his own flip-flop

The Ticket

Rick Santorum has been trashing rival Mitt Romney for months, openly questioning his conservative credentials. But as the primaries edge ever closer, the former Pennsylvania senator has gotten more aggressive in his anti-Romney salvos in recent weeks.

In an interview with the Christian Broadcasting Network's David Brody, Santorum slams Romney as a "liberal" and says "the leopard hasn't changed its spots:"

Mitt, when he decided to run for governor, ran more as a moderate, less liberal, and now he's running for president. Now he's Mr. Conservative. And that has a little bit of an inauthentic ring to it. When someone has governed and someone has campaigned and put forth policy positions based on a worldview, they don't usually shake that worldview completely because it's politically expedient to be in a different worldview. It is a legitimate concern, and you throw on top of that Romneycare, which he still defends, and TARP which he still defends, which is the Wall Street bailout, it shows me that the leopard hasn't changed it's spots.

Santorum's claim that Romney switched positions because of political convenience could have some legs heading into the thick of the primary season. But in questioning Romney's political calculations, Santorum attracts attention to his own political maneuvering.

After all, it's easy to forget Santorum backed Romney in 2008, calling him "the clear conservative candidate" in the race.

As The Ticket previously reported, Santorum has tried to explain his backing of Romney in 2008 as simply a way to prevent John McCain, a fairly moderate voice in the GOP on the social issues that Santorum champions, from winning the nomination.

But as Santorum gets more aggressive with his attacks on the former Massachusetts governor--especially in Iowa, where Romney is reconsidering his strategy--how long will it be until Team Romney puts out video of the ex-senator singing Romney's praises in 2008?

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