Is Romney Geting Desperate?

I read the stories about Mitt Romney's attacks yesterday on Rick Santorum. According to Mitt, Santorum supported "reckless spending" in Washinigton and used earmarks. Oh, and Santorum doesn't understand the real economy because he never worked in private industry. Really? Is this the best that the Romney attack machine can come up with? We have all seen the Romney attacks demolish Newt Gingrich, but that was because Newt has so much baggage that is relevant to the current election. Santorum did not have any contracts with Freddie Mac; that was Gingrich. Santorum did not promote cap and trade or support the idea of man made global warming; that was Gingrich (and Romney too). Indeed, the only thing that Romney is actually saying about Santorum is that Rick was a congressman and then a senator. Every congressman or senator during the 1990's and 2000's used earmarks. Indeed, Romney would have done the same if he had managed to win the election when he ran for the senate from Massachusetts.

The charge that Santorum was a reckless spender is even funnier coming from Romney. If we assume that Santorum was in favor of high spending when he was in congress, then the question is whether or not we can accept that he has changed his view. Romney wants voters to accept that he used to be pro-choice but he has changed his view. Romney also wants voters to accept that he used to be a moderate or liberal but he has changed his view. Romney wants voters to accept that he used to favor the individual mandate for health insurance but he has changed his view. In other words, there is no way that Romney can possibly make the argument that Santorum could not change his view without putting his own "changes" into focus.

Beyond that, it is ridiculous to call Santorum a reckless spender. Sure, he voted for spending bills at times that were too large in retrospect. But that was at a point when there were no huge deficits. And Santorum hardly held a candle to the crazy spending undertaken by Obama and the Obamacrats in the last five years.

Look, I am not endorsing Santorum. Nor am I rejecting Romney. I am saying, however, that Mitt Romney better come out with a positive reason to vote for him. The Mitt attack machine will not be able to tarnish Santorum with any of its current ammunition. Indeed, the only one getting shot by the attack is Romney himself. If he keeps it up, he will have shot himself in the foot so many times that he will be unable to walk.