Romney Accuses Santorum of Trying to 'Kidnap' the GOP Primary

Former liberal Mitt Romney doesn’t like it much when Rick Santorum courts Reagan Democrats to vote for him in Michigan:

Asked by reporters why he’s struggling to win over his party’s right wing in the state where he was born and raised, Romney said it’s because he’s not willing to say “outrageous things” like his opponents.

“It’s very easy to excite the base with incendiary comments. We’ve seen throughout the campaign that if you’re willing to say really outrageous things that are really accusative and attacking of President Obama, you’re going to jump up in the polls,” Romney said. Fielding questions from the national traveling press corps for the first time in nearly three weeks, he said: “I’m not willing to light my hair on fire to try and get support. I am what I am.”

And asked if remarks highlighting his wealth — like when he said Sunday he doesn’t follow NASCAR as closely as some but has “great friends who are NASCAR team owners” — were hurting his campaign, Romney said: “Yes. Next question.”

Romney also accused Santorum of trying to “kidnap the primary process” by urging Democrats to come to the polls in Michigan’s open primary and vote against the former Massachusetts governor.

Santorum’s campaign is calling Democrats in Michigan, urging them to vote in Tuesday’s GOP primary, which is open to members of other parties. The call urges them to vote against Romney because he opposed the government bailout of the auto industry.

As did Santorum, which is what makes the attack dishonest. But whining about kidnapping the primary, coming from the man who ran to Ted Kennedy’s left and hired loads of Democrats for his Massachusetts administration, and who smeared more conservative opponents in this primary, is a bit rich. Romney buried Newt Gingrich in negative ads, twice, to nuke Newt’s surges. Now he’s moaning about Santorum’s tactics.

Man up, Mitt.