Santorum scolds Gingrich, Romney for personal attacks

Rick Santorum defended both Newt Gingrich and Mitt Romney for their past careers but blasted them both for attacking each other during Thursday night's GOP debate.

"These two gentlemen who are out distracting from the most important issues we have by playing petty personal politics," Santorum said after Gingrich and Romney exchanged a heated back-and-forth on mortgage giant Freddie Mac. 

"Can we set aside that Newt was a member of Congress and used the skills he developed as a member of Congress to go out and advise companies, and that's not the worst thing in the world, and that Mitt Romney is a wealthy guy who worked hard and he's going out and working hard? You guys should leave that alone."

Santorum, a distant third in the Florida polls, repeated what many other Republicans have been saying: That the increasingly testy attacks from both candidates was hurting the quality of the debate. Many other Republicans have privately and publicly worried that Gingrich's attacks on Romney are weakening him for the general election.

---