Santorum: Not every child should go to college

Rick Santorum said Saturday he was "outraged" that President Obama has suggested that every child should go to college.

The GOP candidate and former senator sought to burnish his blue collar credentials while criticizing the incumbent, and even went so far as to suggest he would be delighted if one of his seven children decided against higher education.

“We are leaving so many children behind,” Mr. Santorum said at a New Hampshire forum, according to The Wall Street Journal. “They’re not ready to go to [college.] They don’t want to go to college. They don’t need to go to college. I was so outraged that the President of the United States [said] every student should go to college.

He added at the forum, which was sponsored by the Atlantic, the National Journal and Saint Anselm College, that he did not necessarily expect all of his children to attend college.

“I have seven kids. Maybe they’ll all go to college. But if one of my kids wants to go and be an auto mechanic, good for him! That’s a good-paying job," he said.

He went on to accuse the president of "snobbery" and "hubris" in pushing an advanced education for the nation's children. It is not clear if president has ever explicitly said every child should go to college. In discussing education policy, he has typically focused on development that prepares children for college or a stable career.

The education-oriented tack represents a fairly new approach for Santorum, who is more commonly known for his socially conservative stances on topics like abortion and gay marriage.

But his extremely close second-place finish in Iowa has heightened the spotlight on the former Pennsylvania lawmaker, even though he is considered a long-shot to win New Hampshire, with Mitt Romney appearing to have a substantial lead in the nation's first primary.

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