Presidential hopeful Rick Santorum slammed rival GOP candidate Newt Gingrich Wednesday on the campaign trail for what he called "arrogance" over electability.
"The hubris, and I might even go so far as to say arrogance, of Speaker Gingrich, to suggest that I don't have the experience to run a campaign, then win a national campaign," said Santorum on the campaign trail, as shown in a video posted by CBS News Online.
Santorum argued that his experience as conservative senator in the swing state of Pennsylvania qualifies him to run a national campaign, where the eventual nominee will have to bridge divides between all political persuasions.
"He [Gingrich] ran in one of the heaviest Republican suburban districts in Georgia with diversity being non-existent ... that makes him more qualified than me?" Santorum asked the crowd.
Gingrich suggested Tuesday that Santorum and Rick Perry should consider dropping out of the presidential race to consolidate support behind his candidacy while campaigning in South Carolina.
"But from the standpoint of the conservative movement, consolidating into a Gingrich candidacy would in fact virtually guarantee victory on Saturday, and I'd be delighted if either [Rick] Perry or Santorum would do that. They have to make that decision," said Gingrich according to The Huffington Post.
Perry will announce Thursday he is dropping his bid for the presidency and endorsing Gingrich, a campaign source told The Hill.
Santorum fought back Wednesday, telling the audience that his standing in both the Iowa and New Hampshire elections — ahead of Gingrich — makes him a viable candidate.
"With the two elections we've had so far in this race. I've finished tied in for first in Iowa. He finished fourth. I finished fourth in New Hampshire, he finished fifth," said Santorum.
Official results from the Iowa caucuses now show Santourm overtook Romney by 34 votes, but results from eight precincts are missing and one
official called the result a "split decision."
The former Pennsylvania senator actually placed fifth in the New Hampshire primary behind Gingrich, who come in fourth. There was a difference of about 50 votes between them.
"Everybody who wants to be in this race should be in this race and I'm not going to be someone who's going to point my finger at someone and say 'I'm better than you and you should get out,' that's not how South Carolina is going to decide this race," he said.
