Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus said Wednesday that he wasn't a "fan" of the robocalls used by Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum's campaign in Michigan.
Santorum’s closing effort in the Michigan primary on Tuesday included robocalls that encouraged Democrats to vote for Santorum in the GOP primary. Santorum ending up losing to Mitt Romney despite the move.
Priebus told CNN's "Starting Point" on Wednesday he’s “not particularly a big fan of the tactic.”
However, Priebus pointed out that in his RNC role he doesn't "play referee" for the specific tactics employed by the campaigns.
"I really don't get into that," he said.
The Santorum robocall that went out Monday informed listeners that Democrats could vote in the primary, and reminded voters of Romney’s opposition to the auto bailouts, which it called “a slap in the face to every Michigan worker.”
The former Massachusetts governor harshly admonished his GOP opponent and blasted the recordings as "outrageous and disgusting" Tuesday.
Priebus told CNN Wednesday that he believes a contested, tough primary is good for the Republican Party.
"I think that the drama and the tough primary is a good thing for us," he said. "We put people to sleep in '08 with our nomination process and I think it's laughable when I hear people claiming we ought to put people asleep again this time around and just move on. I don't think that's the case."
The committee chairman said he is looking ahead to Super Tuesday on March 6, when 10 states are up for grabs.
"Certainly Gov. Romney has done well in the states that have awarded delegates and we'll see what happens next Tuesday," said Priebus.
