The pro-Rick Santorum Red, White, and Blue Fund super-PAC made a $310,000 television ad buy in Illinois attacking Mitt Romney on healthcare and the economy.
The ad comes just ahead of the Illinois primary, which is Tuesday.
The ad charges that Romney left Massachusetts with “over $1 billion” in debt after his term as governor. The ad also claims that the Massachusetts healthcare reform bill Romney signed into law while governor was the “blueprint” for President Obama’s healthcare reform law.
“This has now become a two-person race, and this new ad in Illinois demonstrates the difference between Mitt Romney — a supporter of bailouts and government spending sprees — and Rick Santorum, who is a conservative who wants to cut spending and create jobs,
” Red, White, and Blue Fund adviser Stuart Roy said in a news release.
Healthcare and economic policies have been the primary topics of attack on Romney for Santorum and his supporters, who have worked to portray Romney as well to the left of the former Pennsylvania senator.
The ad comes just after Santorum won two primary contests in Mississippi and Alabama — states Newt Gingrich was hoping to dominate. Red, White, and Blue Fund has been directly calling on Gingrich to drop out of the race and endorse Santorum. Santorum’s campaign has not directly called on Gingrich to drop out, but officials with the campaign have said Santorum would benefit from Gingrich and his supporters backing Santorum.
The ad will be in full rotation by Friday evening, and the super-PAC is considering spending additional money on airing it.
