Santorum hits Gingrich, Romney

DES MOINES -- Former Sen. Rick Santorum offered some barbed observations on two candidates leading him in the Iowa caucus hunt Monday.

He said that Newt Gingrich's lucrative consulting contract with
freddie Mac was troubling and inconsistent with conservative
principals.

Turning to Mitt Romney, he questioned the former Massachusetts
governor's offer to bet Gov. Rick Perry $10,000 on whether he had held
out the Massachusetts health care plan. He noted further that he

thinks Mr. Perry would have won the bet.

"I was a little taken aback by it,'' Mr. Santorum said of the wager
challenge during Saturday night's debate here.

"There's no question that Rick Perry was right on the issue,'' Mr.
Santorum said of the substance of the wager. " That was in his book,
I've seen it.''

The Romney campaign contends Mr. Perry and critics such as Mr.
Santorum are misreading a passage of the book, "No Apology,'' which
suggests that the Massachusetts health care system offers that example
that other states may study, and as such is an example of federalism
in action.

Of Mr. Gingrich, Mr. Santorum said, "The fact that he went out and
lobbied for an organization that in my opinion was not consistent with
conservative values ... obviously.''

Mr. Santorum acknowledged that he had done consulting work for Consol
Energy since leaving the Senate, but he distinguished that work from
the Gingrich case.

"I've worked for companies, these were folks I had strong
friendships with, Consol energy in Pittsburgh.''

He said that work, in contrast to the Gingrich case, coincided with
his conservative political values, in that he was independently
interested in fighting the cap and trade proposal opposed by Consol.
A spokesman for the former senator did not immediately respond to an
inquiry on how much Mr. Santorum had been paid by Consol.

"I'm the grandson of a coal miner. I didn't want to see the coal
industry in my state destroyed," he said.

"I contacted them and said I want to do anything I can to defeat cap
and trade."

In response to a question, Mr. Santorum acknowledged that he had used
the term "lobbyist" loosely, but added that if Mr. Gingrich had not
been a registered lobbyist, "He certainly worked for Freddie and
worked on their behalf. ... he was not a lobbyist, but he was someone
promoting their values and promoting their cause. "

Mr. Santorum's criticisms, while pointed, paled in comparison to the
caustic exchange on the same issues Monday as front-runners campaigned
in New Hampshire.

Mr. Romney said that Mr. Gingrich should return the $1.6 million his
consulting firm had received from Freddie Mac.

In return, Mr. Gingrich, who has promised to be "relentlessly
positive" in this race, shot back, "If Gov. Romney would give back
all the money he's earned from bankrupting companies and laying off
employees over the years at Bain, then I would be glad to listen to
him," Gingrich said, according to Politico. "But I bet you $10, not
$10,000, that he won't take the offer."

Snap.