The “dirty tricks of a desperate campaign” could refer to anyone running for president, but today the comments are referring to Rick Santorum and coming from Mitt Romney.
The former Massachusetts governor—who is polling neck-and-neck with his conservative challenger in Michigan’s open primary—was responding to reports that the former Pennsylvania senator’s campaign has indeed been asking Democrats for votes. A robocall that went out to registered democrats in the state hit Romney for supporting a bailout of Wall Street but not the heart of the auto industry.
Romney is expected to easily beat Santorum in Arizona’s primary, but a loss in his former home state up north would further weaken Romney’s front-runner status. Santorum’s campaign is apparently hoping registered Democrats can help, and with a long primary fight likely to benefit Obama in the election, some may indeed try.
