Santorum walks back remark on Obama 2nd term

By Jim Kuhnhenn

Associated Press

Published: Friday, March 23 2012 10:40 a.m. MDT

Republican presidential candidate, former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum speaks to USAA employees during a campaign stop at USAA, Thursday, March 22, 2012, in San Antonio.

Eric Gay, Associated Press

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Summary

Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum is taking back his comment that the country might as well re-elect President Barack Obama if Mitt Romney wins the GOP nomination.

WEST MONROE, La. — Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum is taking back his comment that the country might as well re-elect President Barack Obama if Mitt Romney wins the GOP nomination.

Santorum emphasized Friday that he will support whoever wins the Republican primary.

Santorum was campaigning at a gun range in northern Louisiana and as he fired a .45 caliber semi-automatic Colt pistol, a woman in the audience shouted: "Pretend it's Obama."

Santorum was wearing protective ear muffs. He said later that he didn't hear the remark but denounced it as "absurd."

The Secret Service was investigating.

On Thursday, Santorum argued that Romney and Obama are so similar on the issues that Republicans might just as well vote to give the president a second term instead of casting their ballots for Romney.

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Rifleman

Salt Lake City, Utah

Santorum was already toast before he made that comment. It was his mouth that cost him the GOP presidential nomination.

12:20 p.m. March 23, 2012
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spring street

SALT LAKE CITY, UT

stepped back? interesting turn of a phrase.

12:52 p.m. March 23, 2012
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JWB

Kaysville, UT

Having lived in the Monroe, Louisiana and San Antonio, Texas areas and noticing that USAA employees, some US Military member spouses and families listened to a Republican candidate for President of the United States, that they understood that More..

1:46 p.m. March 23, 2012
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