Mitt Romney's plan to 'nuke Santorum': Will it work?

Team Romney plans to spend 29 times more than Santorum on ads in Michigan this week, and some politicos aren't sure Rick can withstand the barrage

Mitt Romney is planning on hitting Rick Santorum with a series of attack ads, spending 29 times more on ads than his rival in Michigan this week.
(Image credit: Eric Thayer/Getty Images)

With GOP presidential hopeful Rick Santorum overtaking Mitt Romney in several national and statewide polls, the former Massachusetts governor is preparing to go after his conservative rival with a series of brutal attack ads. In an interview with Buzzfeed, a Romney advisor laid out the campaign's plans, which "may make previous attacks on Rick Perry and Newt Gingrich look like mere love taps." Romney will reportedly go after Santorum's lack of leadership experience, and will cast him as a longtime Washington insider. The ads will "hit very hard on earmarks, lobbying, [and] voting to raise the debt limit five times," the advisor said. In Michigan this week, Romney and his allied super PACs are set to spend 29 times more on ads than Santorum is. Will Mitt's plan to "nuke Santorum" work?

You betcha: This barrage could finally clear away "the last obstacle standing between Romney and the nomination," says No More Mister Nice Blog. "I didn't think Newt's fans were going to care much about ancient ethics charges in Congress," but then Romney launched his assault, and suddenly Gingrich's supporters began abandoning ship. Mitt has already proven that this is "a pretty effective technique." Santorum will have a hard time riding out the coming storm.

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