CNN news 2011-12-25 加文本

cnn news 2011-12-25

BLITZER: I take it you're not with John Boehner or Mitch McConnell. You wouldn't vote to extend the payroll tax cut for another year.

SANTORUM: No. No, I wouldn't.

Look, I believe in the Social Security system. We've got to fix the Social Security system so it's there and it's solvent, and it's there for future generations.

And we have -- so many years I have heard, well, we're talking the Social Security tax dollars and we're spending on other things. Here we are, sinking Social Security tax dollars and spending it on other things. In this case, a tax cut for the American consumer.

Now, that's a good thing to spend it on, but it either is a Social Security trust fund, it either is money to pay for Social Security benefits, and it's levied for that purposes, or it's not. And in this case, you see the president advocating and pushing to undermine the stability of the Social Security system, and I'm against that.

BLITZER: What is Ron Paul bringing to this race that's exciting a lot of the potential caucus-goers in Iowa?

SANTORUM: A lot of money. He's been running -- I've been here in Iowa for two weeks, and there isn't a commercial break that passes that Ron Paul doesn't have an ad. And, of course, he has a loyal following. He's got a very good grassroots organization, and really nobody's talking about it.

All the negative ads from Governor Perry and from Mitt Romney have been focused on Newt Gingrich. I think the point is that this ad -- this poll was taken as a lot of these others polls were taken before the last debate, and I think both Michele Bachmann and I did a pretty good job of showing how dangerous Ron Paul would be as a nominee for our party, where he would be in a position where he'd be to the left.

In fact, far to the left of President Obama on the issue of national security, It would be a great thing if he were running as a liberal Democrat, but he's not. He's running as a Republican.

I think more people who see the clear contrast of someone like myself, who has been out there, who understands the threats that face this country, someone who has a clear idea of how we can make America safer -- and it isn't by gutting our Defense Department and making us a third-rate power in the world.

but a lot of folks who are very concerned that between Michele Bachmann and Rick Perry and myself, that we're going to split the conservative vote and someone like a Gingrich or a Romney or now even a Paul could end up winning the Iowa caucuses, and we could be left with someone who's not particularly conservative as the standard bearer of the party.

And there were a lot of conversations. Several people called me and said, would you consider maybe getting out and supporting someone else? And we're going to call the others and do the same.

My response to that is let the people of Iowa vote. This race isn't going to be over after one caucus. This is a long process.

Let the people decide who the best person to carry the conservative banner is. I believe that they are going to select me, and I feel very confident about that. But you know what? If it's somebody else, that's fine.

We have to trust the voters instead of some deal being made between the candidates. I rejected that, and thankfully, so did all the other candidates reject that. It's just people -- good intention as it was -- and I think it was good intention because they're concerned about their issues being front and center in this debate, but it was just not a proper idea.