ST. LOUIS (KMOX) – Stumping for Mitt Romney in a campaign teleconference, former Missouri Senator Jim Talent called Rick Santorum a “big spender” for voting in favor of a Medicare-Part D.   Wait a minute,  Talent voted for that, too.

“I want to note that Senator Santorum voted in favor of… Medicare Part D, a big expansion of a federal entitlement,” Talent said.

Talent also criticized Santorum for voting in favor of No Child Left Behind, labeling it as a “big expansion of federal power over local education.”

No Child Left Behind was a Bush Administration priority bill that many Republicans favored.

Former Missouri Senator Jim Talent

While praising Santorum for his “social conservatism,” Talent noted that the CATO institute rated Santorum as someone who “never met an earmark he didn’t like.”

 During his time in Congress, Santorum reportedly sponsored or cosponsored 51 bills to increase spending, and failed to sponsor or co-sponsor even one spending cut proposal.

The teleconference came against the backdrop of Romney’s falling poll numbers and Santorum’s recent rise.

The CBS News/New York Times poll shows Santorum leading Romney 30% to 27% among Republican primary voters nationwide.

A separate new poll, from Fairleigh Dickinson University, shows Romney one step ahead of Santorum 32% to 31% among Republicans and Republican-leaning independents.

In yet another new poll from he Pew Research Center for People and Press, Santorum is leading Romney 30% to 28%.

Pundits speculate that tea party Republicans and evangelicals may be taking a serious look at Santorum as a conservative alternative to Romney.

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