Proof Is in the Pudding': Santorum Blasts Specter for Denying Their Past Endorsement Deal

Rick Santorum on Friday fired back at former Senate colleague Arlen Specter after Specter disputed Santorum's account of why he backed Specter's 2004 re-election bid.

(Related: ‘I Fell Short’: Santorum Sorry for Lack of Charitable Giving After Confronted by Glenn Beck)

The GOP presidential hopeful has previously said he endorsed his fellow Pennsylvanian because Specter assured him he would support then-President George W. Bush's judicial nominees as the head of the Judiciary Committee. Specter was a Republican at the time but became a Democrat in 2009, making Santorum's support of him a source for campaign trail attacks, largely from Mitt Romney.

Specter said Thursday and again Friday that the conversation Santorum has recounted -- most recently during Wednesday's GOP debate -- never happened.

"No," Specter told CNN Thursday. "I made no promise about supporting anybody. I wouldn't do it. It would be wrong to make a promise in advance of knowing who the nominee was and what the qualifications were."

Speaking on Glenn Beck's radio program Friday morning, Santorum scoffed at Specter's denial.

"All I would say is that the proof is in the pudding. Arlen Specter stood up and defended [Supreme Court Justice Samuel] Alito and [Chief Justice John] Roberts every moment they were attacked, he was the first one out there, defending them, doing exactly what he said he was going to do," Santorum said.

But with Specter contending he never had that conversation, Beck asked, wouldn't it be easy enough for Specter to say "well they were just the right guys?"

"Yeah right," Santorum said. "I think Arlen Specter's history of not, you know, not supporting -- all the conservative justices that were out there -- judges. It's pretty well known. The fact is, what I recounted to you is exactly what happened, it's exactly what Senator Specter said when he came into the committee."

Santorum continued, "I feel -- no doubt in my mind that Justice Alito in particular would not be on the court today if it wasn't for Arlen Specter, it was a close vote. There were a lot of things that were thrown at him and Sen. Specter was the first guy up there to knock them down and he did a great job in getting Alito through."

"That's the reality of the situation. You know, Arlen Specter's a Democrat, Arlen Specter doesn't want to see Rick Santorum elected and I can just tell you that that was a condition for me to step up and support him at the end of the campaign."

So is Specter lying? Beck asked.

"I think...I'd listen to that answer, you hear some parsing," Santorum said. "What I would say is the conversation occurred, assurances were made and it was vitally important for me to get involved in the campaign."

Listen below via GBTV (audio is in two parts since the conversation took a detour in the middle):