Santorum Walks Back Remark On Obama 2nd Term

WEST MONROE, La. (AP) — 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.