As we get closer and closer to 2012, more and more Republicans seem to be taking shots at one another, mostly subtle jabs meant to knock an opponent, or potential opponent, down a notch or two, as well as to reinforce one’s own partisan, ideological bona fides. Take this, for example:

Rick Santorum knocked Sarah Palin’s decision to skip CPAC, saying on Tuesday that she must have “business opportunities” that are keeping her from the annual conservative conference that is a showcase for potential presidential contenders.

“I have a feeling that she has some demands on her time, and a lot of them have financial benefit attached to them,” Santorum told conservative commentator S.E. Cupp, who hosts an online radio show on Glenn Beck’s website.

Santorum added that Palin has “other business opportunities” — implying her paid speeches were the former Alaska governor’s priority.

Ouch! Take that, Sarah!

Now, there’s little doubt that Palin is in it — politics, that is — for herself, to enhance her stardom and to make more and more money. That’s not to say that she isn’t really a right-wing extremist with sincere views, just that those “opportunities” are driving her.

So Santorum is basically saying that she’s not committed enough, not enough of a team player, and he’s pretty clear that she should just stay the hell up in Alaska, out of the way:

Santorum — the father of seven children — also said that Palin has “other responsibilities,” such as raising her children, that he doesn’t.

“I don’t live in Alaska and I’m not the mother to all these kids and I don’t have other responsibilities that she has,” he said.

I guess a good Catholic father like Santorum doesn’t have any such responsibilities, what with his wife staying home and obeying his every command.

Here he’s just being a jerk, and for once I’ll defend her. Palin has just as much right as he has to be in politics, and Santorum can take his sexism and stick it up his arrogant self-righteousness.

That aside, though, this is all getting better and better — and worse and worse for Republicans. And there will be a lot more to come, from Santorum and others, as they try to position themselves in holier-than-thou ways in anticipation of 2012.

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Update: Perhaps not surprisingly, Santorum went into full-on revisionist mode:

“This article is garbage,” Santorum tweeted [yesterday] morning, linking to the POLITICO story. “All I said was- she is VERY busy, PERIOD. Reporter trying to create something out of nothing.”

Um, no, that’s not all he said. So much for taking responsibility for yourself.

(Cross-posted from The Reaction.)