Santorum: Christian leaders ‘really worried’ about Romney or Paul win

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Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum revealed Wednesday that Bob Vander Plaats, the head of anti-gay Christian group The Family Leader, and other conservative leaders had asked either him, Michele Bachmann or Rick Perry to drop out because they were “really worried that Mitt Romney or Ron Paul’s going to win.”

In the end, none of those candidates dropped out and Vander Plaats endorsed Santorum Tuesday.

Bachmann confirmed to Fox News Wednesday that Vander Plaats had asked her to quit the race.

“I’ve been polling above the Ricks, and so there would be absolutely no reason for me to drop out,” she explained.

A questioner in Fairfield, Iowa Wednesday asked Santorum if he was “willing to disavow those actions by Bob Vander Plaats?”

“Well as a matter of fact, not only Bob Vander Plaats, but a lot of people have been calling me and asking me to do the same thing,” Santorum replied. “There was a movement on part by a lot of conservatives to try to get both me and Rick Perry — and Michele Bachmann — and ask all of us to get out of the race and consider supporting one of the others.”

“There were folks saying, ‘We’re really worried that Mitt Romney or Ron Paul’s going to win, and we need to get the conservatives together,’” he added.

Watch this video from CNN, broadcast Dec. 20, 2011.