Rachel Maddow chides Rick Santorum for meddling in Virginia governor's race: 'You are a vulture'

MSNBC host Rachel Maddow poked fun at former Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum for his efforts to lead on behalf of beleaguered gubernatorial candidate Ken Cuccinelli, by pointing out that the funds were actually going to Santorum.

"I'm not in the business of giving political advice, but oh my God, Rick Santorum, you are a vulture," Maddow exclaimed, slamming her hand on her desk. "You are trying to pry one last cent for yourself out of the dying spasms of that poor man's campaign. You're rifling the dead guy's pockets to see if he still had his wallet on him when he croaked."

But Cuccinelli's descent into becoming "political carrion," Maddow argued, has been so thorough that he has been reduced to appearing in front of his voter base with conservative figures like radio host Mike Huckabee and reality show stars while state Republicans are so convinced he is going to lose to Democratic candidate Terry McAuliffe that they are moving their financial resources down the election ticket so as to avoid losing more races.

Maddow also noted that Cuccinelli's campaign did not challenge the statements made in a Planned Parenthood commercial that mentions his opposition to emergency contraception, even in cases involving rape.

"That's maybe because, well, his base already knows and likes that he would force a survivor of race or incest in Virginia to carry a pregnancy caused by her attacker," Maddow said. "His base seems to see that as a plus, not a minus, so he can't really deny it."

Watch Maddow's take on the Republicans in disarray in Virginia, as aired Tuesday, below.