First GOP Debate: Santorum Protests, Trump Downplays, and Christie Assures

Two days before members of the unusually large Republican presidential field receive word as to who will get one of the coveted 10 spots on a prime time televised debate Thursday, former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum, one of those likely to be relegated to an afternoon consolation face-off, attacked the criteria for making the choice.

"National polls mean nothing," Santorum said Sunday during an appearance on ABC's This Week. The Pennsylvanian directed his fire at both Fox News, the TV network co-hosting the debate with Facebook, and the Republican National Committee, which sanctioned the debate. "It's just an arbitrary figure, and unfortunately, the national networks and the RNC have gone along with this irrelevant measure of legitimacy of candidacy."