Coincidence?

An ad that has aired in Nashville for the past week by Restore Our Future, a “super PAC” supporting former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, touts Romney’s job-creation record, says he “rescued” the 2002 Winter Olympics and praises his efforts that “turned a deficit into a surplus without raising taxes.” At the same time, it bashes rival Republican candidate Rick Santorum, a former U.S. senator from Pennsylvania, for being “the ultimate Washington insider,” voting to raise the debt limit five times and “voting for billions in waste.”

"Romney and Santorum: big differences,” the 30-second spot concludes.

Meanwhile, an email blast sent out by Romney’s campaign Tuesday, under the subject line “CONGRESSMAN/SENATOR RICK SANTORUM VS. MITT ROMNEY: A STUDY IN CONTRASTS,” talks about Santorum’s 16 years in Congress, his five votes to raise the debt ceiling and “at least three votes to raise his own pay.” Romney, on the other hand, wins plaudits for the “turnaround” of Bain and Co., the work he did that “helped rescue” the Olympics and how he “began closing Massachusetts’ $3 billion budget deficit by cutting spending and getting the state’s fiscal house in order.”