Rick Santorum is not going to win the Republican nomination. Rick Santorum knows this, and so Rick Santorum is getting a bit testy. According to The New York Times, during a speech in Wisconsion, the former Senator told supporters that Mitt Romney was “the worst Republican in the country,” but when he was pressed on that comment later, he got angry.

Politico reports that Santorum said, “Quit distorting my words. It’s bullish*t,” to Times reporter Jeff Zeleny. Then his camp sent out an email insisting that he was ready to rumble with the evil paper of record:

I’m Ready to Take On the New York Times.

Earlier today, while campaigning in Wisconsin, I criticized Romney and Obama for their outrageous healthcare legislation. Predictably, I was aggressively attacked by a New York Times reporter all too ready to defend the two of them, and all too ready to distort my words. Let me assure you, I didn’t back down, and I didn’t let him bully me. I think it is high time that conservatives find the courage to expose the liberal press for what they are, a defender and enabler of Romney’s and Obama’s liberal agendas.

Okay! Well, it’s clear that someone needs to give Santorum a pat on the back and tell him he had a good run, but it’s over now. Hell, give the man a hug; he sounds like he needs one. Because this will only get more awkward the longer it goes on.