PINEVILLE, La. - In his most forceful statement on the issue yet, Rick Santorum wanted to leave no question about where his allegiances lie when it comes to his vote this November.

"Over my dead body would I vote for Barack Obama," Santorum said to applause at a rally at Louisiana College.

Santorum accused the Romney campaign of engaging in a "ridiculous canard" by suggesting he'd vote for the president over a Republican candidate.

During a speech in San Antonio, Texas Thursday, Santorum suggested the country might be better off with Obama than an "Etch A Sketch candidate."

"You win by giving people a choice. You win by giving people the opportunity to see a different vision for our country, not someone who's just going to be a little different than the person in there. If you're going to be a little different, we might as well stay with what we have instead of taking a risk with what may be the etch a sketch candidate of the future," Santorum told a crowd at USAA.

The Romney campaign quickly jumped on his comment, sending out a statement condemning Santorum for saying he would prefer Obama over a Republican

But throughout Friday, Santorum insisted he never said he would vote for President Obama over a Republican nominee, accusing the Romney campaign of conducting "the hatchet job of all time."

"I would never, I've always said I would never vote for President Obama. Are you kidding me? What do you think I'm doing this for? Because I like Barack Obama?" Santorum said in a phone interview on "Your World with Neil Cavuto" Friday afternoon. "It's absurd. The idea that I would even contemplate voting for Barack Obama over any Republican is outrageous," Santorum said. "This is why this is a such a joke and the creation of the political Romney class."