This is a rush transcript from "On the Record," February 10, 2012. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.

GRETA VAN SUSTEREN, FOX NEWS HOST: Right now, Senator Rick Santorum joins us. Nice to see you, Senator.

RICK SANTORUM, GOP PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Thank you, Greta. It's good to be back in the chair.

VAN SUSTEREN: Nice to have you back. You've been on -- you've been on the road a little bit?

SANTORUM: Yes, here for CPAC, so back in Washington, and it's nice to be here. It's good to see you. You're looking great.

VAN SUSTEREN: Well, thank you. All right, I'm going to ask you in a second about this new -- this HHS rule. But first, I'm curious -- fund-raising -- in light of the fact that you swept Missouri, Minnesota, Colorado, how's the fund-raising?

SANTORUM: We've done $3 million in three days. It's been just overwhelming. Just thank everybody. It's been a great boost to us. It's obviously given us an opportunity to go out now and really start -- start playing heavily in some states that -- that, you know, we have an opportunity.

Michigan in particular, we think we have a greater message with our "Made in America" plan, and you know, the kind of economic growth that is going to get manufacturing back in this country and grow those jobs in Michigan. And you know, the other side of Michigan, the western side of Michigan, we got, you know, the good, strong conservative values that is -- you know, Grand Rapids and that great western Michigan heartland of America. We think we can run very, very well in the state of Michigan.

VAN SUSTEREN: Do you really think you can beat Governor Romney? Because that is his stomping grounds.

SANTORUM: Well...

VAN SUSTEREN: I mean, his family...

(CROSSTALK)

VAN SUSTEREN: You think you can beat him in Michigan?

SANTORUM: Yes, we've got -- look, you know, I came from a steel town in western Pennsylvania, grew up, you know, with working-class roots, and had the opportunity to see what manufacturing means to this country and what it did to the town that I grew up in.

And you know, we're going through the same thing in Michigan as they did in western Pennsylvania. And we put a plan together that's -- without question will make Michigan -- will turn that economy around in a heartbeat.

And that's what folks are looking for. They're looking for somebody who has ideas, that aren't -- maybe -- you know, not the model. I mean, "The Wall Street Journal" called our plan the supply side economics for the working man, and they criticized it. They criticized. Oh, you know, you can't single out manufacturing, just try to help manufacturing. Well, you can if that's where we're losing our jobs.

I was watching your show the other night...

VAN SUSTEREN: Uh-oh!

SANTORUM: ... when you had -- when you had your good, dear friend on...

VAN SUSTEREN: Which one?

SANTORUM: Your dear, dear friend, Donald.

VAN SUSTEREN: Oh, Donald? He took a swipe at you!

SANTORUM: Yes, he did.

VAN SUSTEREN: Took a big swipe at you!

SANTORUM: Yes, he did. And...

VAN SUSTEREN: But he sort of -- during the source of the conversation, though, He chilled out on you a little.

SANTORUM: Well, he said, Oh, yes, he talked to me once. ... I talked to him. I was in a -- I had seen him on your show the day before. This was right after the straw poll. And I was in a Sheets, which is a convenience store, you know, one of these gas and -- gas and go place.

And I just got so -- I just was stewing about it. And I finally just picked up the phone and called him. And to his credit, he called me right back. And -- because he was criticizing me, as he did on your show. Well, he lost his last race.

I said, Donald -- I said, Donald, did you ever fail in anything? I said, When you did, did they give you another chance or did they say, "You failed once, you're done"? He failed many times and came back. And I think he's doing pretty well right now.

VAN SUSTEREN: What did he say to you? What did he say to that?

SANTORUM: He said, "Good point". And I said, Well, you know, you learn from failure, don't you? And he said, Yes, you do. And I said, So criticizing me for failing once out of five races that I run -- I run, not particularly a fair way of looking at it. He said, No, you make a good point.

And then I talked to him about what we were doing to combat China and get the manufacturing jobs in this country. And he said, Oh, yes, he said, but you know, you -- you know, you talk about social issues too much.

I said, The only reason I talk about social issues on this campaign right now is I talk about the importance of families in our economy, that when families are broken, it's harder for them to do well economically. And that's just a fact. And you know, why shouldn't we do things to try to help and nurture and support the family? And said, Well, no, I understand that.

So he may not remember that conversation. I remember it very well and...

VAN SUSTEREN: Well, now -- now all the viewers remember it. They've heard it.

SANTORUM: There you go.

VAN SUSTEREN: All right, HHS -- the president's "accommodation" today, that's what they're calling it...

SANTORUM: Yes.

VAN SUSTEREN: ... where -- your thought on it because this was his effort to sort of resolve what's obviously been a big problem with the -- with the -- with Catholics and many people on religious freedom.