(Newser) – Mitt Romney has ticked off Rush Limbaugh by saying he's not willing to make outrageous accusations against President Obama just to excite the conservative "base," and win votes. "It’s very easy to excite the base with incendiary comments,” Romney told reporters ahead of the Arizona and Michigan primaries. "I’m not willing to light my hair on fire to try and get support. I am who I am." Limbaugh claims the remarks show Romney has a low opinion of the conservative base, reports the Huffington Post.

"So Romney's not willing to say incendiary things about Obama to incite the base," he told his listeners. "What does this tell you that Romney thinks of the base? That it takes incendiary comments to turn you on? That all you want is somebody beating up on Obama?" Limbaugh also slammed Romney for ruling out incendiary comments so early in the race. "At least McCain waited till the general campaign to make it clear that anybody criticizing Obama would be fired," Limbaugh said. "Here it's happening in the primary." (Read more Rush Limbaugh stories.)

