Santorum, others argue their talents for Iowa's GOP caucuses

DES MOINES, Iowa -- Republican presidential candidates spent the last day of 2011 making their closing arguments to curious, often uncertain, voters as the race remained fluid.

Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and Texas Rep. Ron Paul were at the top of the polls, but former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum was surging.

Trailing were Texas Gov. Rick Perry, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann.

Gingrich blasted the Obama administration, saying the Justice Department was trying to "steal elections." Romney and Santorum made last-ditch pitches to rally support. Perry tore into Santorum for aiding in "fleecing the American taxpayer."

Paul went home to Texas for the holiday weekend, and Bachmann rallied voters from her Urbandale, Iowa, headquarters.

Santorum stoked the most curiosity Saturday. Until this week, he had been crisscrossing the state almost unnoticed by voters and the media, as he visited all the state's 99 counties and held nearly 360 town hall meetings.

But in the last few days, he's become the darling of many in the state's influential evangelical Christian community, especially as Bachmann faded.

Santorum's loftier status made him a prime target for Perry, who is competing for the same slice of the Iowa electorate. He blasted Santorum during an appearance at the Gigglin' Goat Restaurant in downtown Boone, Iowa.

"I think the world of Rick Santorum, but we've got some real differences when it comes to fiscal issues. The differences couldn't be clearer," Perry said.

Too often, Perry said, Santorum backed federal spending on unnecessary local projects. That, said Perry, is nothing more than "pork barrel spending where senators scratch each others' backs ... it's about fleecing the American taxpayer."

The crowd, like most others in Iowa these days, was split between candidate supporters and undecided voters.

Sarah Walker, 34, a Fort Dodge, Iowa, certified medical assistant and the mother of a 10-year-old boy, says she's likely to support Perry and welcomes his promises to slash government spending.

"I like Gov. Perry, I think he'll be a wonderful leader," she said. "I like the idea of smaller government."

But Harvey Harrison, 51, a Boone customer service representative, said he's trying to decide between Bachmann and Paul.

He likes Paul, he said, because of the congressman's opposition to U.S. involvement in foreign entanglements.

"He wants to take us back to how the founding fathers felt about foreign relations," Harrison said, but added, "Right now I'm still looking."

Santorum, appearing in Indianola at about the same hour, did not engage Perry, instead tackling the issue wavering voters often mention: That he can't beat President Barack Obama.

Santorum urged potential caucus-goers at a library to ignore national pundits about who can or cannot win in a general election.

"Trust your judgment and lead," he told a room where supporters slightly outnumbered media members. "Lead and be bold. If you do, you will change the tenor of this race."

"We'd love for you to be helpful as caucus captains," Santorum added. "We need you to be there for us ...If you're willing to sign up, we'd be very grateful. I know all the campaigns say they need your help, they're lying. I need your help."

Santorum's campaign also launched a new television ad saying he had the best chance of beating Obama. The ad, which will also run next week in New Hampshire, stresses his strong conservative record and moral values.

Source: http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/12/31/2568572/santorum-others-argue-their-talents.html

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