Romney works to fend off challenge from Santorum

Associated Press

GRAND JUNCTION, Colo.

Sensing a possible threat, Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney criticized rival Rick Santorum’s time in the Senate as “not effective” because of his past support for spending on pork-barrel projects as he worked to fend off an unexpected challenge in the next states to vote.

Santorum countered that Romney “should not be our nominee” because he was “dead wrong on the most important issue of the day” when, as governor, he signed a health-care overhaul into law in Massachusetts.

The two sparred from afar one day before Republicans in Colorado and Minnesota have nominating caucuses, the latest contests in what’s become almost a plodding race for the GOP nomination compared with the rapid-fire campaign of last month. Newt Gingrich and Ron Paul also are competing, but neither was expected to have a breakout performance in either state.

Romney, who won both states four years ago, hopes to extend his winning streak though advisers acknowledged that a first-place finish would be more likely to come by in Colorado than in Minnesota. The Republican Party in Minnesota has become more conservative in recent years, and Santorum’s strong conservative positions on social issues could resonate with the state’s strong contingent of evangelical voters.

Santorum, a Catholic, has a strong anti-abortion record and consistently focuses on the issue. Romney, who once supported abortion rights, has struggled to win over those voters. But in a sign that he’s trying to do just that, Romney’s campaign Monday rolled out a petition focusing on religious liberty. The move was intended to challenge a recent Obama-administration decision to require hospitals to distribute free birth control, a policy at odds with the religious teachings followed at many Catholic health-care facilities.

Romney said the policy forced Catholics to distribute “abortive pills.”

Clearly mindful of the shift in Minnesota, Santorum has been working that state and conservative areas of Colorado aggressively in the past two weeks while Romney campaigned in Florida and Nevada and scored back-to-back victories. It was clear Monday that Santorum saw an opportunity to rise in the GOP race.