Romney fights to avoid home-state embarrassment

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (AP) — Mitt Romney hoped to avoid an embarrassing home-state loss in today’s Michigan primary but blamed his difficulty attracting needed support from the state’s conservative Republicans on his unwillingness “to light my hair on fire” to get their votes.

Rival Rick Santorum, meanwhile, defended his campaign’s use of automated telephone calls encouraging Michigan Democrats to vote against Romney.

He suggested that Romney did essentially the same thing earlier this year and should stop complaining.