GREEN BAY, Wis. — Another victory in hand but still trailing rival Mitt Romney, Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum vowed to continue his campaign despite an increasingly steep climb to the nomination.
Santorum’s win in Saturday’s Louisiana primary boosted his spirit but did little to narrow the delegate gap. On Sunday, the former Pennsylvania senator urged his supporters to stick with him even as much of the GOP establishment has coalesced around Romney.
“Even though a lot of folks are saying this race is over, the people in Louisiana said, ‘No, it’s not.’ They still want to see someone who they can trust, someone who’s not running an Etch a Sketch campaign, but one who has their principals written on their heart, not on an erasable tablet,” Santorum said Sunday on CBS’ Face the Nation. “And I think that’s what helped us deliver the win in Louisiana, and I think we’re going to do very well up here in Wisconsin, too.”
The “Etch A Sketch” comment was a reference to a top Romney aide’s televised assertion last week that campaign promises are meaningless. U.S. Rep. Ron Paul of Texas, who also is seeking the GOP nomination, has launched an Internet ad condemning the comment.
Romney remains the leader in the race, with 568 delegates to Santorum’s 273, according to an Associated Press tally. Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich follows with 135, and Paul has 50. A candidate would need 1,144 delegates to clinch the nomination ahead of the GOP convention this summer in Tampa, Fla.
On Saturday, Santorum said he wanted to debate Romney without Gingrich and Paul on stage.
“This race has clearly gotten down to two candidates that can win the nomination,” Santorum said in Milwaukee. “I’d love to have a one-on one debate.”
Romney’s team dismissed the idea and the Louisiana win.
“Rick Santorum is like a football team celebrating a field goal when they are losing by seven touchdowns with less than a minute left in the game,” said Romney spokesman Ryan Williams, who crashed Santorum’s victory party.
On Sunday, Santorum shot back, saying the comments came from “a desperate campaign that has no message.”
Santorum said voters are “looking for someone who’s going to win the election because they have better ideas, not because they’ve been able to pound their opponent into the ground with overwhelming negative ads. That’s why we won Louisiana last night and that’s why we’re going to do well in Wisconsin.”
Neither Santorum nor Romney, who took a day off from his campaign, was in the state as Louisiana Republicans weighed in. Bothmen were looking ahead to the coming contests.
“This race is long and far from over, and to the people of Wisconsin, I just say to you: On, Wisconsin! Let’s get it done!” Santorum said at his victory celebration for his 11th win.
Santorum lost to Romney earlier in the week in Illinois, moving some party stalwarts to rally around the front-runner.
Many urged Santorum and Gingrich to drop out of the race, worrying that a long nomination fight could hurt the party’s chances against President Barack Obama.
The Democratic incumbent faces no serious primary challenge and his re-election campaign already is well under way.
Santorum’s aides are looking ahead at Wisconsin as a bright spot, as well as Pennsylvania, the delegate-rich state Santorum represented in Congress.
Front Section, Pages 3 on 03/26/2012