Santorum sets PA schedule, faces Romney ad blitz
Republican Presidential candidate Rick Santorum releases a schedule of campaign events next week in Pennsylvania, the state he represented for 16 years in Congress. Meanwhile, Salena Zito of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reports Romney is buying $2.9 million in air time to try to blow Santorum out of the water.
Santorum sets PA schedule, faces Romney ad blitz
Thomas Fitzgerald, Inquirer Politics Writer
Facing long odds and an aerial ad bombardment from frontrunner Mitt Romney, Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum plans to resume campaigning Tuesday in his home state of Pennsylvania, according to a schedule of events released Saturday morning.
The Santorum campaign trail next week will run along US 30, the iconic Lincoln Highway that spans the state. He is to begin Tuesday morning with a rally at a sportsmen’s club in Bedford, Pa., continuing to an evening appearance at Lancaster Bible College along with religious right leader James Dobson and the candidate’s wife, Karen.
On Wednesday, Santorum is scheduled to be in the Philadelphia metropolitan area, at a “Red Meat” tour event hosted by WPHT-AM conservative talker Chris Stigall. The former senator will attend the Westmoreland County GOP spring dinner in Greensburg, PA.
Meanwhile, Romney forces have purchased $2.9 million worth of television time to run three weeks of commercials in the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, Erie, Altoona/Johnstown and Philadelphia media markets starting on Monday – according to a scoop by Salena Zito of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.
Romney adds also will begin running within a week in the Pittsburgh market, Zito reported. Already the super PAC supporting Romney, Restore Our Future, has been running cable television ads in Pennsylvania.
The Romney campaign and its backers had been debating whether to go all-in with advertising in Pennsylvania in hopes of delivering a knockout to Santorum in the state’s April 24 GOP primary, or whether it would be better to husband resources for the general election.
Romney has a virtually insurmountable lead in the delegates needed to win the nomination at the GOP convention in Tampa in August, and Santorum is facing pressure from GOP leaders to drop out of the race to avoid damaging the party chances in the fall. Those who have spoken with Santorum say is not going to quit; his campaign strategists hope that a victory in Pennsylvania will give momentum to continue fighting in a series of southern states in May that have demographics favorable to Santorum. The notion: block Romney from getting the 1,144 majority in delegates needed and force an open convention.
The Santorum schedule for next week is much thinner than his grueling series of events in recent primary states, leading to buzz in GOP circles that he may indeed drop out. On Friday, the schedule says, Santorum is to address the National Rifle Association convention in St. Louis.
When with this "JOKE" go away!— thepaguy- The voters of PA kicked him out of the senate and now we will kick him out of the presidential race. When Radical Rick can't even win his former state in the primary, he will drop out of the race. — Daddio
- No way. I was a member of the large morass of people in the "Anybody But Santorum" camp to get rid of him years ago. Now I'm behind Santorum all the way (holding my nose). Forcing an open convention will be the best political theatre in years. Can't wait. — EastChestnut
- I'm starting to believe that the only reason Santorum insists on staying in a race he has no chance to win is because he hopes to parlay this "campaign" into another career (like Fox correspondent). No one in their right mind (except gun-toting Bible thumpers who disguise their racism as conservatism), will vote for him in any public office.— Broke Scholar
- Rick is my hero. Im proud to tote guns, and he is in no way racist, u idiot — HAMMER77777
- Ricky for president!!— HAMMER77777
- A liberal, a moderate and a consevative walk into a bar. Bartender yells out "HEY Mitt!!!"
Can't use that joke with Rocky Santorum. His was NEVER for abortion, gun control, gays rights or universal health care.
Bishop Romneycare is a complete JOKE.
Only difference between Kerry and Romneycare is Kerry fought in Vietnam while Mittens moved to FRANCE to get out of serving. And of course, John Kerry is a Christian and Willard isn't.
As bad as a candidate as John Kerry was, he's Thomas Jefferson compared to Willard Romneycare.— Foxclove5 
i eat red meat yet i despise Santorum. i would despise him even if didn't. he's the first guy to take bribe from a pharmo company and then take away your social security to pad their pockets. This guy stole from PA residents, kids in VA getting PA status. Just one of a group of "moral wrongs" this phony, hypocrite is guilty of. It ain't the 1700's. PA will not be duped, Rick.— Pluski- Rick loves the meat— n62
- Rick Santorum - Fiscal conservative who voted for spending bill after spending bill in the Senate and voted for the most expensive bill in the last 50 years (MMA Act of 2003) in Congress. Man who advocates 'freedom' but only if it meets his morally-approved and somewhat narrow vision of it. Pretty much everything I despise about this current iteration of the GOP. Deficits only matter when we don't have the Presidency/Congress, endless warmongering and foreign conflicts, and a social conservative who wants to be in your bedroom and define your morality. No thanks.— PhillyGuy77
- Every time I hear Santorum I throw up.— BobSG
- this is a guy who is all about himself. Not a prayer of winning, yet continues to slash and burn the party.. Its a shame he can not be drummed out.— stevejones
- n62, you stole my joke!— Middle_Class
- Rick Santorum. Man of a hundred faces and totally unapologetic about it.— Grazman
- Where is the Keith Olberman and Bill Conlin comment section?— Richardgozinya
You can reach Tom Fitzgerald at 215-854-2718 or tfitzgerald@phillynews.com.
Reach Thomas at tfitzgerald@phillynews.com.
