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WZZM 13 ONLINE
MESA, Ariz. (USA Today) - Nineteen debates later, it was finally Rick Santorum's turn at center stage.
Former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney accused Santorum, the latest leader in national polls, of being a big spender who as a senator from Pennsylvania voted five times to raise the debt ceiling and to approve earmark spending. Texas Rep. Ron Paul called Santorum "a fake" and said he was running as a conservative after voting for big government programs like No Child Left Behind.
"While I was fighting to save the Olympics, you were fighting to save the 'Bridge from Nowhere,' " Romney charged. The Romney campaign blasted out details in an e-mail headlined: "Santorum and earmarks: A love story."
"You don't know what you're talking about," Santorum responded, looking frustrated.
A few minutes later, he shot back, arguing that he had taken a principled, consistent position by opposing the government rescue plans for banks and the auto industry - unlike his rival. "With respect to Gov. Romney, that was not the case," he said. "He supported the folks on Wall Street... and when it came to auto workers and the folks in Detroit, he said no."
The debate at the Mesa Arts Center, the final four contenders seated at a table side by side, began with prickly sparring and continued with charges and counter-charges about everything from positions on immigration to political endorsements they have made. While in the early debates they often reserved harshest language for President Obama, the contenders this time were focused on portraying their Republican rivals as unreliable conservatives who lacked the experience or temperament to win the presidency.
The audience booed when moderator John King raised the issue of contraception, prompting an extended discussion about the role of the government and the future of families.
Romney says Obama was making attacks on "religious tolerance, religious freedom," referring to the administration's move to require religious-affiliated institutions to provide contraception to employers. After an uproar, the proposed rule was revised to require insurance companies, not the institutions to do so.
Santorum was pressed to explain what he meant when in an interview he mentioned the "dangers" of contraception. "We're seeing a problem in our culture with respect that children are being raised by children," he said. "Bottom line is: We have a problem in this country and the family is fracturing."
Paul, an obstetrician, broke in that birth control pills "can't be blamed for the immorality of our society."
Santorum said: "The left gets all upset: 'Oh, look at him talking about these things.' Just because I'm talking about it doesn't mean I want a government program to fix it."
Gingrich also discussed the issue. "When you have a government as the central provider of services you inevitably move toward tyranny ... and move towards the coercion of the state," he warned.
Later, Santorum brought up the Massachusetts health care law Romney signed, saying "Romneycare ... was the model for Obamacare."
"Wait a minute," Romney broke in, detailing differences between the state and federal laws. Then he reminded Santorum of this: You endorsed me for president four years ago.
He also blamed Santorum for the passage of federal health care law, saying he had supported Pennsylvania Sen. Arlen Specter for re-election over a more conservative Republican challenger and Specter then provided a critical vote for the bill.
The language was strong and the manner feisty because the future of their candidacies was at stake.
Since the Republican presidential hopefuls held their last encounter almost a month ago in Florida, Santorum has taken the lead in national polls after sweeping the Feb. 7 contests in Colorado, Minnesota and Missouri.
Romney, whose victory in Florida squelched Gingrich's rise, has used millions of dollars in TV ads to battle his way back to get even with Santorum in his home state of Michigan.
Gingrich, who has struggled to build on his victory in the South Carolina primary last month, is spending his time in his home state of Georgia, one of the Super Tuesday states that votes March 6 where a failure to win could undercut his campaign.
Paul was disappointed by his failure to carry the caucuses in Maine, where he had devoted time and money. He's now focused on other caucus states that vote Super Tuesday and later to gain convention delegates.
The debate was in suburban Phoenix but the audience being targeted by Santorum and Romney was 2,000 miles away, in Michigan. A Detroit Free Press-WXYZ-TV poll released Wednesday showed Santorum at 37%, Romney at 34% in Michigan.
In Arizona, the RealClearPolitics.com average of five polls taken over the past seven days give Romney a lead of 8 points over Santorum.
Nationwide, the daily Gallup tracking poll Wednesday showed Santorum at 35%, Romney 27%, Gingrich 15% and Paul 10%.
Earlier in the day, in Chandler, Ariz., Romney hammered President Obama for a corporate tax proposal unveiled at the White House that would close loopholes and reduce the corporate tax from to 28% from 35%. Romney touted a new tax plan of his own that would lower corporate tax rates to 25% and cut tax rates by 20% across the board.
Rep. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., a Romney backer, said he expected Romney to do well next week and that they have been working to turn supporters for early voting, whicih began three weeks ago. "Arizona is Mitt Romney country," Flake said. "You see that in the rallies the number of people that turn out. The polls are trending our way, they've worked the early ballots hard and the campaign is running on all cylinders here."
Page reported from Washington, D.C. Contributing: Catalina Camia