Santormentum

Today's Ringside Seat: Santorum takes his turn in the spotlight, even though he's most likely just keeping the seat warm for Romney. 

by

Rick Santorum might have lost his most famous battles-not just for re-election as senator from Pennsylvania in 2006, but also against Dan Savage's icky re-definition of his name. But he could be winning the contest to become the GOP's right-wing alternative to Mitt Romney. In yesterday's Time/CNN poll, the social-values crusader registered 16 percent in Iowa, vaulting him ahead of Governor Rick Perry and Newt Gingrich. For a money-strapped candidate whose most notable moment thus far was his failure to chide audience members who booed a gay soldier, this might seem inexplicable. But Santorum has run a dogged, Jimmy Carter-style shoeleather campaign in Iowa, hitting all 99 counties, and he won the endorsement of the state's most influential evangelical leader, Bob Vander Plaats. In the surest sign that Santorum is rising, Perry has begun to attack him, airing a faux game-show ad hosted by "Wink Taxandspend" that says Santorum "is proud of feeding at the earmark trough." Also, Erick Erickson is fretting at RedState that if Santorum finishes in the top three in Iowa, instead of Perry or Gingrich, "we might as well sit back and declare Mitt Romney the nominee."

SO THEY SAY

"Every barrel of oil that comes out of those sands in Canada is a barrel of oil that we don't have to buy from a foreign source."

-Rick Perry, speaking in Clarinda, Iowa

DAILY MEME: MITT THE INEVITABLE

​

WHAT WE'RE READING

WHAT WE'RE WRITING

​

POLL OF THE DAY

The Pew Hispanic Center finds that Obama's approval rating among Latinos has sunk to 49 percent-but they still support the president over Romney by 68 to 23 percent. In 2008, Obama had a 67-31 edge among Latinos.

There's too much at stake this November for us to quit. As we navigate another presidential election year, thoughtful independent journalism is more important than ever. We're committed to bringing you the latest news on what's really happening across the country this election season, shining a light on the stories corporate media overlooks and keeping the public informed about how power really works in America.

Quality reporting doesn't come for free, and we don't have corporate backers to rely on to fund our work. Everything we do is thanks to our incredible community of readers, who chip in a few dollars at a time to make what we do possible. This month, we're trying to raise $50,000 to help fuel our election coverage, and we've fallen behind on reaching our goal. Any amount you give today will bring us closer to making our reporting possible—and a generous donor has agreed to match all online donations, so your impact will be doubled.

You can help power this newsroom by making a donation today.