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August 31, 2006

Santorum campaign perseveres

Republican senator aims to chisel foe's lead by stressing immigration and pork-barrel politics.

James O'Toole / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Even before its wobbly thrump-thrump-thrump confirmed that a tire on the Santorum campaign bus was flat, forcing the colorful conveyance to the side of the road, the RV's air conditioning had failed in the near-90-degree heat.

Not for the first time in his re-election campaign, Rick Santorum was confounded by forces beyond his control.

His campaign journey offered loads of facile symbolism for Santorum's uphill quest. By Nov. 8, one of the recent omens will be validated as an emblem of the election: either the crippled campaign bus, or its occupants' perseverance.

Embarking on a late-summer bus tour, the Republican assailed his challenger, Bob Casey, before a series of small but friendly audiences. His remarks mixed ideology with classic pork-barrel appeals as he reminded each crowd of the government grants and projects that he had helped shepherd to their counties during his two terms in the Senate.

The tour had kicked off the previous evening with a rally where roughly 300 Santorum partisans cheered him and the Oak Ridge Boys, the venerable country band that followed him to the stage.

As he has throughout the campaign, Santorum said the Democratic challenger was not offering adequate details on his policy positions, while claiming that he was trying to win election on the strength of the Casey name, a commodity in Pennsylvania politics.

"He doesn't tell you anything about what he believes and wants to hide behind his name to get elected," Santorum said.

Recently, Santorum -- a staunch advocate of border security -- assailed Casey's statement that he would have voted for an immigration bill that passed the Senate with the support of a variety of lawmakers, including Sens. Ted Kennedy, D-Mass., and John McCain, R-Ariz.

At another point, while arguing that "Islamic fascism" posed a threat that the nation cannot ignore, he said "folks like Bob Casey and (Democratic National Chairman) Howard Dean don't understand. If they did they wouldn't be talking about withdrawing troops and all the rest."

Casey has enjoyed a consistent lead in the low double digits in almost every public poll, but a recent survey by Muhlenberg University and the Allentown Morning Call, put the Republican's deficit at six points, 45 percent to 39 percent.