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Subscribe to RSSCHARLESTON, S.C. – As Rick Santorum’s supporters celebrated his strong Iowa showing, they were also making preparations for a push through South Carolina that will begin even before the New Hampshire primary vote.
Andrew Burton / Getty Images
U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum addresses a crowd in Iowa on Jan 3.
Santorum’s South Carolina fans, some of whom were gathered at his relatively well-appointed campaign headquarters to watch the caucus returns, will be able to see him in the Palmetto State on the afternoon of Sunday, Jan. 8th, when he stops in Greenville just two days before the New Hampshire vote.
His campaign also added another South Carolina staffer: political consultant Andrew Boucher, a former executive director of the New Hampshire Republican primary – a ramping-up of staff that suggests Santorum will seek to capitalize on his Iowa momentum here, a state that has picked every Republican presidential candidate since 1980.
Recommended: 11 things you might not now about Santorum
Santorum’s supporters, about 15 of whom remained at the headquarters as the final votes trickled in, were ecstatic about his neck-and-neck finish with Mitt Romney – but some of them said they weren’t surprised he did so well.
“I knew this was going to happen,” Kathy Hughes, a retired teacher from Mt. Pleasant, said. “So many people were saying, ‘why are you supporting him? Santorum can’t win!’ But I knew.”
She added that the phones at Santorum’s headquarters here had been ringing non-stop over the past few days. The phone did buzz a few times into the wee hours of Wednesday morning; the last call, Hughes said, came from a voter in Peoria, Illinois who was trying to get in touch with one of Santorum’s early-state headquarters.
Joan Peters, a member of the Charleston Tea Party board from Moncks Corner, said she supported Santorum’s decision not to skip New Hampshire and come directly to South Carolina as Michele Bachmann is doing and Rick Perry was going to do before he announced he’d first return to Austin to reassess his campaign.
“He’s probably not going to win because Mitt Romney’s got New Hampshire pretty sewn up, but he’ll do well and then he’ll come down to South Carolina and the money’s going to start coming in,” Peters said. “People now realize what we’ve always realized, which is that he’s a credible candidate and he can win.”
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@RationalOne-674831
"Even idiots know you are supposed to decrease your spending when your revenues decrease. Obama is worse than an idiot by doing the opposite."
Well IRrationalOne, what, then, does your argument suggest about DUHbya & the republiCLOWNS who turned a budget SURPLUS left by President Clinton into a budget DEFICIT by DECREASING revenues through enacting the Bush Tax Cuts while at the same time INCREASING government spending by involving our country in two UNFUNDED (and unnecessary) wars and passing the Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Plan, which was also UNFUNDED? If, as you suggest, "even idiots" have this basic understanding of fiscal responsibility, wouldn't you have to agree that Bush & the republiCONS have proven themselves to be virtually brain-dead?
Since we MUST continue to pay for both the wars in Iraq & Afghanistan and the cost of Medicare Part D, isn't it obvious to "even idiots" that the proper course of action would be to repeal the Bush Tax Cuts (or allow them to expire at the end of next year) and to conclude the wars in Iraq & Afghanistan? President Obama's position has been to do just that, however reTHUGlicans fought tooth and nail to EXTEND the Bush Tax Cuts through the end of 2012 and they have blasted the POTUS as a "failure" for ENDING the costly and pointless (Weapons of Mass DISTRACTION, anyone?) war in Iraq. Apparently republiCAN'Ts believe the war in Iraq should go on for...what? ANOTHER decade? FOREVER??? Please!
Following your "logic", it is quite obvious that DUHbya and the republiCONS, NOT President Obama & the democrats, are "worse than an idiot" considering THEY pushed for the Bush Tax Cuts. THEY went to war in Iraq under false pretense and THEY lost their focus on al Qaeda & bin Laden in their "WAR IN ERROR" in Afghanistan. THEY passed Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Program without funding it. And THEY continue to obstruct President Obama and, as a result, our nation's economic recovery through THEIR desire to prolong the war in Iraq and through THEIR refusal to increase revenues by ending the Bush Tax Cuts or by asking the wealthiest Americans to pay ONE CENT MORE in taxes.
olebud3 - I totally agree, but the GOP and these clowns will never admit to it. They live with their heads up their a$$es! Everything is Obama's fault to them... but that's ok. They will NEVER make it to the White House because of their ways. Boehner's Bunch and the rest of the GOP are hanging themselves and to hateful to notice. They are doing all kinds of things to suppress the votes Happy New Year to you and all others who have some sense.
We here in PA didn't want him because of his terrible ethics. You all should check him out further.
I do have to admit that while that school thing smells bad, it is small potatoes compared to the average PA politician.Semi official state motto: best judges money can buy.
Question remains where has the Republican Party gone???? I am a Eisenhower Republican and have been all my life, but there is no way I will ever vote for a Republican again if this is all my party has to offer.
How sad that the party of the people has actually adopted most of Goldwater's and the far right agenda.
If you are old enough to remember Eisenhower, he often said that if we allow corporations to flourish and create a large military industrialized complex this country is doomed. How right he was.
Also if you study writings of our founding fathers, they likewise warned of Religious zealots having a negative effect on the form of government they envisioned
ed - so good to hear that all Republicans are not crazy enough to believe in the GOP presidential hopefuls. They are truly scary.
I believe they were called "statesmen". They don't exist anymore.
Hi, my name is Rick Santorum.
I have no idea how to get elected. I used to be pretty good at it, but now I just depend on the fact that most Americans will agree with me that, all women should get married, stay home, have babies, take care of babies, cook, clean, and be available 24/7 to satisfy and obey their husbands.
http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/attytood/The-Santorum-that-America-doesnt-know.html?cmpid=125219969
When his party starts vetting him, a great deal will come out about Rick Santorum. When he served in the Senate, his ethics were questionable. His ideology might please the far extreme right but it probably won't work with the moderate GOPs and independents. It appears apparent that Rick is bigoted and a very narrow minded person who wants to continue to represent and protect the 1%ers and the — — — — with the rest of the US population.
The socialist democrats were quite accepting of the radical socialist activist background of Obama and his lies that he barely knew his radical friends and associates....But I dont think they will ignore his background and his failures this time. Obama has proven his failure....in every measurement....
Mr Santorum If I feel a need for religion Ill find a church.IF I need a lying politician Ill go to Washington.If I need a religious lying politician and a hypocrite Ill look you up
The black liberation theology church will save you a pew right next to obama!!!
The law has always put restrictions on marriage. For example, many states won't allow first cousins to marry. No state allows polygamy.
As for what you put into your body, most Democrats do NOT support the legalization of marijuana. And some Republicans do support it.
Both parties are all for interferring in your life. They just interfere in different ways.
Forgot to add that Obama is currently going after the suppliers of MEDICAL marijuana in states where this is legal. What a cruel and cowardly pig.